Leicester Tigers 2017/18 Season

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Back Room
CEO: Simon Cohen
Head of Rugby operations: Gled Glynn

1st Team
Head Coach: Matt O'Connor
Scrum Coach: Boris Stankovich
Forwards coach:
Backs Coach: Geordan Murphy

2017/18 Squad: (Sorted alphabetically)
Props: Bateman, Beaumann. Cilliers, Cole, Genge, Mulipola, Rizzo, Traynor
Hooker: Kerr, Polota-Nau, McGuigan, Thacker, Youngs,
Lock: Barrow, Fitzgerald, Kitchener, Wells
Back Row:Evans, Hamilton, Kalamafoni, Mapapalangi, McCaffrey, O'Connor, Ryan, Williams
Scrum Half: Harrison, Youngs
Fly half: G.Ford, J.Ford
Centre: Catchpole, Malouf, Owens, Smith, Toomua, Tuilagi,
Wing/Full Back: Brady, Holmes, Tait, Thompstone, Veainu,

Development Squad
Props: Betts, Grahamslaw, Heyes, Traynor
Hooker: Mahoney
Locks: Lewis, Maksymiw
Back Row: Reffell, Tuilagi
Scrum Half: White, Simmons
Fly Half: Hardwick,
Centre: Thacker,
Wing/Full Back: J.Olowofela, Worth

Leavers: Brugnara (N/A), Bryant (Jersey), Yawayawa (Glasgow)
Joiners: Grahamslaw, Hardwick, Heyes, Reffell, Traynor,

European Pool 4:
Castres
Leicester Tigers
Munster
Racing

I hope he finds a fulfilling career outside of rugby. Shame a young talent wasn't able to achieve all that his potential promised.

I wonder how much game time the lads who played in the JWC with. Get next season?

While I like what In have seen from Lewis (excluding red card) in the past, cannot see him getting much time in the side other than the replacement for the A cup. Yes and Reffell unlikely to feature much.

Olowefela looks like someone we really should invest in, could become a star. White and Hardwick imo unlikely to be anything more than solid club players. Of course in Hardwicke's case that already makes home better than Joe Ford. White will be fighting with Simmons to be 3rd choice. Simmons seems to have more spark, but White perhaps the better basics.

I suspect Owolofela will see plenty of game time as we've lost two wingers and only signed one as a replacement. Agree on Hardwick, hopefully he'll swiftly overtake Joe Ford in the pecking order. He might not be international standard but a backup flyhalf that's physical and can kick three pointers from halfway is valuable.

I suppose another thought in respect to our young guns is succession planning. Particularly in the backline. Smith, Tait and Thompstone are now all 30 and over. Thommo being 30. Smith and Tait won't be around for much more than the 2019/20 season if that far (perhaps contracts covering the RWC). We should be looking at bringing through Worth, Owolofela and Hardwick to fill those holes. Add in our need to get Joe Ford off the books and free up cap and the backs succession planning is now very important.

As I said above with Brady and Malouf gone and only Robinson signed there's a wing space (Catchpole also retired). With our centres prior injury lists they'll be space there as well.