Newcastle Falcons - 2019 to 2020 Championship - Closed

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Manager: Dean Richards
Head Coach: Dave Walder
Forwards Coach: Micky Ward
Defence Coach: Nick Easter
Attack Coach: Dave Walder
Lineout Coach: Scott Macleod
Skills Coach: Mark Laycock

Current Squad:
Forwards
Props:
LH - Sam Lockwood, Adam Brocklebank, Trevor Davison,
Conrad Cade (Senior Academy), Phil Brantingham (Senior Academy)
TH - Rodney Ah You, Logo Mulipola, Mark Tampin, Mike Daniels,
Oscar Caudle  TH(Senior Academy & Tynedale)

Hookers: Kyle Cooper, George McGuigan, Jamie Blamire, Charlie Maddison

Second Rows: Sean Robinson, Darren Barry, Toby Salmon, Greg Peterson,
Will Montgomery (Senior Academy), Freddie Lockwood (Senior Academy), Bailey Ransom (Senior Academy)

Back Row:
6&7's: Mark Wilson, Will Welch, Gary Graham, Jon Hardie,
Guy Graham (Senior Academy), Rob Farrar (Senior Academy), Josh Basham (Senior Academy), Harry Hill (Senior Academy),
8: Philip van der Walt, Nemani Negusa, Calum Chick,
Tom Marshall (Senior Academy), Charlie Richards (Senior Academy & Tynedale)

Backs
SH's: Micky Young, Sam Stuart
Callum Pascoe (Senior Academy & Tynedale), Cameron Nordi Kelemeti (Senior Academy), James Elliott (Senior Academy)

Fh's: Joel Hodgson, Toby Flood, Brett Connon, Tim Swiel, Joel Matavesi
Will Haydon Wood (Senior Academy & Tynedale)

Centres: Matias Orlandi, Gareth Owen, Ben Stevenson, George Wacokecoke,
Charlie Wilson (Senior Academy - At Durham UNi)), Chidera Obonna (Senior Academy)

Wing: Sinoti Sinoti , Adam Radwan, Cooper Vuna
Morgan Passman (Senior Academy),

FB's: Alex Tait, Tom Arscott,

Players unconfirmed:
Seb De Chaves - Only has a one year deal
Jon Welsh - Injuries mean he hasnt played for nearly 2 years.
Connor Collett - has he signed permanently for Doncaster

GeordieFalcon wrote:On the unoffy and the other forums people are really looking at the coaching team and Dean.

I think you've got to look at your squad as well GF. You've got a fair 23 but outside of that not a lot. You are heavily reliant on what the academy can churn out to back you up.

An injection of quality in some areas and some rebalance in where the budget is being spent (how many backrow players?) needs to go on before any work on the coaches. How many of said players will you lose if you go down?

That's down to the budget Sam. Smallest in the league. Huge annual loss again this year covered by the chairman.

Football is king.

Flood has struggled this season and we've relied too much on individual brilliance from the wingers rather than having any kind attacking threat. The squad basically stood still from last year whilst other sides have improved.

If there was competition in the Championship I'd be concerned, but it'll just be a year out of the Prem for one of us, Worcester and Irish over the foreseeable future.

Apart from some tight games at the end of the season, I'm finding it tough to argue against ring fencing tbh.

+ allow clubs to grow
+ encourage attacking rugby
+ Youth will be given a chance
+ National side can only benefit
+ plan for the future
+ less average foreign players

- may lose competitive edge
- loss of excitement, tension?

GeordieFalcon wrote:That's down to the budget Sam. Smallest in the league. Huge annual loss again this year covered by the chairman.

Football is king.

Which is true.
But Falcons slashed the budget by over a million from last season and it shows.
Deano made some odd recruitment but how much was that down to having his hands tied by £££

I'm a fan of ring-fencing, in these times of financial uncertainty this romanticised nonsense of relegation and promotion is stupid.
Realistically how many Championship teams (outside the Prem 13) have the money or support to compete in the premiership.
Yes Exeter did it but really the nearest clubs to that level are still 5 - 10 years off where Exeter was when they got promoted.

Personally I think that a 5 year ringfenced league with money support given to the Championship clubs every season would be the best way forward. Then after the 5 years assess the current situation see if maybe having 2 leagues of 10 with relegation/promotion could be supported maybe (Similar to the NZ provinces cup) With the LV cup replaced by a larger pool comp featuring all 20 teams.


How much more secure would Falcons and Exeter be if they knew that they could if really needed release or their high earners and save money by using mainly academy players. Potentially looking at getting their losses to at least within a million.

I'm not a big fan of ring fencing but extending the league by one and reducing the number of cup games to compensate with a playoff between the bottom prem team and top Championship team for a period of three years whilst the Championship clubs adapt to the professional game and develop would be better. That way if there is an outstanding Championship side or a particularly poor prem side they aren't stuck in the respective leagues.

Playoff IMO would be just as much an issue.

Welly wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:That's down to the budget Sam. Smallest in the league. Huge annual loss again this year covered by the chairman.

Football is king.

Which is true.
But Falcons slashed the budget by over a million from last season and it shows.
Deano made some odd recruitment but how much was that down to having his hands tied by £££

I would also say that Dean makes some odd selection calls. He has his trusted deputies on the pitch and doesn't deviate from that if he can help it.

For example, young English lad Connor Collett came across with glowing reports from New Zealand. I don't think he's played one 1st team game.
Zac Kibirige has been on fire, then lo behold...dropped and never seen again.
Adam Radawn is like an exocet missle...had a fantastic breakthrough season last season yet I don't think he's played a first game this season. WHY??

Williams at centre has been our only breath of fresh are in the centres but he's dropped the second Matavesi and Harris are back.

It was the same last season. Sami Mavinga was playing great stuff at loosehead, but then just disappears.

I can go on and on.

Toby Flood has been playing inconstantly - one game man of the match, the next game simply awful. It turns out he's carrying injuries. Well then why is young Bret Connon not given the reigns? We're losing games with Flood in there unfit, so give the talented young lad a go.

Theres too many question marks at times over the style, tactics and selections.

Academy scrum half Rhauri Dawson confirmed to Cornish Pirates.

If you do go down GF how many of your best players do you think you will lose?

If Ealing keep spending money they could be a problem (assuming LI don't slip up and let them in this year) ...

I would like to see Gary Graham come up to Scotland and I think he will need to if he wants to push on with his Scotland ambitions. It would have to be Glasgow as Edinburgh have back rows coming out of their ears.

Chris Harris turned down the chance to go to Edinburgh, I wonder if he regrets that now?

BigGee wrote:I would like to see Gary Graham come up to Scotland and I think he will need to if he wants to push on with his Scotland ambitions. It would have to be Glasgow as Edinburgh have back rows coming out of their ears.

Chris Harris turned down the chance to go to Edinburgh, I wonder if he regrets that now?

Harris signed just after getting back into the Scotland side so may well have a release clause.

Apparently Mark Wilson has a release clause in his new contract as well. If Falcons do go down then the majority of Prem sides will be circling Wilson given his England performances this season.

It's always a shame to see sides with strong academies lose talent elsewhere. Falcons feels a particular shame though given the shortage of Northern Prem sides. Between Yorkshire Carnegie and Falcons there are two Northern sides that produce a lot of talented players but more often than not they move South.

Paying devils advocate though, I of course wouldn't say no to the likes of Wilson or Hammersley improving Tigers squad.

It is a really difficult choice for aspiring international players.

A year in the wilderness of the second division is going to almost certainly take you out of international contention and all you have to look forward to if you make it back up is another relegation struggle and the prospect of going straight back down.

Hard to blame any of them for moving on really and hard to imagine management standing in their way.

Not sure is the answer Big Gee.

The falcons have only got themselves to blame for this mess.
Not to mention they'll lose the big game at St james next season.

The crowds have slowly been rising, but I cant imagine most of them will keep coming to the championship games.

Bit of a nightmare to be honest.

I can see the likes of Goneva & Sinotti etc leaving. Probably Wilson on loan for a season somewhere.
Hammersley who knows.

I guess it depends if players are settled and happy to effectively lose a season - though we simply have to bounce straight back up! No arrogance that we'll walk it.

Tough with Kibirige and Radwan it's not like your back 3 are a problem on the whole though.

Sinotti I reckon will stay a season.
I can see leaving
Mulipola
Graham
Wilson
Flood (Maybe)
Harris
Williams
Matavesi
Goneva
Kibirige

Flood and Mulipola leaving would prob be Falcons move to save money.
Hardie is a maybe, but he owes Falcons IMO.

I think only those with aspiring international careers will go tbh with Wilson top of that list and Goneva is out of contract I think anyway.

I'm really not sure of the others listed Welly. I know Williams jumped to come to us but he's hardly set the world alight, I think a season at 12 in the championship might do him ok.

Kibirige could nail down a spot at 15 or 14 with Radwan rotating in, again, not a bad thing for the lad.

Theres rumours Flood is going to his local club Morpeth where he started out to become player coach.
So that is a wait and see.

Gary Graham, and Hardie may well head up North - but we have an abundance of back rowers who I think will do well in the Championship so no worries there.

Matavesi I can see going. No loss really. He's more like a pivot 10 than a dynamic 12 that Socino was, a player I think we've missed hugely.
We have a number of academy lads coming through who can challenge for the spots in the centres awell.

Harris is a local lad, I don't think he'll go. But if he does we have Charlie Wilson who is ready to take his place.

Williams is a curious one. He simply needs regular gametime due to injuries. And in the championship that may be exactly what he needs and gets.

Radwan and Kibirige wont go any where.

Kyle Cooper may be away.
Mulipola away
Davy Wilson to retire I would imagine
John Welsh back to Scotland
Calum Green to Tigers is a done deal

Ironically maybe a season in the championship will also then give us a chance to sort the front 5 out.

We thought the same with Williams but he decided to leave. However, he may stick it out with you as he may not want to look like someone who constantly jumps ship.

Either way SB he's going to have to stick with one club and battle for gametime. Either with us, or with his next club if he goes, because he's at the age he needs games.

If he elects to go that would be a shame, but we have players coming through .

We shall see what happens in time I guess.

Agree - he definitely needs gametime and it is a shame he was relegated below Matavesi after his early season form. Would welcome him back at Irish and wouldn't be surprised if he does end up back down here at some point.

SirBurger wrote:Agree - he definitely needs gametime and it is a shame he was relegated below Matavesi after his early season form. Would welcome him back at Irish and wouldn't be surprised if he does end up back down here at some point.

SB - How has Tom Stephenson got on with LI this season?

Not the thread for it I know, sorry Falcons fans, but talk of Williams made my mind wander to Stephenson given they were both being touted as England prospects a few seasons back.

king_carlos wrote:

SirBurger wrote:Agree - he definitely needs gametime and it is a shame he was relegated below Matavesi after his early season form. Would welcome him back at Irish and wouldn't be surprised if he does end up back down here at some point.

SB - How has Tom Stephenson got on with LI this season?

Not the thread for it I know, sorry Falcons fans, but talk of Williams made my mind wander to Stephenson given they were both being touted as England prospects a few seasons back.

Has been going well but terrible luck ... see here

Heaf wrote:

king_carlos wrote:

SirBurger wrote:Agree - he definitely needs gametime and it is a shame he was relegated below Matavesi after his early season form. Would welcome him back at Irish and wouldn't be surprised if he does end up back down here at some point.

SB - How has Tom Stephenson got on with LI this season?

Not the thread for it I know, sorry Falcons fans, but talk of Williams made my mind wander to Stephenson given they were both being touted as England prospects a few seasons back.

Has been going well but terrible luck ... see here

Broken tibia and fibula, that's his second double leg break after one with Saints. Poor bloke.

Such a talented player but no luck with injury at all. Hopefully he comes back from it, a real classy player when fit.

Cheers, SB.

GeordieFalcon wrote:

Welly wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:That's down to the budget Sam. Smallest in the league. Huge annual loss again this year covered by the chairman.

Football is king.

Which is true.
But Falcons slashed the budget by over a million from last season and it shows.
Deano made some odd recruitment but how much was that down to having his hands tied by £££

I would also say that Dean makes some odd selection calls. He has his trusted deputies on the pitch and doesn't deviate from that if he can help it.

For example, young English lad Connor Collett came across with glowing reports from New Zealand. I don't think he's played one 1st team game.
Zac Kibirige has been on fire, then lo behold...dropped and never seen again.
Adam Radawn is like an exocet missle...had a fantastic breakthrough season last season yet I don't think he's played a first game this season. WHY??

Williams at centre has been our only breath of fresh are in the centres but he's dropped the second Matavesi and Harris are back.

It was the same last season. Sami Mavinga was playing great stuff at loosehead, but then just disappears.

I can go on and on.

Toby Flood has been playing inconstantly - one game man of the match, the next game simply awful. It turns out he's carrying injuries. Well then why is young Bret Connon not given the reigns? We're losing games with Flood in there unfit, so give the talented young lad a go.

Theres too many question marks at times over the style, tactics and selections.

He was very similar at Quins, preferring to work players like Nev and Skinner into the ground then try out any other options.

What I do hope is we try and implement some sort of style of play, rather than just bullying other teams for a season. There's no playoffs this time so there's no reason to be so cagey, lets go out and play.

I recall watching games last time and it was almost 10 man rugby at times with us trying to just control teams with our pack (and Godman at 10!), we learnt absolutely nothing.

Yeah, your absolutely right Sgt.

We need more offensive play....a few heavy duty carriers.

Of the current squad I can see the following staying and going...

Forwards
Props:
TH -
Jon Welsh - Stay
Davy Wilson - Stay / Retire
Logo Mulipola - Leave
Rodney Ah You - Stay

LH -
Sami Mavinga - Back to France
Sam Lockwood - Stay
Adam Brocklebank - Stay
Trevor Davison - Stay

Hookers:
Kyle Cooper - Leave
Santiago Socino - Stay
George McGuigan - Stay
Jamie Blamire (Academy)- Stay

Second Rows:
Callum Green - Off to Tigers
Will Witty - Confirmed to Exeter ,
Sean Robinson - Stay
Glen Youngs - Confirmed to Quins
Tevita Cavubati - Leave
Andrew Davidson - Confirmed to Glasgow ,
Will Montgomery (Academy)- Stay

Back Row:
Will Welch - Stay
Mark Wilson - Unsure, but probably a one season loan elsewhere
Gary Graham - Leave
Calum Chick - Stay
Guy Graham (Academy)- Stay
Connor Collett - Stay
Nemani Negusa - Leave
Jon Hardie - Leave
Tom Marshall (Academy)- Stay,
Rob Farrar (Academy)- Stay
Simon Uzokwe - Stay
Josh Basham (Academy)- Stay

Backs
SH's:
Sonatane Tukulua - Leave
Micky Young - Stay
Sam Stuart - Stay
Ruaridh Dawson (Academy) - Confirmed to Cornish Pirates,
Callum Pascoe (Academy)- Stay
Cameron Nordi Kelemeti (Academy)- Stay
James Elliott (Academy)- Stay

Fh's:
Joel Hodgson - Stay
Toby Flood - Stay or retire
Brett Connon (Academy)- Stay
Joel Matavesi (Academy)- Stay
Tim Swiel - Leave

Centres:
Chris Harris - Unsure
Dom Waldouck - Coaching team
Josh Matavesi - Stay
Tom Penny - Stay
Johnny Williams - Leave
Pedro Bettencourt - to France confirmed,
Alex Dunbar (Loan) - Leave
George Wacokecoke (Academy) - Stay
Charlie Wilson (Academy) - Stay

Wing:
Sinoti Sinoti - Leave / Unsure
Zac Kibirige - Stay
Veriniki Goneva - Leave / Unsure
Adam Radwan (Academy)- Stay
Ben Stevenson (Academy) - Stay
Morgan Passman (Academy) - Stay

FB's:
Alex Tait - Stay
Simon Hammersley - Stay
Tom Arscott - Stay
Cameron Cowell - Unsure
Josh Hodge (Academy) - Stay

Interesting times for Newcastle. The Championship is a tough league and thankfully, aside from one or two star players (Symons and Maitland the first time and Lewington and Cokanasiga the second) we have been able to retain the core of our squad and have even added some decent recruits. If you lose that many and don't replace them with quality, you may well struggle.

Some lock called Barry has signed from Worcester.

If you do go down then acquiring tight five players for the Championship should not be too difficult. There is always a few propping gems loitering around that league waiting for their chance.

Ditto second rows, though is suspect Dean will have already signed a couple to replace those leaving.

Are you so sure on keeping hold of the likes of Radwan and Kibkrige? They'll be a few AP clubs looking at those boys. There could certainly be a space for one at Tigers if Thompstone confirms his retirement at the end of the season.

Darren Barry signed from Worcester?

The two locks signed for next season are both much bigger and heavier than those they are replacing...I wonder if Dean and John Wells have had a change in tact.

People aren't impressed with the signings so far....the two locks...

Well its confirmed about Green.

So we're losing 4 locks

We've signed 2 extremely average replacements. Should do a job in the championship I guess...

I see Uzowke, Collett and Swiel getting impressive reviews from yesterdays A game.

Why has Swiel not been involved in the seniors. SOunds like his game was exactly what we've needed recently.

And Radwan scored another blinder.

To be fair GF, there's a big big gap in the standard of rugby. Swiel is a funny one, just seems like another short sighted/odd signing from the club. The amount they have spent of panic buys over the last few years, we could have actually have signed some top class players.....remember the Japanese tighthead????

The young wingers are really exciting but they're not better than Sinoti and Goneva.

They're not, but they can be very good, and this is where you have to manage your squad and develop players. Im really not sure this has been happening effectively enough.

Were gone.....mayhe time for Dean to go.....

That was inept tonight....

Yet again....sad times.

Wuss win. Bristol scoring fijian style tries...

We kick the leather off it..despite having players like Sinoti, Goneva, Takulua, Radwan, Kibirige.

I'd love to know why they have been so strict with these shambolic tactics.

We're down and so in that time:
Coaching changes MUST happen.

Tactical changes must happen.

So Collett signs a new contract.

Well we're top heavy as it is in the back row. Some must he leaving.

GeordieFalcon wrote:So Collett signs a new contract.

Well we're top heavy as it is in the back row. Some must he leaving.

I know that the Rugby Paper was linking Mark Wilson with Sale.

I wouldn't be surprised to see him go LT even just for a season until we came back up.

But we have a huge number of Back rowers and loads of hugely promising academy players who will need to have gametime aswell.

I'd be surprised of Hardie stayed on...and I'm curious about Gary Graham

Reading the times today, it stressed that Falcons had the lowest salary budget last season and had reduced it by £1m for this season. If that is true, Falcons have arguably overperformed both last year and this.

Salary constraints could also partly tie the hands in selection with regards to Development Squad players.

Yeah that's true about the salary reduction LT. We were gobsmacked when it was announced at the start of the season.

Next season's team should still be strong enough to get us back up...with all the leaves I expect.

A number of the academy lads are England u20 caps...and some are real hopefuls.

Dean will have no choice but to blood many of them.

1 Lockwood /Brocklebank
2 Cooper/ Socino / Blamire
3 Mulipola/ Ah You / Welsh?
4 Peterson / Barry
5 Robinson (Montgomery)
6 Welch (Acadamy monster Forar / Basham)
7 Graham (Collett)
8 Chick (Academy Marshall and Uzokwe)

9 Young/ Stuart ( Academy Kelemeti)
10 Flood / Hodgson/ Connon
11 Sinoti
12 Tbc (Matavesi and Williams will leave)
13 Charlie Wilson
14 Kibirige/ Radwan
15 Hammersely / Tait (Academy Hodge)

LondonTiger wrote:Reading the times today, it stressed that Falcons had the lowest salary budget last season and had reduced it by £1m for this season. If that is true, Falcons have arguably overperformed both last year and this.

Salary constraints could also partly tie the hands in selection with regards to Development Squad players.

And that budget includes the Rugby league side too....

Yes it does Sgt.

GeordieFalcon wrote:
12 Tbc (Matavesi and Williams will leave)

Pretty sure I've seen on twitter this morning that Matavesi is saying he's going to stay.

Here: https://twitter.com/premrugby/status/1123147557402705921

What's your thoughts on the way its gone and the squad next season Sgt. The acadamy lads, the A team etc

Well that would be good Rinsure...

But we need Hodgson or Connon at 10 then so we have a running threat. I think that has cost us alot this season.

Makes us predictable.

EDIT
That's Joel Matavesi Josh's younger brother. Hes a big unit aswell and apparently a talented 12 who has a very good range of passing etc. Has played well in the A team recently

I think it's too early to tell GF.

I'd be happy if we got rid of some of the big earners for next season and then invest when we come back up tbh.

I could see the back of: logo, Welsh, Cooper, Hardie, Ngusa, Mavinga, Flood, Young, Matevisi, Goneva etc.