Edinburgh sign Worcester winger Mike Penn

http://edinburghrugby.org/news/edinburgh-news/4194-warrior-penns-new-deal

So....anyone know anything about this guy? Looking at you Worcester fans!

5ft 9 and 13st - you hope he's rapid with those stats!

4 senior appearances and loaned out to Nottingham - won't exactly be shouting from the rooftops about this guy but happy to give him a chance, and he is only 22.

That's probably Sean Maitland ruled out of our summer spending spree then

In the Beeb articles he talks about trying to avoid the contact area using his pace, so it sounds like he'll fit right in at Edinburgh!!

Don't know anything about him. He'd better be good though, otherwise Jim Thompson can feel rightly aggrieved.

Apprently hes only played 22m for Wuss. Seems a bit strange that were signing this guy instead of giving Fife, Farndale, Fleming or Gossman a chance...

Definitely need more cover, as Jones, Visser and Brown could all be involved with Scotland at some stage. Also makes for good competition within the squad so happy enough with that. Not to sure why we let JT go then sign this guy, although he should be cheaper. It's only a 1 year deal, so if it doesn't work out then no real loss.

Imperialbigdave wrote:Apprently hes only played 22m for Wuss. Seems a bit strange that were signing this guy instead of giving Fife, Farndale, Fleming or Gossman a chance...

pretty sure they will get plenty of opportunities - take away Visser, Brown and Jones for Scotland duties and there's only there's not many wingers left!

Farndale, Fife, Fleming, Gossman and Robertson. Theyre all Wingers. They are also all scottish qualified.

Uh hu?

Mark Robertson is a walking injury and has had his chance with Edinburgh (regrettably) and the others are very young, with only Fife seeing competitive action this year.

I was hoping for a higher caliber winger than this guy that we've signed, allowing the young guys to be backup and get 10 appearances over the season or something.

I really doubt signing this guy will have a serious impact on the development of our young wingers, when you consider that the young guys (plus this new guy) will be the only ones left when you take away Visser and Jones!

Don't understand this signing

I'm not sure if it's because Bradley has no intention of helping out the Scottish national team but these signings are just getting silly. Fair enough if they signed Joe Rokocoko but it I doubt many people who aren't Worcester fans have ever heard of this guy. At 22, he's not really that young either.

SRU have really shown a lack of ambition with Edinburghs signings this year. Strange when you compare them to Glasgow.

WP Nel and the big Georgian guy will be good signings I think, but skeptical about the others. We're not exactly short of cash just now either.

Maybe it's just a sign of where we stand as a club - bigger names aren't attracted to us? Keep winning and it will hopefully come.

As for this Mike Peen guy, I'm assuming he's not getting paid very much and will have a year to prove himself, if not we'll bin him.

Edinburgh finished second from bottom in the Rabo league this season. Their first choice team is good but the second choice team is weak. Thats what Bradley is strengthening.

As for Scottish rugby, is he really damaging it if he is replacing players that are sub Rabo level? Scotland is not producing too many players so to me it looks like he is just building up the squad while having limited impact on future Scottish players.

To me you strengthen a squad by getting players that can push for first team regular spots (WP Nel, Rees, Georgian guy - really need to learn his name!) not with average players who will "do a job" when the first team are away (Yapp, Mike Penn, Tonks, although maybe harsh on Tonks).

I am generally happy with getting 5 or 6 good none Scottish guys in the team. What I don't like though is seeing the likes of Jim Thomson being binned and replaced by journeymen randoms who struggled to get into AP teams.

profitius wrote:As for Scottish rugby, is he really damaging it if he is replacing players that are sub Rabo level? Scotland is not producing too many players so to me it looks like he is just building up the squad while having limited impact on future Scottish players.

The answer is yes. The immediate example I would think of is Scotland being forced into capping Ed Kalman during the Six Nations. He'd had a couple of decent games for Glasgow but is nowhere near international quality. Edinburgh will not develop Pro12-level or, better yet, world-class players if they don't even try. With John Yapp and WP Nel at Edinburgh, I don't see where the long-term replacements to Jacobsen and Cross (is he even Pro12-level?) are coming from. Scrum half is beginning to become a concern as well which is the pits because Scotland have never been short of solid scrum halves.

Being a bit harsh on Cross there I think - he's worked very hard the past couple of seasons and I think he's definitely an international standard tighthead. You've got to remember the lightweight pack that's normally behind him for Edinburgh! He's no world beater but he's definitely one of the best we've got for Scotland.

I'm not sure what the alternatives are when it comes to props at Edinburgh. If we didn't sign Yapp and Nel our backup props would be Robin Hislop (19) and Lewis Niven (24) - if they had to play regularly for Edinburgh would it really help them, the team and Scotland if they were getting destroyed in the scrums week in week out, losing us games and ruining the confidence of these young guys?

Just looking on the Nottingham RFC site as i hadn't heard of this chap. Seems he's scored 20 points this season but doesn't say in how many matches also says he's a full back/winger. Not much else on him, bit of an odd signing really!

RDW_Scotland wrote:Being a bit harsh on Cross there I think - he's worked very hard the past couple of seasons and I think he's definitely an international standard tighthead. You've got to remember the lightweight pack that's normally behind him for Edinburgh! He's no world beater but he's definitely one of the best we've got for Scotland.

I'm not sure what the alternatives are when it comes to props at Edinburgh. If we didn't sign Yapp and Nel our backup props would be Robin Hislop (19) and Lewis Niven (24) - if they had to play regularly for Edinburgh would it really help them, the team and Scotland if they were getting destroyed in the scrums week in week out, losing us games and ruining the confidence of these young guys?

One of the best we've got for Scotland isn't that much of an accolade when there are probably only five capped Scottish tight-heads currently playing professional rugby in the entire world (Cross, Douglas, Kalman, Low, Murray - anyone else?). Of those, Murray won't play on Sundays and could be playing in the Championship next season and Douglas has been off the international radar for so long that it's unlikely he will be capped again. Edinburgh were minced in the scrum by Ulster in the Heineken Cup semi-final and Ulster were sans Afoa. Given that Edinburgh can take very little out of the Pro12 this season, I don't see what harm throwing younger guys in at the deep end would have done. They may even have ended up with four cap-worthy props in Edinburgh as opposed to the two they'll have next season and who will probably be too old to play at the 2015 RWC.

Scotland only have two teams, why sign non Scottish players like Yapp, Penn and Rees? Rees is a good player but he will replace a potential Scotish international, I complain enough about the Welsh teams signing non Welsh players but these signings are plain daft.

Mike Penn 2011-12 highlights

Simply we need to build more squad depth. When we lose our 9 or so internationals the squad is barely Prem 1 standard let alone Rabo. That is a consequence of the McKie / Moffat legacy. Having taken a year to assess the situation Bradley has shipped out a lot of those not up to it and is looking to replace them with squad players with potential. Not all of them will make it, but most on 1 or 2 year deals so if they don't cut it get rid.

They are generally youngish guys who will be competing with our kids forcing them to improve to get game time. Much prefer this strategy to Glasgow's sign any ageing Scottish International who needs a contract and who will keep kids out of the team.

Not much evidence of him tackling on his highlights video - should fit right in with the Girners!!

glamorganalun wrote:Scotland only have two teams, why sign non Scottish players like Yapp, Penn and Rees? Rees is a good player but he will replace a potential Scotish international, I complain enough about the Welsh teams signing non Welsh players but these signings are plain daft.

Eh, did you see our options at prop this season when Chunk and Cross weren't around - woeful. We hopefully have young guys coming through but can't really chuck 2 19/20 year olds into your front row. Slightly different with backs, and we do have young SQ players coming through there.

As for Rees with Blair leaving and Laidlaw moving to 10 we need more depth at 9, don't mind this signing.

Looks a good attacking threat - good pace and a great step. As asbo says though, not much tackling!

Happy to see how he turns out now.

Also - justified sinner, +1. Can anyone seriously name a good Scottish alternative, apart from grant shiells who I seriously hope we're trying to sign?

justified sinner wrote:

glamorganalun wrote:Scotland only have two teams, why sign non Scottish players like Yapp, Penn and Rees? Rees is a good player but he will replace a potential Scotish international, I complain enough about the Welsh teams signing non Welsh players but these signings are plain daft.

Eh, did you see our options at prop this season when Chunk and Cross weren't around - woeful. We hopefully have young guys coming through but can't really chuck 2 19/20 year olds into your front row. Slightly different with backs, and we do have young SQ players coming through there.

As for Rees with Blair leaving and Laidlaw moving to 10 we need more depth at 9, don't mind this signing.

Chunk is is 33-years-old. What will you do when he's not around at all? Sign another average, foreign-qualified prop?

Rudimentary Weight Equation:

One Mike Penn + One Lee Jones < One George North

Have said it before, the smartest thing Edinburgh could have done would be to buy Murray and Shiells as a set and get them packing down next to Ford. Ready made Scotland front row. I know that tight heads are the most expensive players but Edinbugh's front row was an embarrassment all season.

Have to say, having watched that video again with a wireless connection so it doesn't keep stopping, I reckon this Mike Penn guy could be a very good signing.

he has an outrageous step and great acceleration, plus it looks like he has decent hands and a bit of a rugby brain. Looks like a fairly raw Shane Williams, in terms of running style.

Obviously those videos don't show his bad sides, but could be a very good signing for us, considering the way we play!

There isn't much room for 5ft 9 jinky wingers in the AP, but I reckon the guy could find a home at Edinburgh.

Looking forward to seeing how he develops!

Chunk is is 33-years-old. What will you do when he's not around at all? Sign another average, foreign-qualified prop?[/quote]

You miss my point. Until we can develop good young props we may need to sign good NSQ guys to be competitive and hopefully they can bring our young players on.

PS Chunk was on good form last night.

What was chunk doing last night? only competitive sport on in embra last night was a pie eating competition...

Bit surprised by this signing considering there are a number of good young wingers that Edinburgh could have signed that are just as good as this guy and Scottish, Farndale(expect him still to get gametime next season), James Fleming who has been impressive in the 7s circuit, Kerr Gossman and Barry Mansfield of Currie who has been scoring for fun this season and is lightning quick, Mansfield also has experience with the Western Force.
Hope Penn proves the doubters wrong and performs well next season but from all the signings so far this is the one I am not too confident with.