One more signing from Sarries?

Ruck'n Maul ESPN

James O'Connor to Saracens?Greg Growden July 26, 2013

James O'Connor may be the incumbent Wallabies No.10, but Australia's Super Rugby provinces aren't pushing each other out of the way to get his signature. With the Rebels farewelling him, and the Brumbies, New South Wales Waratahs and Queensland Reds showing little interest, the assumption was that O'Connor would return to Perth. But we hear recent talks between O'Connor and Western Force officials finished well short of a hug fest, with claims he may still be owed money from the club's former sponsor, the infamous Firepower group. Our snouts in the OK Corral also tell us also there remains some animosity in Perth over O'Connor's departure from the Force several years ago. Ruck'n Maul vividly recalls several highly inflammatory conversations with Force officials after O'Connor provided them with a list of demands and then shortly after departed for Melbourne. Their opinion of O'Connor was well short of positive. Not surprisingly we now hear O'Connor is looking overseas. There are already whispers of talks with London club Saracens.

If he comes north I would imagine that it would be to France rather than England.

I hope that the Salary Cap Oversight Officer is fully appraised of any contractual details!

I believe that at Saracens they all play for free asbo, much like at Tigers, must be due to 'something special' happening there.  

Ahem. If only Tigers could get away with that. We've lost several players due to financial limitations and sign players who are being written off or are on career low points or that nobody has heard of.

Personally I think that Sarries might be his only option as the French clubs are probably full even with their massive cap and don't they have a window that closes soon? Sarries could bring him in as a medical joker around December time after the AIs then replace Hodgson with JOC next summer.

Ozzy3213 wrote:I believe that at Saracens they all play for free asbo, much like at Tigers, must be due to 'something special' happening there.   

Pfft, they just play for food like momma used to make up at Leicester.

Ozzy3213 wrote:I believe that at Saracens they all play for free asbo, much like at Tigers, must be due to 'something special' happening there.   

I thought they just play so they can get the free ipads and team bonding trips that you dont get elsewhere?

Isn't all the super team holidays and extra homework that those special Sarries players get given enough of an in incentive?

I would actually love him to come to the Jeff as it'll add some more magic to the mix.

How's the currency exchange between Oz and England and does he want a farm?

This Greg Bowden bloke has to be a WUM surely?

There is no doubt O Connor is a class player and Sarries could certainly do with a player like him (to be honest most clubs would want him). He's also versatile and young.

On the other hand there is that tiny little thing called the salary cap plus we have quite a full squad too.


Plus we'll cop even more flack from our fellow AP clubs and I don't want my club to get punished if they are indeed found to breach the salary cap.

I'll believe it when I see it.

Saints need a 10 and haven't made any big signings... 

Yappysnap I don't know.... I think Myler is a better 10 than O Connor..... 

Quins should go for him - imagine a 10,12 combo of Evans and O Connor!

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:I hope that the Salary Cap Oversight Officer is fully appraised of any contractual details!

I just don't understand how the cap mechanism works. It's difficult enough for limited companies like Leicester and Exeter to have their books audited for player payments but sugar-daddies and consortia etc., it must be a Kafakaesque nightmare what with offshore funds, foreign owners and tax offsetting lawers and accountants laying* knee-deep in the streets.

*Well I can't say lying can I?

We've lost several players due to financial limitations and sign players who are being written off or are on career low points or that nobody has heard of.

Yes but look how much thats working for you...turning it into an artform...rejuvenating players ..Tait etc..

beshocked wrote:Yappysnap I don't know.... I think Myler is a better 10 than O Connor..... 

Quins should go for him - imagine a 10,12 combo of Evans and O Connor!

We might struggle to afford that...

I do love that idea though. Just need to get Conrad Smith in at 13 as well.

GeordieFalcon wrote:

We've lost several players due to financial limitations and sign players who are being written off or are on career low points or that nobody has heard of.

Yes but look how much thats working for you...turning it into an artform...rejuvenating players ..Tait etc..

GF wrote:Tait etc..

A huge gamble buying him from Sale. Still is. Tigers will need another three seasons out of him to generate a reasonable return on the investment.

That's why I always said that Jonny should have left Newcastle and gone to a big club years before he did.

yappysnap wrote:I do love that idea though. Just need to get Conrad Smith in at 13 as well.

Conrad Smith is not looking for a new club. O Connor is.

Oh I didn't realise we were still in the real world?

Question.

Why doesn't he go to another countries SR franchise? Does movement between super rugby countries franchises not occur?

formerly known as Sam wrote:Ahem. If only Tigers could get away with that.

Not wagging fingers here Sam, but it is certainly suggested Tigers have been getting away with it for years. You may not be able to stretch to the salary offered to Tuilagi, but you have always had rather in depth squads. Given that most players just want to play, there must be a reason they're happy to sit in reserves...

I should also make very clear I am fully aware that Glaws breached the cap for many a year. I remember on the old 606 defending Glaws recanting that as Tom Walkinshaw had said we weren't over it, it had to be true. but when we lost 11 players and were still at the cap the penny dropped. There is no doubt our squad is not as strong as it was 5-10 years ago, yet since that time the cap has increased so for me it is very clear we were breaking it. Walkinshaw Jnr is adamant that we're not breaking it now, but I'll take comments like that with a pinch of salt in the future.

Frankly HKC, the salary cap is not like the one you'd like to see fitted to your wife/girlfriend/daughter.

It leaks like a sieve.

I think in the past quite a few clubs played fast and loose and Tigers have been very creative in their use of the medical joker rules. Yet when you look at the comings and goings their is a definite correlation between players with big reputations and presumably wages leaving whilst younger lesser known players are signing contracts.

This summer we've had Castro, Stevens, Brookes, Andrew, Thorpe, Young. Ford, Lewington, Forsyth and Murphy all out the door this summer. Castro and Murphy being big earners, we've signed a down on his look reserve prop Schuster from Perpignan, Bristow a LW loosehead, de Chaves a reserve from France, Gibson who has fallen out of favour with England, Williams Scarlets backup and then Lamb and Camacho who nobody else would touch. 150 caps out the door and less than 25 in. That's been a recurring theme for a number of years. Players come because they know if they can make the first team then international recognition will follow and they'll be involved in big club games. If it doesn't work out their profile will still be high enough to get a deal elsewhere.

formerly known as Sam wrote:I think in the past quite a few clubs played fast and loose and Tigers have been very creative in their use of the medical joker rules. Yet when you look at the comings and goings their is a definite correlation between players with big reputations and presumably wages leaving whilst younger lesser known players are signing contracts.

This summer we've had Castro, Stevens, Brookes, Andrew, Thorpe, Young. Ford, Lewington, Forsyth and Murphy all out the door this summer. Castro and Murphy being big earners, we've signed a down on his look reserve prop Schuster from Perpignan, Bristow a LW loosehead, de Chaves a reserve from France, Gibson who has fallen out of favour with England, Williams Scarlets backup and then Lamb and Camacho who nobody else would touch. 150 caps out the door and less than 25 in. That's been a recurring theme for a number of years. Players come because they know if they can make the first team then international recognition will follow and they'll be involved in big club games. If it doesn't work out their profile will still be high enough to get a deal elsewhere.

This rings true. Tigers don't sign big players any more (apart from Tait maybe (who was 'bought as seen' from Sale)). When the shower bought Moody, Vesty and Hipkiss, Moods was sold after his prime and soon had to retire and Vesty and Hipkiss were never utilised to their potential. In my view, Hipkiss in particular

Tait came as Sale had no intention of renewing his contract and didn't want to continue to pay for his rehab. Tigers took him on at what I heard was a considerably smaller contract than he had been on. I doubt he's on much more than the average first teamer at the minute as he signed a 2 year deal back in March around the time of the Toulon game just as he was coming good.

He is indicative of Tigers signings in recent years, look at Allen. Reputation taken a knock after he dropped by England, form was poor. Tiger sign him and after an initial season of remodelling he's come good and been consistently good for several seasons (other than when injured obviously).

formerly known as Sam wrote:Tait came as Sale had no intention of renewing his contract and didn't want to continue to pay for his rehab. Tigers took him on at what I heard was a considerably smaller contract than he had been on. I doubt he's on much more than the average first teamer at the minute as he signed a 2 year deal back in March around the time of the Toulon game just as he was coming good.

My understanding is that Tait's original two year contract was at a level that was some way below the average squad salary at tigers. With 45 first team squad members and a £4.5m cap - that would suggest he was on a salary of about £80k. It will now be much higher - but Murphy is no longer on the playing bill.

As an aside, did anybody see Rhys Gill had his twitter hacked by a teammate and had a tweet to Mako Vunipola saying he (Gill) was on fire and Mako had better get used to life on the bench.

Very funny.

Risca Rev wrote:As an aside, did anybody see Rhys Gill had his twitter hacked by a teammate and had a tweet to Mako Vunipola saying he (Gill) was on fire and Mako had better get used to life on the bench.

Very funny.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J91ti_MpdHA

That's the one aye