Newcastle Falcons Season 2014/2015 - Closed, use new one.

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UPDATED FOR 2015 / 2016

Manager: Dean Richards
Head Coach: John Wells
Forwards Coach: John Wells
Defence Coach: Graham Steadman
Attack Coach: Dave Walder

Current Squad (A= Academy):
Forwards
Props: Taione Vea, Jon Welsh, Scott Wilson, Ben Harris, Rob Vickers , Eric Fry,

Hookers: Scott Lawson, George McGuigan, Rob Hawkins,
David Nelson (A)

Second Rows: Dom Barrow, Callum Green, Kane Thompson, Josh Furno,
Glen Youngs (A), Will Witty (A), Sean Robinson (A), Harry Snowdon (A),

Back Row: Ally Hogg, Will Welch, Richard Mayhew, Nili Latu, Mark Wilson, Uili Kolo'ofai, Dan Temm,
Brian Tuilagi (A), Joe Craggs (A), Calum Chick (A)

Backs
SH's: Sonatane Tukulua, Ruki Tipuna, Micky Young,
Dan Taylor (A),  Ruaridh Dawson (A)

Fh's: Tom Catterick, Mike Delaney,
Craig Willis (A), Brett Connon (A)

Centres: Juan Pablo Socino, Adam Powell, Gonzalo Tiesi, Andy Tuilagi, Chris Harris ,
Adam Redman centre (A), Tom Penny (A)

Wing: Sinoti Sinoti, Alex Tuilagi, Giovanbattista Venditti, Marcus Watson, Zac Kibirige,
Dan Marshall (A)

FB's: Alex Tait, Simon Hammersley

Contracts yet to be agreed:
Oliver Tomaschyk
Scott MacLeod
Warren Fury
Jamie Helleur
Noah Cato
Rory Clegg - Going to Australia

LondonTiger wrote:I notice there seem to be less complaints about John Wells and the breakdown atm.

That's because that area has actually improved dramatically.

While disappointed with losing Brookes I'm not overly concerned.

He's not actually that good if truth be told. I think I've seen him have one or two dominant scrum performances in the last two seasons and he's at best a 50min player.

He also tends to play a few games and spend a few games on the bench, with our squad we can't afford that type of luxury. He may really kick on at Saints but he's no more than an impact sub for a top 4 side and will be asking for starting top 4 money.

He reminds me a lot of PDJ a few years back tbh. Nobody wants to lose young EQ talent but I imagine we'll pick up two better quality props for what Brookes would have asked for.

Onwards and upwards!

Well I would hope that he is the only obvious one who wants to leave. And fingers crossed everyone else is really buying in to what Dean Richards and the club are doing.

And what Brookes has shown is that you CAN get in to the England squad / Team being at the falcons....so they don't need to leave.

Just having a look at contracts coming to an end due to the news above.....I get roughly the following out of contract in the summer with a few im unsure when their contract runs out.

A couple of keys ones in there.....and I haven't included the likes of Hammersley, Temm etc who aren't long out of the academy.

Leaving:
Kieran Brookes 2015 - To Saints

TBC (Unless you know further info) :
Scott Lawson Hooker 2015
Scott Macleod Lock 2015
Andy Saull back row 2015
Will Welch Back row 2015
Ally Hogg Back row 2015
Chris York back row 2015
Mike Blair Scrum Half 2015
Phil Godman Outside half 2015
Rory Clegg Outside Half 2015
Jamie Helleur Centre 2015
Adam Powell Centre 2015
Danny Barnes Centre 2015
Chris Harris Centre 2015
Noah Cato Wing 2015
Zach Kibirige Wing 2015
Lee Smith Wing 2015
Tom Catterick Full back / FH 2015
Alex Tait Full Back 2015

Unsure:
Oliver Tomaszczyk ?
Josh Furno ?
Kane Thompson ?

Out of that list we could afford to lose Macleod, Godman, York, Clegg, Heuller, Barnes, Cato, Smith.

Cato is a handy backup so possibly keep him?

It would be good to hear some contract news/new signings soon.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:While disappointed with losing Brookes I'm not overly concerned.

He's not actually that good if truth be told. I think I've seen him have one or two dominant scrum performances in the last two seasons and he's at best a 50min player.

He also tends to play a few games and spend a few games on the bench, with our squad we can't afford that type of luxury. He may really kick on at Saints but he's no more than an impact sub for a top 4 side and will be asking for starting top 4 money.

He reminds me a lot of PDJ a few years back tbh. Nobody wants to lose young EQ talent but I imagine we'll pick up two better quality props for what Brookes would have asked for.

Onwards and upwards!

Fair point re scrummaging and time on the field. I would say the major difference is, although not consistently, he can carry very well, something I don't think we have a lot of and can ill afford to lose. PDJ never had this.

If he thinks he can slip back into a life of Nando's complacency at Saints though and pick up a fat check he's going to be sadly mistaken. I don't think some of the senior players let alone the coaches will let him fall back. At least I hope not, if he improves and really offers something different for England, at least that'll be something.

From the full list I put on the unoffy...I would be looking to resign those in bold and look to replace the unbold.

Leaving:
Kieran Brookes 2015 - To Saints

TBC (Unless you know further info) :
Scott Lawson Hooker 2015
Scott Macleod Lock 2015 - Age counting against him....and we have some cracking locks coming through
Andy Saull back row 2015
Will Welch Back row 2015
Ally Hogg Back row 2015
Chris York back row 2015 - Never really hit the heights.
Mike Blair Scrum Half 2015
Phil Godman Outside half 2015 - Good Bye don't come back
Rory Clegg Outside Half 2015 - Let go unless we cant get a decent replacement.
Jamie Helleur Centre 2015 - I like Jamie..would maybe keep as a back up player
Adam Powell Centre 2015
Danny Barnes Centre 2015 - Let him leave. We have better coming through
Chris Harris Centre 2015
Noah Cato Wing 2015
Zach Kibirige Wing 2015
Lee Smith Wing 2015  - Useful but I wouldn't keep him.
Tom Catterick Full back / FH 2015
Alex Tait Full Back 2015

Unsure:
Oliver Tomaszczyk ?
Josh Furno ?
Kane Thompson ?

Senior / Academy/ Out on loan:
Simon Hammersley
Sean Brown
Tom Penny
Craig Willis
Andrew Davies
Dan Taylor
Ben Morris  
Dan Temm
Brian Tuilagi
Will Witty
Sean Robinson - Rotherham Loan
Harry Snowdon
Glen Young
David Nelson

Mark Irving - Contracted to Tynedale? Keep there for emergency
Alex Rogers - COntracted to Blaydon? Likewise

Good side for the dragons game.

Didn't realise young lock Sean Robinson is the top tackler in the competition and Chris Harris is second.

Both start with Harris at 12.

Is this one on TV? I'm guessing not

BT sport 315 saturday

Really? Wasn't expecting that, missus will be happy

Well you lads wont have to try to hard on Sat, our coach has lost the plot and brought in a third choice fly half, hooker and left our only British and Irish Lion on the bench

GeordieFalcon wrote:Good side for the dragons game.

Didn't realise young lock Sean Robinson is the top tackler in the competition and Chris Harris is second.

Both start with Harris at 12.

It says you have 10 changes from the London Welsh game. Is this just squad rotation?

GavinDragon wrote:Well you lads wont have to try to hard on Sat, our coach has lost the plot and brought in a third choice fly half, hooker and left our only British and Irish Lion on the bench

If he's third choice then who is 2nd? Agree though, Gustafson is useless.

Id say Angus is in most peoples eyes

Not in my eyes. Where has he disappeared to anyway, the coaches finally seen his limitations?

It says you have 10 changes from the London Welsh game. Is this just squad rotation?

He's sticking to the theme of using a young side - even the management team on the day will be the lads who run the academy.

I don't think it's in any way disrespect or not taking the competition seriously, but that's the way he does things, through the young ones in, give them a couple of wise heads and see how it goes.

TrailApe wrote:

It says you have 10 changes from the London Welsh game. Is this just squad rotation?

He's sticking to the theme of using a young side - even the management team on the day will be the lads who run the academy.

I don't think it's in any way disrespect or not taking the competition seriously, but that's the way he does things, through the young ones in, give them a couple of wise heads and see how it goes.

I don't think it's disrespectful, it's gotta be done. That's pretty much how we have always operated, just with less competent coaches. The younger guys coming through now are a lot better than what we have previously had though.

The Saint wrote:Not in my eyes. Where has he disappeared to anyway, the coaches finally seen his limitations?

Personally, I think he is even second choice at the Keys now, as Ethan Davies seems to be their ten now.

Angus O'Brien is third choice. Dorian has been in the squad too long now to be considered behind Angus in the pecking order.

It's very generous to call Gustafson a hooker too.

It helps when the kids he's playing are performing way above expectations...and consistently.

Dean has a great belief in many of these young kids...and they will be the bulk of the falcons squad in a few years...that's been his plan since day 1. Many more coming through as well.
But he does like a few old heads in there as well...which is essential.

This particular side isn't full of the kids...theres a lot of squad players as well but that's something new for us these days...competiton for places...

1 Alex Rogers,
2 George McGuigan,
3 Kieran Brookes,
4 Sean Robinson,
5 Kane Thompson,
6 Richard Mayhew,
7 Andy Saull (c),
8 Chris York

9 Ruki Tipuna
10 Tom Catterick
11 Alex Tait
12 Chris Harris
13 Adam Powell
14 Tom Penny
15 Simon Hammersley

Replacements: 16 Rob Hawkins, 17 Rob Vickers, 18 Eric Fry, 19 Will Witty, 20 Will Welch, 21 Andy Davies, 22 Rory Clegg, 23 Juan Pablo Socino.

Well that's not the best start...but a very well worked try for Dragons.

Very nice.

McGuigan's throw still pretty poor

Is anyone streaming? The one I've got is awful.

That young 13 the 19 yo looks a good player for the Dragons.

Just dual signed for Wales aswell.

VIP Box Saint...best site. Very good link.

Dragons well in charge at the moment.

Penlty Try Dragons.

Thanks GF. Btw, I'm not a forward so was that a penalty try?

Why does Flatman hate us so much?

How is that pen try?!?!

However to be honest I cant see what that's for.

Wow this is embarrassing

Thought that maul was never going to slow down in time before the dead ball area lol

Saint...we were infringing in previous plays...but in that actual one I saw nothing wrong.

I love our back 3 at the moment. Byrne and Brew can feic off.

THis is going to be a cricket score???!!!!

What on earth is going on? Have we even come on the pitch.

But fair do's to the dragons theyre playing great stuff

Ref is having an absolute mare but Dragons playing very well and well deserved lead

Sgt,

Your right though...Flatman is loving this. Maybe a Geordie showed his wife what a real man is.

This is like taking candies from children.

Is that a 1st choice Falcons' team?

Sgt, cant blame the ref...we're just a mess and the dragons are on fire.

Haha, maybe GF. He was garbage anyway, carried it on into commentary

No Vince
Far from it.

Ouch....this is hurting

Flatman wouldn't think that was forward....

I think we've underestimated this one.....

We're playing so so bad, worst game for a long time. McGuigans throwing doesn't help things.

Massiely underestimated it...but its a lesson for them.

We are playing badly...but don't take it away from Dragons the rugby the way they are playing is impressive.

We just need to get hold of the bloody ball and go through some possession.

Well that was a lesson for the boys.

At least it's not the AP

Deans made an error here with all these changes. I can see why though because in the reverse fixture your boys did well; however we had quite a big lead in that one and I think it was more a case of us losing it. Don't accept defeat just yet, you can still score 4 tries in the second half and be right back in there, I've seen it before already this season. So far our mobile team is loving this pitch and Jon Evans probably having his best game yet is helping.

I am dreaming - tbf it was one of those halves where everything went right for us and nothing for them...

but still....

The Saint wrote:Deans made an error here with all these changes. I can see why though because in the reverse fixture your boys did well; however we had quite a big lead in that one and I think it was more a case of us losing it. Don't accept defeat just yet, you can still score 4 tries in the second half and be right back in there, I've seen it before already this season. So far our mobile team is loving this pitch and Jon Evans probably having his best game yet is helping.

Evans, Gus and Prydie having the best games I have seen