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

First topic message reminder :

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

Well hopefully the new signings Welsh, and Vea and Harris can help improve the scrum.

Kane Thompson has really been leading the lineout recently and doing a great job.

So its improving...just need some consistency, sort the defence out and not capitulate in the last 10 mins every game....is that fitness?

GeordieFalcon wrote:Well hopefully the new signings Welsh, and Vea and Harris can help improve the scrum.

Kane Thompson has really been leading the lineout recently and doing a great job.

So its improving...just need some consistency, sort the defence out and not capitulate in the last 10 mins every game....is that fitness?

In most of those matches you have been under the cosh for the entire second half - and eventually the dam breaks.

Against Gloucester they dominated second half possession and across the match ran 50% further and made you make 50% more tackles.
Bath dominated you, and really the scoreline flattered.
Arguably LI eased off and almost let you back in
You dominated the first half against us, we dominated the second.
You had to make almost twice as many tackles as Saracens
You perhaps should have beaten Wasps, but they had some magic plays


I coudl go on. Your defence and tackling gets the blame, but usually is is the pack that is the issue. coughing up too much ball and constantly putting you under pressure. Where the defence needs to improve is the communication. too often you have players out of position because they have not worked back after attacking. Of copurse that is easier if you keep the ball.

I agree with you in part.

We have struggled at times in the pack, especially in the scrums. This hopefully will be fixed now with the signings.

I still believe I have seen some woeful defensive play from us in games....we do need to improve.

Communication...well many think Welch needs to be removed as captain...maybe given back to Hogg...as Welch just doesn't seem to be the right candidate.

On a separate note...

Joel Hodgson has signed for Leeds on a 1yr deal from Saints....that went well then!!!

Fantastic signing in Venditti, he'll provide a great foil for Sinoti. i know we haven't made big name signings but I've been very impressed with the recruitment this year.

Well not a bad side out...the bench certainly looks like it has impact...maybe hes sick of losing in the last ten minutes...so he'll try to win it in the last ten...

15 S. Hammersley, 14 A. Tait, 13 A.Powell, 12 JP.Socino, 11 S.Sinoti, 10 R.Clegg, 9 R.Tipuna, 1 R.Vickers, 2 S.Lawson, 3 K.Brookes, 4 C.Green, 5 K.Thompson, 6 M. Wilson, 7 W. Welch (C), 8 A. Hogg

Replacements: 16 G. McGuigan, 17 E. Fry, 18 JP. Orlandi, 19 W. Witty, 20 R. Mayhew, 21 M. Blair, 22 Alesana Tuilagi, 23 Anitelea Tuilagi
LondonTiger

Good free flowing game, Sale the better team and our defence has been poor again.

Yeah mate...but headlong for another.....L

Need to fix these issues next season.

At least it's a LBP

Great finish to the game, McGuigan's darts let us down again

Regardless mate things must improve.

The hard facts are....if it had been any other side promoted but London Welsh we could very well be plummeting headlong to the championship....

Things are what they are though GF, you can't think what could have been.

Looking at Bristol & Worcester currently, they're nothing too special.

No but they're better than LW...and the table doesn't lie...we haven't won or got enough points from games.

We shall see how they work this summer...but they simply must improve.

Whats your thoughts on the transfers in and outs?

Players Signed for 2015/16:
Marcus Watson (Wing/Fb)
Sonatane Tukulua (SH), signed and joined already
Mickey Young (SH)
Taione Vea (TH Prop)
Ben Harris (LH Prop)
Jon Welsh (TH Prop )
Nili Latu (No.7)
MIke Delaney (FH)
Giovanbattista Venditti (Wing)

Players Leaving:
Brookes - Prop (Saints)
Morris - Back Row (Nottingham)
Saul - No.7 (Leeds)
Blair - SH (Glasgow)
Godman - FH (Head of Sports Dundee School)
Lee Smith - Already left to play rugby in Australia
Chris York - No.8 (Ealing)
Danny Barnes - Centre/Wing (Ealing)

We've certainly improved the squad. Very happy with Vea, Welsh, Harris and Venditti and Young. Delaney could be the 10 we've needed going forward too.

Unsure on Latu but if he brings some breakdown nouse he could be handy. Watson could be exciting or a complete flop??

Yeah I think your thinking along the same lines as me Sgt.

I too am unsure on Latu...but we'll see how he goes. Venditti could be a shrewd signing...and he may play quite a bit at 13 aswell.

Id still like to see a Fonua style player. We have lots of workers, and grafters but not many that really are a force of nature going forward in the pack.

No rugby on 365

Nah I can't get it.

But seems a close Game

It would be good to finish with a win

Yeah Blair just scored a 40m try on his farewell.

Sounds like we're signing out with a good win, TBP too

Least we're finishing with a win. Nice to see Kibirige getting a run out aswell....

Well we have seen big improvments in performances...and we cant half attack when we put our minds to it...

However

Our defence is abysmal, we are too inconsistent and lose too many in the last qtr of the game.

Hopefully we'll see those narrow loses turned into wins next season and the addition to the front row will really help us.

Ill update the team list for next season.

The squad is looking stronger for next season and hopefully these new additions will help us kick to the next level. It's certainly been an entertaining season rugby wise, which is more than what we can say for years gone by.

Do you think with Witty, Robinson and GLen Youngs coming through, we may not be renewing McLeod's contract.

Sean Brown has been released, and Kane Thompson has got an extention, but nothing official has been announced yet.

Got to love the unoffy....someones just posted his probable team next season...and has Eric Fry starting!!!

Was nice to see Mark Wilson getting the recognition for his hard work. Ill be watching the game hopefully he'll put in a cracker.

There's some really clueless posters on that site, I can't bring myself to join.

I noticed that Joel Hodgson is being booted out of Saints and is signing for Yorkshire Carnegie this summer. What was the point for him? Did he even get a game? I would like to have seen him come back and settle a no.9. Really weird.

Awful move for Joel Hodgson. Joining Saints has only put his career back. He'll shine in the Championship and probably get an opportunity in the AP the season after.

Yeah I mentioned it on the Transfer thread a few weeks back.

Why do these kids rush to get away to bigger clubs when they just need to get their head down and play regular premiership rugby.

Fortunately...(and I hope) it looks like the current academy lot coming through are a bit wiser and will see that we have a good set up now....if they're good enough they will get recognition internationally.

Brookes - England
Mark Wilson - Saxons
Will Witty in the U20's
Glen Youngs - Scotland U20's.

I expect more to follow aswell....

Aside from the established Islanders and Scotland players etc.

Wrote on the transfer thread but Barrow has apparently signed for tigers has anyone heard anything here.

So our locks next year will be

Furno
Thompson
Green
We may re-sign McLeod for another season
Witty
Youngs
Snowdon

Im still happy with those. Barrow has missed a lot of game over the last season and a bit.

Big Kolo plays lock too, there's another position he can injured for.

Some crazy buggers on the network site. Wilson as our starting TH despite getting stuffed all of last season and us signing 2 Int quality TH's......I do dispair.

Ah Kolo....id just write him off now, cancel his contract and try to find a young rough diamond somewhere in the South pacific or may be the deepest darkest congo...

Yeah the unoffy is hilarious.

I think Vea looks a cracking signing. Even on the London Welsh forums they keep saying he was a stand out in a woeful team. And a big carrier.

Then Welsh to add some Scottish fire.

Geordiefalcon you're right - it's better to be a starter for a smaller club than being a waterboy for a bigger club.

It's all about gametime.

The smartest players move for gametime. Just a few examples:

Auterac was 4th choice LH for Saracens - now he's 2nd choice LH at Bath and pushing for 1st choice.

Ford moved to Bath and became first choice 10.

Twelvetrees moved to Gloucester now he's the captain and first choice 12.

At young ages when players are coming out of the academies, they need to simply play.

I cant believe agents would advise players to move to a bigger club to just sit on the bench. (Obviously its about money)

We have another batch of quality academy prospects coming through...and the good thing I can see is that Dean Richards will be a reason to stay with us. He is managing all the youngsters well.

In a couple of years time so long as things stay as they are.... I foresee our team being 3/4 academy produced players with a few top class imports.

I see Juan Pablo Socino has been called up to the Argentina squad for their 2 friendlies against the French Barbarians at the end of June.

Great news, he's really come on this season.

Zac Kibirige has been added to the England 7's team...

And Newcastle Rugby, the company that owns both Newcastle Falcons and Newcastle Thunder, can have confirmed the purchase for the freehold of Kingston Park Stadium from Northumbria University.

Fab News....now get that bloomin North Stand built

That's fantastic news, it just keeps coming!

Whats your thoughts on Zac. Think its a good move?

Means he wont be getting much time with us this season...

Falcons have re-purchased Kingston Park:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/33101164

Or is this old news?

Edit: Ah, I see it is. Apologies.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Whats your thoughts on Zac. Think its a good move?

Means he wont be getting much time with us this season...

He has not joined the England 7s team on a permanent basis though has he?

Thought it was like the Tigers Academy lad and just called up for this leg of the Euro competitions.

Ah maybe I misread it LT. If that's the case then its a good idea...gives him a chance to have a run out and sort his fitness out after the horrific injury.

Yeah Jimpy, its great news about the stadium. I imagine they'll sort out the North Stand next...and it'll be a cracking little stadium.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Ah maybe I misread it LT. If that's the case then its a good idea...gives him a chance to have a run out and sort his fitness out after the horrific injury.

Yeah Jimpy, its great news about the stadium. I imagine they'll sort out the North Stand next...and it'll be a cracking little stadium.

Despite what I might say, I do have a soft spot for Kingston Park .But my goodness, it is bleak there in the depths of winter. A giant wind break in lieu of a new North Stand might be a better idea?

ha ha ah ya soft southern fairy - but I know what you mean.

Its pretty brutal at times to be fair, that cold just seems to get right in to your bones.

Good news on the stadium, and hopefully further investment will follow. Presumably the more large stands that are in place, the less windswept the stadium will be?

The artificial pitch seems to have worked out well. Hopefully this season of developing a decent playing style will pay off as the relegation battle next season will be much tighter, and I guess Worcester and the Falcons are the early favourites to be contesting the spot?

Im sure it will be us or Worcester with the bookies and rightly so.

But we lost some very narrow games and left a number of opportunities on the pitch through our own carelessness this season.

If we can cut out those errors and I believe we've had a successful recruitment campaign, then I think we'll keep the pace on the rest of the league...

Barrow confirmed then....are you concerned about that?

Im actually not that concerned. We have 3 very good locks in Green, Thompson and Furno, and probably McLeod re-signed for one year.

Then we have Witty coming through and Robinson who played a lot last season. Not to mention Youngs and Snowdon.

That also frees up salary to bring in a monster carrier for when Kolo'ufai is on the treatment table.