Season 7 Homepage VIII

First topic message reminder :

Breaking News: London Wasps regain their crown following playoff final victory. 
 

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Welcome to Season 7 of the Aviva Premiership fantasy rugby game.  Below are the rules of the game which must be adhered to.  If there are any situations that arise in the course of the game which are not covered by the rules, a final decision will be made by the RFU (SJE) as to how the situation will be resolved.
 
 

Senior Squads wrote:
The maximum squad size is 40 senior players.  If a team has more than 40 players in their squad then they will be fined £1 million per player over the permitted amounts per day for the first seven days. If after 7 consecutive days a team still has more than the permitted number of players then the team will be fined £2 million per player per day, and fined 1 league point per player per day for the next seven days. If after this time a team still has more than the permitted number of players in their squad, the RFU (SJE) will remove players at its discretion to bring them back under the permitted numbers. There will be no right of appeal to players being removed.

Be aware that all tier one international matches which are played during the season will count in the game, and players selected in the match day 23's for those matches will not be eligible to play for their clubs on that weekend, therefore you must give due consideration to the make-up of your squad.

Academy Rules wrote:
Each team will be allowed to have an academy squad of 20 players.  Players who are in the academy must be born on or after 1st September 1992. 

Any player, who is at any Premiership club in real life, either in their senior, academy or AASE squads, can be bid for on the domestic bidding page. Players who are at your own club in real life and are coming through the academy system must be bid for if you want them in your own academy.

Transfers wrote:

• Domestic (other AP Teams)
  Each team has a budget to use in the purchase of players. Domestic transfers between AP clubs, regardless of nationality of player, should be negotiated between the respective managers, and then confirmed on the Domestic Transfer Confirmation Page.
  
• Domestic (Championship and below)
  Each team may during the season purchase no more than 5 players from the Championship or the National Leagues. These players must be bid for on the National League Bidding page, and each bid will be considered by me on its own merits before being accepted or rejected.  No bid will be accepted until a minimum of 24 hours has elapsed from the time the bid was made, in order to afford other managers the opportunity to make a counter bid.
  
• Foreign
  To make a foreign transfer (i.e. from any club outside of the AP, regardless of whether the player is English) a bid should be made on the Foreign Transfers Page, which will be considered by me against the posted guidelines for purchase prices before being accepted or rejected. No bid will be accepted until a minimum of 24 hours has elapsed from the time the bid was made, in order to afford other managers the opportunity to make a counter bid.
  
  There will be a summer foreign transfer window, which will run as follows.
  
  Open Window
  
  Open transfer window, teams have unlimited bids provided they have the financial resources to cover them.  Teams may only bid for one player at a time.
  
  The window will open from the 9th of June but only to those sides that finish 8th and below at first. They will have a week to make one signing each before the window is open to all.     
  

Player Releases wrote: 
Managers may choose to release players from their clubs, for which they will be offered compensation

Compensation will be paid as follows

£2 million – current international (must have played international rugby in the previous 12 months)
£1.5 million – former international
£1m – top flight experience
£0.5m – other

All released players will be deemed to have joined a Championship side and can be bid for on the National League Bidding page.

Retirements wrote:
There will be no compensation for retiring players.  Should a player who retires decide to come out of retirement and play again, then he will automatically go back to the club who he was playing for in the game when he retired.

Fixtures wrote:
There will be 22 Aviva Premiership games per season, plus the play offs. There will also be European Rugby Champions Cup, European Rugby Challenge Cup and Anglo Welsh Cup matches.  These games will take place once a week. A match thread will be put up every Monday. Home teams must be named by midnight on Tuesday. Away teams must be named by midnight on Wednesday. Failure to meet these deadlines is punishable by the addition of three match points to the oppositions final score, unless both sides fail to do so. Both teams must provide tactics by midnight on Thursday. Predictions will be open from 00:01 hours on Friday and remain open until 15:00 hours on Sunday. Managers will post the scores that they think will happen from these games (apart from games in which they are involved).  An average of all predictions will be taken, and then 0.5 points added to each teams score for each prediction that had them as the winner, and that will then be the final score.

Managers are asked to provide detail as to why they have predicted a result.  To be considered a descriptive prediction this must be a full 3 lines long when entered into the text box. 

Teams wrote:
When naming your team, not only should you put the starting XV and replacements, but also tactics that your team will employ. Results will be affected by the tactics described.

In addition, each team must have the following:-

For domestic competition at least 8 England qualified players in your match day 23, and at least 4 of those must be in your starting XV.

For European competition at least 8 England qualified players in your match day 23, and at least 6 of those must be in your starting XV.

At least 2 props and 1 hooker on the bench.

All players must be eligible (not injured or banned).

Failure to comply with these rules will result in a 1 league point deduction.

If you fail to submit a team for a match, then the other team will be automatically awarded a 30-0 bonus point win. If both teams fail to submit a team, then it will be scored as a 0-0 draw.

Injuries and Suspensions wrote:
Injuries in this game do NOT reflect real life, they will be generated by me.

Players banned in real life will be ineligible for selection in this game for the duration of the ban.

Inclusion of injured/banned players will result in them being replaced by players on the bench, and the bench not having eight players, which may result in punishment if it concerns the front-row.

Punishment for fielding an ineligible player will be loss of one match point.

Financial Rewards wrote:
There will be no rewards for the result of an individual match, instead the managers will receive cash for predicting.

£2m for descriptive predictions 
£0.25m for scores on the doors predictions
If you fail to predict without first advising me that you are unable to do so that week, you will be fined £1m for a first offence, £2m for a second offence, £3m for a third offence etc upto a maximum of £5m per fine.

AP finishing positions.

Champions: 8m
Runners Up: 6m
Playoff Semi Finalist Losers: 5m
5th: 4m
6th: 3.5m
7th: 3m
8th: 2.5m
9th: 2m
10th: 1.5m
11th: 1m
12th: 0.5m

Heineken Cup

Losing Quarter Finalists - £2 million each
Losing Semi Finalists - £3 million each
Runners Up - £4 million
Champions - £5 million

Amlin Challenge Cup

Losing Quarter Finalists - £1 million each
Losing Semi Finalists - £2 million each
Runners Up - £3 million
Champions - £4 million

Anglo-Welsh Cup

Losing Semi Finalist - £1 million each
Runners Up - £2 million
Champions - £3 million


If your budgets falls below minus £10 million for any reason, the administrators (SJE) will step in and players from within your squad will be released for the relevant financial compensation (foreign transfer value) in order to bring your budget back above minus £10 million.

It's seriously odd he must have signed

!Frustrating to see tickets for stupid amounts on stub hub, surely they can stop this somehow!!!

Prop it's so frustrating. We have the 4 that i needed but none of the rest of our mob have them. There will be few Edinburgh fans there

I reckon we will lost to Falcons at home tomorrow prop. Can't see our players being up for it with a final the following Friday. Not seen the side yet but may be some rotations

Very much a second string with some quality on wings

Charlie Sharples; Jonny May, Brendan Macken, Billy Twelvetrees (capt), Henry Purdy; Billy Burns, Dan Robson; Yann Thomas, Darren Dawidiuk, Sila Puafisi; Elliott Stooke, Mariano Galarza; Ross Moriarty, Matt Kvesic, Sione Kalamafoni

Worst front row you will ever see glos put out.

Our th puafisi I would argue is the worst player in prem

You'll still get on top of our scrum, we've been poor of late.

I can't see us winning, we've ran out of steam and with Clegg at 10 have looked awful. Looking forward to seeing Harris in midfield and hopefully we'll kick less as it doesn't suit us.

When you listen to Healy commentate you realise he is in that bracket of ex top players who don't
Understand the game.

It's the reason why he was a great winger and an average 9. A great reader of space and skilfully in the extreme but not the game brain.

Could have been wc wing but always thought it was below him. He was a great footballer and positionally wonderful.

He makes comments that make you shudder when he talks forwards or game tactics. Cmon Irish !!

How is that not a pen try to Irish ??

Who is Reffing ?

Glad the video ref sorted that. Terrible officiating

The reffing is a joke.

anonmattyt wrote:Prop it's so frustrating. We have the 4 that i needed but none of the rest of our mob have them. There will be few Edinburgh fans there

I'm thinking I may give up and just travel back to kings holm area for the game.

It's awful for both sides although Irish more wronged than bath. Luke Pearce it is and he has been awful since coming in. Day late shot on Irish 10 is a pen and designed to stop playmaker being at ruck after breakdown.

It's a cynical yellow but as they have scored will not be dealt with.

reffing worst it has been for years. They are so young and miss all the tricks that players know. The holding off the ball and on floor is terrible.

Ford is the envy of the world at ten. Shame he does not have the cast for England. For nz and aus he would be gold,

Pollard for sa is a year or 2 behind but similar. However the way boks play is similar to england so imagine the same frustrations will
Happen.

Apparently deviliiers will be fit for wc but as it stands de Allende and de Jongh would be the dream team.

Saffers always want size so deallende and de jongh will not get picked.
Brussow was looking good again until injury but again would never be picked. He is like a lot of my backrow ferris, materA, botha etc in that always injured. Both matera and brussow have never played an entire season in their life.

When I played last Saturday it was the 750th game for a team
Mate. That is mental.

Glos have loads of players over years at 500/600. Now that will never happen. 100 super15 appearances is a lot these days

How slow is Ojo these days.

Ford has had some nice touches. Healy is good for comic value but talks some rubbish, similar with Lol who's not great as a pundit.

prop_lyd wrote:

anonmattyt wrote:Prop it's so frustrating. We have the 4 that i needed but none of the rest of our mob have them. There will be few Edinburgh fans there

I'm thinking I may give up and just travel back to kings holm area for the game.

I was nailed on to go and wAnt to go but there is talk among our group of raffling the 4 tickets amongst us as that's what usually happens:



I have issues as it's the 4 my brother and I have got for glos final and we booked rooms but we all go away regularly and others have thrown their tickets in to kitty when they had got them like In Dublin this year.

Defo not going to heino now. Trying to sell my tickets half price. Think I have someone but it will be empty anyhow. Shame

Watson a fb so much more than a wing. Such a talent and prospect

Irish have disintegrated in the 2nd

Interesting input from the Bath coaching set-up on Burgess, they can't see him moving to the backs again.

It's good when you get proved right , I think there was me & Pete that called it. He was never a centre.

We scapped like feck first half but have disintegrated as Bath went up a gear second half.

Burgess always more suited to being a forward.

Great minds Pete, must be that high level of rugby we played

Not sure he was motm mind.

I'm going to keep trying to get a ticket, worked out bus down and cheap hotel!! 
To be fair bath turned it on in the secon half, won't hear the last of the burgess try this weekend!! To be fair he had a good game but hate the media coverage

Every dog has his day!!!

Ford " who will never make it" means you are 1-1

I never thought burgess could be a 6 as breakdown so hard but fair play he did well,

Still never make WC but has potential and we need a big 6 as I said last week when saying ewers nowhere near.

Burgess demonstrated the work rate needed but doubt how he can get the technical part.

Ewers can be long term 6 If he gets fitness
And work rate.
Has everything else

Well done Pete and pooly on burgess
at 6. Never saw it

If you throw enough something sticks Matt

Never said Ford wouldn't make it, said he needed to bulk up and improve goal kicking but hey ho, I'll take a back handed compliment.

I don't think ford will ever bulk. Look at his dad and his brother.

Ford sees things others don't:

He is similar size to cooper, cruden,foley,Barrett etc however he is more game in defence.He will get skittled occasionally but makes first engagement and slows or gets them down.

10 does not need to be a big tackler but needs to be able to be a speed bump.


Australia and nz have a culture of playmakers at 12 traditionally or at least in other positions.

This is due to them loving attacking off turnover. To attack off turnover you need a distributor at ten/first receiver

As Aussies have had cooper,foley and Joc at 10 who can't defend 10 they hide them as nz have looked at with cruden and barret. To counter this they have ball players who Step in to run counter ball.

Aussies have Folau and Toomua to move In nz have dAgg, Conrad and Ben Smith which means they have continuity. That's why england need another ball player.

Aussies also managed to make hiding
Cooper at 15 an advantage as he countered well. That said always thought a proper 15 with pace
Would
Counter better

Ford did bulk, I think he put on about 10kg during a summer tour a few years back. Chris will remember as I recall having a discussion about it saying it could be the making of him. He was very scrawny at 19, maybe 70/75kg, he would never have made it at that size.

Yes he has bulked since 2 seasons. Naturally you do as you become a man.

Imagine he is 82-85kg. Generally clubs add 5kg in player stats for some reason.

I have seen Tomas Francis as 21-25 stone according
Where you look. Think 22 is about right.

I have seen Palu 18-22stone. Assume he is 20ish ?

Tamefuna is best he has about a 7 stone range on stats.

Ford will never be big but he will be cleverer than all the other players. Exceptional player and come
World Cup will be world class

Sob could have a ban coming. His yellow could well have been a red. Not sure if
They can change a yellow these days ??

Palu is never 20 stone, more 18.

How do you get talking about your players no matter who is brought up, it's quite something (not a dig, more intrigued!).

Just wrote a big thing about how islanders weight goes up
And down but vanished as this site is so bad on a mobile device.

Palu 19/7 on s15 site
And 19 on wiki . Out of season goes as high as 22.

Typical islander. When on form like he is at moment he is fit. He
Can also be a liability when unfit.

Qera would put on 3-3.5 stone out Of season hence him
Being fined and often not seen until October.

As a nation we are getting fatter and diabetes increasing (4% 15 years ago vs 6% now)
Islanders and more so British asians more so.

In my work we look at health trends and British pakistani has 18% type 2 diabetes. Excercising
Is frowned up on and diet is sugar snd ghee.

Islanders eat a fatty diet and have a culture of
Not pushing themselves. Tongan king Is
25st and has a national diet effort but regularly falls f
It.

My dream holiday is Tonga samoa Fiji
And Papua new guinea

Espn & Waratahs website have him down as 18st, never believe Wiki.

Palu is decent, bit thick but the best of a bad bunch for Aus at 8, it's real slim pickings.

Palu is a great carrier and is bang In form.
He is not my type of 8. 

He is 19 odd

Palu is a great carrier and is bang In form.

He is 19 odd stone most places but anyhow it makes no difference. He is super fit and on form at moment so being lighter corresponds. Heavier you are
Harder it is to get fit from injury and Palu has had some garbage seasons when not fit.

This is best I have seen him and he is looking great. However he is
Not my type of 8. He is a huge carrier
And is essential to Aussies as
They lack carrying. However like picamoles he does not do
The 8 basics well enough. 

Pickles and Palu can be really effective in
The right backrow but can also be a bit of
A liability.

They need a hardworking 6 and a proper 7 to
Allow them to carry a and seek hits.

My ideal number 8 is the footballing type like read and Heaslip. Best mix of both  is parrisse and vermaulen.

He's 115kg or 18.1st

http://www.waratahs.com.au/Waratahs/Team/SuperRugbySquad/PlayerDetail.aspx?pid=136

I'm pretty sure his club would know his weight rather than wiki. Not that it matters end of the day.

He's a decent player but wouldn't get near most Int sides. It's a real problem position for Aus. Johnny hardly ever played him, but he did have Picamoles I suppose.

Heaslip is a player I don't rate at all. An 8 needs some kind of carrying ability and he hardly makes any impact. He's decent at the breakdown but not a player I like.

If you could combine Palu & Heaslip (Palslip or Heaslu?) you'd have a good player on your hands.

This is how we end up talking about your players all the time!

A random player is discussed. You add to it and then start talking about your player, usually saying how great he is. I then respond saying how poor he is and then we fall out.

Then Chris will come in sticking up for you and says how it's spoiling the game etc etc.

I've cracked the code, it's been your fault all along!

Stop talking about your bloody players!

Then Chris will post an article from some random claiming Simpsom, Daly, some skinny Wasps player should be playing for England and the whole thing loops back.

How's it took this long to figure out??

Heaslip best carrier in heino this year ?

Heino as good as int in ko stages.

Heaslip nearly 100 caps 6 lions caps 2/3 heino wins = all time
Great and certainly best Irish 8 ever unanimously.


Palu a good
Player on his day and he is having his day. He is like
Lots of big 8s in that off form you cannot play him as he is that bad. It happens. I don't play certain players when they hit a trough as no player in form all the time. Stooke for
Glos has had the difficult second season that's happens with many young uns. Likewise you can't play Horwill as he has become the worst player in s15 and was dropped by reds
For sa tour until injury.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:
A random player is discussed. You add to it and then start talking about your player, usually saying how great he is. I then respond saying how poor he is and then we fall out.

Then Chris will come in sticking up for you and says how it's spoiling the game etc etc.

Hahaha. Do you three know how bored the rest of us are with it?!?

Anyone have this lad http://m.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/rugby/patrick-sio-labelled-next-wycliff-palu-snapped-up-by-french-side-stade-francais/story-fni2fxyf-1227242896590


The other one is ioane
Of Blues any of these In the game ?

I think generally we should try and limit how much we big up our own players

That would be great CJ but I think Matt would go into meltdown.

I always thought not being allowed to comment on your own players on the main board would lead to more interesting chat.

"The next Wycliffe Palu"

That's some tag! Lol

Catching up on Crusaders vs Chiefs from last week....first 2 scrums and Chiefs have dismantled the Crusaders front 5.

Chiefs completely dominated them up front all game prop.

Watching Marshall quite closely.....think he'll fit in well @ Glos next year.

Chiefs smashed them, total control

Waratahs looking very good this season again, Skelton has really stepped up for you Johnny. Skelton/Retallick could possibly be the best lock combo in the league at the minute.

He looks to be fitter than he was last season and I think that's making a massive difference with him Pooly. Tahs look good but also look as if they have another couple of gears to go up. I reckon they'll make the final again this year, against either the Chiefs or the Hurricanes.

Agree Pete, he's getting through much more work.

I can't see Chiefs making it without Cruden which is unfortunate. I'm going for 2 from Hurricanes, Tahs and the Stormers. I have a sneaky feeling Hurricanes will run out of steam.

Will depend on whether either of the MacKenzie boys can front up at 10 for the Chiefs. The Canes do look as if they may be punching above their weight,,but they have some big performers. Stormer could be dark horses. I can't see anyone else other than those 4 teams being involved.