Silly Season Transfer Rumours 16/17

First topic message reminder :

Gordon Reid is off to Irish.

Also talk of that Prop Sami Mavinga is on his way from Lyon...

king_carlos wrote:Rennie will have coached Gibbins for Manawatu before Rennie went to Chiefs and Gibbins broke through with the Canes.

Makes sense. He's behind some excellent back rows at Canes (Brad Shields and Blade Thomson as well as Savea the younger) so a move and likely more money would probably be welcome to him.

It's some squad that Rennie is inheriting and he's already adding to it.

Bennett out - Jones in
Grant, Puafisi, Reid out - Kebble in

Any rumours who might be replacing Strauss for you, George?

Not really Carlos - it's slightly worrying because whilst young Adam Ashe is the future, but he's not big or fierce enough to be the present, Ryan Wilson is really not an 8, and we really need some big ball carriers (beard now optional).

George Carlin wrote:(beard now optional).

That will be quite a change then, because there is nothing optional about Strauss' beard. In fact I've heard that it has in the past threatened to shave his face off if he doesn't do what it says. True story.

Hastings from Bath to Glasgow confirmed....

And still no rumours of big players going to Quins

Anyone heard Ben Spencer to Sale rumour?

ChequeredJersey wrote:Anyone heard Ben Spencer to Sale rumour?

Sounds pretty unlikely.

Scottrf wrote:

ChequeredJersey wrote:Anyone heard Ben Spencer to Sale rumour?

Sounds pretty unlikely.

Unless he's fed up of being third choice. Sarries have got some good 9 options queuing up behind him as well in Taylor and Whiteley. If de Kock isn't retiring and Wigglesworth is staying then he might want to look at his options.

Would surely give Saracens a nudge to start him more. I know Wigglesworth is important to them with his kicking game the best in the prem from 9 but Spencer looks more than ready to take on a starting place.

Saia Faingaa, Jake Schatz and Ben Meehan all to Irish next season.

Hooker Tom Lindsey to Saracens??

Odd one....

Meehan a great signing for Irish. Cracking little 9 and had a good run at 10 in the NRL. Would be a very handy player at Premiership level

GeordieFalcon wrote:Hooker Tom Lindsey to Saracens??

Odd one....

Short term injury cover.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:Hooker Tom Lindsey to Saracens??

Odd one....

Short term injury cover.

George unavailable due to England, Spurling out for the rest of the season. Sure Lindsay (a big thing of yesteryear) can be deemed to be scraping the barrell, but we have seen other sides drafting in hookers who had retired to become pig farmers and actors so ......

Lindsey being big and mobile will work at Sarries. If they can fix his dodgy lineout throwing he'll do well there. Mind you we've been saying that for years.

Reports we are in for Josh matavesi the 10/ centre and George nott the flanker /lock from sale

Doubt Nott will leave just yet.

Matavesi would be an odd signing with Hodgson and Willis at 10 and Socino, Willis and Mermoz at 12. Unless Falcons are planning to clear out some of their other centres?

Be odd for Nott to leave when he's pushing into a starting spot at Sale who don't have many stand out locks to Falcons where they have several good options at lock and at 6.

Yeah I'm not convinced on these to be honest... Especially not Nott....we have some genuine quality locks.

Also confirmed that Josh Chisanga is definitely being changed to a LH prop! Thw Kenyan Mako mark two on his way...

Nott is more of an 6.

Mermoz still has French ambitions so he could still be with an outside shot of a French recall who knows.
.

I thought George Nott was one of the stand-out performers for England in last year's JWC. With his pace I certainly saw him as more of a 6 than a lock and having just turned 21 woudl be a useful signing for any AP team.

Would be surprised if Sale did not want to keep him, and really would make more sense for him to stay with them.

Cockers to Edinburgh. 

Thank heavens for that - a decent coach to tell the cashmere wearing old soaks in the Old Town to wake the f*** up and start to show some steel.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Matavesi would be an odd signing with Hodgson and Willis at 10 and Socino, Willis and Mermoz at 12. Unless Falcons are planning to clear out some of their other centres?

Be odd for Nott to leave when he's pushing into a starting spot at Sale who don't have many stand out locks to Falcons where they have several good options at lock and at 6.

I don't think Matavesi would be odd, I think he's be quite a shrewd signing. Our first team on paper looks pretty good for next season but there's a bit of a drop in quality across the centres and 10. Matavesi would very handy and allow us to perhaps lose one or two average players we have in these positions.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:Matavesi would be an odd signing with Hodgson and Willis at 10 and Socino, Willis and Mermoz at 12. Unless Falcons are planning to clear out some of their other centres?

Be odd for Nott to leave when he's pushing into a starting spot at Sale who don't have many stand out locks to Falcons where they have several good options at lock and at 6.

I don't think Matavesi would be odd, I think he's be quite a shrewd signing. Our first team on paper looks pretty good for next season but there's a bit of a drop in quality across the centres and 10. Matavesi would very handy and allow us to perhaps lose one or two average players we have in these positions.

It's just you have several flyhalfs and 12s on the books so unless you are going to remove some it would be a squad depth signing with international commitments. Unless the plan is to have Mermoz at 13 and one of Matavesi or Socino at 12.

Mike Brown to Tigers starting to do the rounds...

Welly wrote: Mike Brown to Tigers starting to do the rounds...

!!!!!!!!

Welly wrote: Mike Brown to Tigers starting to do the rounds...

Not joking

Falcons making signing announcements today.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Falcons making signing announcements today.

DTH maybe?

Don't think Strauss is going to Newcastle.

Joel and Josh matavesi joining in the summer

Welly wrote: Not joking

He'll be very expensive, miss a third of the season with England and can only play in the one position. I was hoping for a 10/15 option who could ideally kick like a machine.

I wonder if the Catterick rumour is true Sam. Heading to you??

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Welly wrote: Not joking

He'll be very expensive, miss a third of the season with England and can only play in the one position. I was hoping for a 10/15 option who could ideally kick like a machine.

Like?

Brown to Tigers is an odd rumour. Seems to be coming from a more reliable source than most silly season rumours. Instinctively it just sounds ridiculous to imagine Brown somewhere other than Quins though. He's well over the 250 cap mark for them now. If he did move somewhere else in the Prem it would be one of those moves where it seems very weird to see him in a different strip.

As a Tigers fan the case of that which leaps out for me was Leon Lloyd in a Gloucester strip. After over a decade at Welford Road the brain took a few double takes to adjust to the red and white.

GeordieFalcon wrote:I wonder if the Catterick rumour is true Sam. Heading to you??

There have also been rumours of Toby Flood returning.

Mauger picking up a talented but down the pecking order Kiwi 10 has also been mooted. Although no names have been rumoured yet.

king_carlos wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:I wonder if the Catterick rumour is true Sam. Heading to you??

There have also been rumours of Toby Flood returning.

Mauger picking up a talented but down the pecking order Kiwi 10 has also been mooted. Although no names have been rumoured yet.

Please be Mike Delany, please be Mike Delany.....

LondonTiger wrote:

Welly wrote: Mike Brown to Tigers starting to do the rounds...

!!!!!!!!

Apparently he's been really not happy at Quins since Conor left just after he'd signed his last contract on the understanding he was staying on. As in, not happy even for Brown. 

I'd heard Wasps if they can't keep Beale

Sgt_Pooly wrote:

king_carlos wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:I wonder if the Catterick rumour is true Sam. Heading to you??

There have also been rumours of Toby Flood returning.

Mauger picking up a talented but down the pecking order Kiwi 10 has also been mooted. Although no names have been rumoured yet.

Please be Mike Delany, please be Mike Delany.....

Stephen Donald

Welly wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Welly wrote: Not joking

He'll be very expensive, miss a third of the season with England and can only play in the one position. I was hoping for a 10/15 option who could ideally kick like a machine.

Like?

Ben Volavola or Catterick would be fine for me (both being available). Both relatively cheap compared to the money Brown would (quite rightfully) demand. We've got TV and Worth as well so it's not like we don't have any credible options.

Shillcock from Worcester would be a pretty handy signing if we could get him.

Wouldn't want Volavola personally.

Are him and Catterick a kicking machine?

Welly wrote: Wouldn't want Volavola personally.

Are him and Catterick a kicking machine?

That is the lacking part currently. Agreed. If Mauger can source a 10/12 from NZ with ability then Brown could be a great player for the big games, he's certainly unflappable and up for the fight. He is however, 31 (32 in September) and wasn't quick to begin with. Not sure it's a signing that will be good for us long term, especially if we have to buy him out of the Quins deal.

I like Volavola, he's big, powerful, quick and skillful. OK, there's some work to be done on his game management but as a back up 10 and 15 he offers impact and experience at 26.

Didn't Volavola just sign for Melbourne Rebels in the New Year?

I wonder how many days left Brown has in an England shirt, wonder if that's a part of him moving on.

king_carlos wrote:Didn't Volavola just sign for Melbourne Rebels in the New Year?

One season contract. He'll be available by the Autumn.

Apparently Bristol are paying Steven Luatua around £650,000 a year with no relegation release clause

formerly known as Sam wrote:

king_carlos wrote:Didn't Volavola just sign for Melbourne Rebels in the New Year?

One season contract. He'll be available by the Autumn.

Rebels aren't exactly overstocked at fly-half or fullback. He waited out on a Super Rugby for long enough to suggest he's determined to stay in Oz for the time being.

The only way I can see him heading a NH club after this season is if he's deemed not good enough for a Super Rugby contract.

king_carlos wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

king_carlos wrote:Didn't Volavola just sign for Melbourne Rebels in the New Year?

One season contract. He'll be available by the Autumn.

Rebels aren't exactly overstocked at fly-half or fullback. He waited out on a Super Rugby for long enough to suggest he's determined to stay in Oz for the time being.

The only way I can see him heading a NH club after this season is if he's deemed not good enough for a Super Rugby contract.

He certainly has stayed in Super 15 a long time. He's spent a lot of time in Australia so this contract was probably a nice return for him after a frustrating time in NZ where Mo'unga came from nowhere to look incredible last season.

The Rebels have both a very good young 10 and 15 coming through they've also signed Jackson Garden-Bachop another promising 10 with a good family background. Volavola will have to be on it otherwise he'll have another frustrating season. If Mauger is staying on I think that could sway him.

nathan wrote:I wonder how many days left Brown has in an England shirt, wonder if that's a part of him moving on.

Would make sense if he were going to France

Ian Madigan to Saints is doing the rounds again/still.

It'd be a good fit for Madigan and Northampton. He might not have fulfilled his promise yet but he's still a better 10 than most others going.