Newcastle Falcons - 2019 to 2020 Championship - Closed

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Manager: Dean Richards
Head Coach: Dave Walder
Forwards Coach: Micky Ward
Defence Coach: Nick Easter
Attack Coach: Dave Walder
Lineout Coach: Scott Macleod
Skills Coach: Mark Laycock

Current Squad:
Forwards
Props:
LH - Sam Lockwood, Adam Brocklebank, Trevor Davison,
Conrad Cade (Senior Academy), Phil Brantingham (Senior Academy)
TH - Rodney Ah You, Logo Mulipola, Mark Tampin, Mike Daniels,
Oscar Caudle  TH(Senior Academy & Tynedale)

Hookers: Kyle Cooper, George McGuigan, Jamie Blamire, Charlie Maddison

Second Rows: Sean Robinson, Darren Barry, Toby Salmon, Greg Peterson,
Will Montgomery (Senior Academy), Freddie Lockwood (Senior Academy), Bailey Ransom (Senior Academy)

Back Row:
6&7's: Mark Wilson, Will Welch, Gary Graham, Jon Hardie,
Guy Graham (Senior Academy), Rob Farrar (Senior Academy), Josh Basham (Senior Academy), Harry Hill (Senior Academy),
8: Philip van der Walt, Nemani Negusa, Calum Chick,
Tom Marshall (Senior Academy), Charlie Richards (Senior Academy & Tynedale)

Backs
SH's: Micky Young, Sam Stuart
Callum Pascoe (Senior Academy & Tynedale), Cameron Nordi Kelemeti (Senior Academy), James Elliott (Senior Academy)

Fh's: Joel Hodgson, Toby Flood, Brett Connon, Tim Swiel, Joel Matavesi
Will Haydon Wood (Senior Academy & Tynedale)

Centres: Matias Orlandi, Gareth Owen, Ben Stevenson, George Wacokecoke,
Charlie Wilson (Senior Academy - At Durham UNi)), Chidera Obonna (Senior Academy)

Wing: Sinoti Sinoti , Adam Radwan, Cooper Vuna
Morgan Passman (Senior Academy),

FB's: Alex Tait, Tom Arscott,

Players unconfirmed:
Seb De Chaves - Only has a one year deal
Jon Welsh - Injuries mean he hasnt played for nearly 2 years.
Connor Collett - has he signed permanently for Doncaster

Flood out ill and Joel starts

Lockwood starts as Vickers has had a baby..

Newcastle are doing alright here. Interested to see who wins the battle between Scott and Harris. May be playing for a bench spot against Ireland.

What do you think of Hammersley these days hazel

Fairly entertaining match at Kingsholm,  could be cementing our place in the top four with a win here.  


Poor Saints' fans, they need to get something sorted.  Pleased for fellow northerners though.

For the love of God, why do I always speak too soon?

Not sure why we always switch off in the second half...

Congrats chaps - looking good for the playoffs now ... hopefully LI can follow in your footsteps in a few years as you've been where we are and come good in the end.

GeordieFalcon wrote:What do you think of Hammersley these days hazel

He would have gone to Durham University at the same time as me (according to Wiki) so happy to support him. He did well, but thought the Newcastle pack as a unit were the key. The front row in particular looked good in the loose and were solid in the scrum.

Wonder whether that Gloucester wing will get cited for doing his best to knock himself and Sinoti out.

Was disappointed with Lawson when he came on, not that he had much opportunity. Harris made his tackles. Hogg got his try and Welsh played well.

JP Socino confirmed to Edinburgh next season.

Bit gutted to be honest the guy is class!

But Matavesi Snr is playing immense, Mermoz back from injury and Matavesi Jr means we should be in good hands.

I was wondering where Gary Graham was, but it turns out he got a neck injury in England training has been dumped back to the falcons.

Wonderful .

So DTH has left with immediate effect. No loss there.

He's played 3 games for us and NINE for Canada since he joined.

Agulla has now announced that he is heading home as well. He was very much a fringe player who barely played so I can understand that one.

So that two wingers / outside backs to replace in the summer...and I'm sure DTH would have been on a decent wage.

I think we may replace with Radwan tbh GF. I really rate DTH as well, I just think he's been unlucky with the fitness and form of Sinoti and Goneva.

DTH has been a fantastic 13/wing in the Pro 14 and from the sounds of it did not get an opportunity with Sinoti and Goneva playing the way they have. Socino, DTH and will Mermoz leave (all fairly well paid players I would think)? What are the likely signings to replace them or are a few players due a pay rise?

DTH is no loss at all.

Radwan and Kibirige are way ahead.

Socino , we have matavesi and Mermoz and Matavesi junior who is the same size as senior.

Anyone going to the game at St James?

I'm looking forward to it.

I see lot of the football fans are slating it and going to Gatesheads game to watch a "proper" sport....

I’m going with the missus, Geordie. My first big game in ages and her first ever! We’re in the Jackie Milburn stand. Looking forward to it. 20,000+ tickets sold so I hear and the uni match on in the afternoon as a curtain-raiser.

25000 so far mate, and maybe a few will turn up on the day.

I'm well looking forward to it.

The falcons club have put a lot of effort in to this so I hope the team really go out and put in a hell of a performance.

I'm sure the crowd will be very loud. 10k can make KP roar so lets hope we raise the roof.

Good to hear. Anywhere close to 30k would be a great achievement for rugby in the north. Glad to see the forecast is looking ok too We’re staying in the Sandman hotel next to the stadium so looking forward to a wander round the centre before heading to the game.

Have you been to Newcastle before?

Never been mate, although the missus has been with friends before. If you’ve got any recommendations for pubs/food before or after would be appreciated

I'm going to the Geordie.

Dom Barrow has been released immediately by Tigers, is he coming back?

Driver wrote:Dom Barrow has been released immediately by Tigers, is he coming back?

Signed for La Rochelle apparently.

Rumour I've heard at Tigers is that Barrow is returning to Falcons next season.

I've also heard that McGuigan might be heading back too. Understandable that he wouldn't want to be third choice. Possibility that Socino and he might swap clubs.

Socino re-signs with Falcons until 2020. So that's the two hookers going in different directions down the drain.

McGuigan returning would still make sense for player and club though.

Barrow has signed for saints.

Socino is a good re-signing. Big strong physical hooker

Falcons v Saints...the "big one"

1 Sam Lockwood
2 Kyle Cooper
3 Trevor Davison
4 Calum Green
5 Sean Robinson
6 Evan Olmstead
7 WIll Welch (C)
8 Nili Latu

9 Michael Young
10 Toby Flood
11 Sinoti
12 Josh Matavesi
13 Chris Harris
14 Vereniki Goneva
15 Simon Hammersley

16 Scott Lawson
17 Rob Vickers
18 Scott Wilson
19 Will Witty
20 Ally Hogg
21 Sam Stuart
22 Joel Hodgson
23 Maxime Mermoz

Big game for Davison....

Saints look a bit stronger on paper tbh, but We're playing well. I'm going for a 10pt win which will really help with our top 4 aspirations. Dare we dream???

Yeah I thought it was a curious side Sgt....

Apparently Takulua is injured.
So I assume Mark Wilson is injured and Jon Welsh aswell.

Well, far from a vintage performance but the gamble has paid off. 30k crowd and 4pts is a very good return that we'd have snapped up before the game. Scrum was a problem throughout but we dominated the breakdown without every really looking too good in attack.

Was some atmosphere when it got going...its was loud!
We were actually poor offensively to be honest Sgt...but the tough workhorses like Green, Welch, Latu etc all came to the fore.

We probably edged the possession etc but went side to side for long periods. Bar Gonevas bit of enterprise from the ruck...I don't think we'd have scored a try if we had played for another 2/3 hours.

It's a bit strange really as sometimes we look like we can score 12! As soon as we come up against a well organized defence, we struggle. I think we miss Graham and Wilson a little, although Latu and Welch were excellent yesterday...they just add a bit of dynamic carrying.

On the plus though, Lockwood is coming along well and coupled with a strong TH, we should be ok next season I think.

Yeah...we're winning ugly and that's crucial.

We'll need to keep up though...all these teams are strengthening. Saints have already released 11 players for the summer. They're having a major clear out and rebuild. Already signed some corking players.

Saracens will be stringer next season I think. Etc etc

I think Stringer is retiring isn't he GF?

Not much news on any potential new signings for us bar McGuigan I think? I don't think we need a load.....maybe a few GOOD props (No idea who), a backrower perhaps (Hardie?) and at a push, a 13 or FB??

ha ha doh...predictive text!

That's the thing we don't need that may signings to be honest, and I think theres some more crackers coming through the academy.
Theres another England U18 second row...(they're growing on trees in our squad at the moment) and the U18 fb is a falcon aswell.
We also have last years England u18 winger who I think is a tall lad so something different to the short speedsters like Kibirige and Radwan.

And another flanker from Mark Wilsons own club in cumbria...if he's as good as mark we're laughing.

I do think we need some props though. And Aly Hogg wont make much more and even Latu isn't getting any younger....

GeordieFalcon wrote:ha ha doh...predictive text!

That's the thing we don't need that may signings to be honest, and I think theres some more crackers coming through the academy.
Theres another England U18 second row...(they're growing on trees in our squad at the moment) and the U18 fb is a falcon aswell.
We also have last years England u18 winger who I think is a tall lad so something different to the short speedsters like Kibirige and Radwan.

And another flanker from Mark Wilsons own club in cumbria...if he's as good as mark we're laughing.

I do think we need some props though. And Aly Hogg wont make much more and even Latu isn't getting any younger....

My mate who went to the tigers v Falcons U18 game (which we won BTW 47 - 7 ) said your 15 looked very promising.

Had a cracking time at The Big One. Even if the Falcons weren’t at their attacking best there was a great atmosphere and a proper festival vibe all round the ground and outside. Had some good chats with fellow fans in the Milburn stand and shook Deano’s hand in the 1892 bar after his interview. Good to see Healey, Bayfield and Pat Lam having some banter too with the fans too but after a few double pinters I didn’t bother them for a photo

Lovely to see the reception when Doddie was presented at the start too

Apparently you guys are signing Johnny Williams, unless Irish amazingly survive relegation

Surprised with that one Nick, I thought Bath had lined him up like the rest of your departures for the last 10 years.

Liked the look of him when he first broke through, but seems to have slipped off the boil from the few times I've seem him.

Letting JPS leave would make sense though if we were bringing in Williams, I heard the Symons deal has fell through a few days back.

Symons is off to Saints.

Bath are having Cokanasiga. they can field an ex irish academy 11-15 now, impressive.

JW has potential but like you say hasn't really impressed recently.

Is this a done deal Nick?

from what I am told.

would make sense given you have lost Socino and need a 12.

stnick88 wrote:Symons is off to Saints.

Bath are having Cokanasiga. they can field an ex irish academy 11-15 now, impressive.

JW has potential but like you say hasn't really impressed recently.

Bath will have to find another academy if LI disappear, which given all the noise around ring-fencing etc is a real possibility as the latest rumour is a play-off at the end of next season between the bottom prem side and the top champ side - which even if LI finish top would still put them at a massive disadvantage - followed by a five year moratorium on relegation/promotion.

It is starting to feel a bit like they want rid of LI as the timing of all these changes always seems to be to the detriment of LI eg abandoning the championship play-offs a year too late for LI and now bringing in this new change just as LI could be looking to get promoted again.

Dean and his team are pretty good at rejuvenating players who've lost their way or have not realised their potential so it could be a good move.

At 12 we already have:
Matavesi
Mermoz
Matavesi Jr

So an EQ player would be very useful.

Well I'd rather he ended up at Falcons than Bath

Heaf wrote:Well I'd rather he ended up at Falcons than Bath

Exactly Heaf, why would he chose a lower mid table side like Bath over Falcons?

I've been wanting to say that for about 10 years

Sean Robinson has signed a new 2 year contract, that a good move. I rate him so highly.

Good signing, he's a good player. I still remember that time he outplayed Itoje

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Good signing, he's a good player. I still remember that time he outplayed Itoje

Don't we all...