Transfer gossip - sometimes even accurate (accidentally) - Season 2022/23

[Scrumhead]

Also, this one isn’t because he can’t work with Eddie, it’s because he’s been offered a sought after job back in the NRL (not the US). Slightly different scenario.

No great loss to us and hopefully the opportunity to bring in someone better.

Even if working for Eddie isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, we’re a year out from the RWC which will surely be tempting for some.

[Banquo]

Also, this one isn’t because he can’t work with Eddie, it’s because he’s been offered a sought after job back in the NRL (not the US). Slightly different scenario.

No great loss to us and hopefully the opportunity to bring in someone better.

Even if working for Eddie isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, we’re a year out from the RWC which will surely be tempting for some.

Indeedy.

[FKAS]

Just seen the #ourcity…

Wow, yeah I missed that. I don't think Wasps and Coventry Rugby ever had good relations (not helped by Cov previously having several ex-Tigers players as assistant coaches over differing spells). They are clearly making a play for the Wasps Cov fan base.

[Scrumhead]

But he’s coming from Worcester not Wasps?

[FKAS]

But he’s coming from Worcester not Wasps?

I'm guessing the #OurCityOurClub will be applying to more than just that signing. It's more than likely the new marketing branding to go in everything.

[Mikey Brown]

Ha. I just saw Manly Eagles and didn’t even consider that could be anywhere but the states.

[Puja]

Ha. I just saw Manly Eagles and didn’t even consider that could be anywhere but the states.

Oh that made me laigh! Thank you!

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Ha. I just saw Manly Eagles and didn’t even consider that could be anywhere but the states.

Oh that made me laigh! Thank you!

Puja

Seconded.

[fivepointer]

Launchbury to Quins a possibility according to the RP.

[Scrumhead]

The rumour is that Lewies’ recovery is touch and go so it might make sense both from an injury dispensation POV?

[twitchy]

The RFU is prepared to hit the “nuclear button” in a bid to lead rugby out of its financial crisis by pushing for England players to be brought under a form of central contracts.

Bill Sweeney, the RFU chief executive, defended his organisation against criticism that Twickenham officials could have done more to prevent Worcester Warriors and Wasps, who will go into administration on Monday, from going bust.

Sweeney endorsed plans for a streamlined ten-team Premiership and is determined to use this bleak situation as an opportunity to push through radical change to the structure and governance of the professional game.

Premiership clubs have always opposed the English cricket model of central contracts because it would hand full-time control of their prized assets to the national team.

England players, who receive up to £25,000 per Test from the RFU, are only available for around half the league season but their club salaries have risen at a rate far exceeding commercial revenues.

Sweeney sees the potential in a joint venture with Premiership Rugby as the two organisations negotiate the next Professional Game Agreement (PGA) and he believes a combined contract for the top players could be mutually beneficial.

“There are certain phrases which are like nuclear buttons and the phrase central contracts tends to have that nuclear effect,” Sweeney said.

“I take your point in terms of the higher salaries for the elite players, the time they spend playing for England and the time they spend playing for their club.

“Is there a different way we can work with PRL and work with the clubs in order to mitigate the expense they are facing and have a better structure in place so we achieve greater financial stability for the clubs and we also achieve better quality of players coming into the national team, or better preparedness for the national team?

“This is the time to address that. Everyone who is around the table wasn’t part of the old days when there was animosity between club and country. This is a fresh set of eyes looking at it.

“There is real alignment. I can honestly say that I don’t think there has ever been a bigger opportunity since the game went professional for us to come around the table in an active, open and transparent manner.

“There will be some areas we have to reach consensus on but there is an absolute will and commitment to get this done. And, honestly, why wouldn’t there be? This is the moment when we can actually affect change. There is a will to do this.”

Simon Halliday, the recent chairman of European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) and a former RFU council member, outlined to The Times last week the need for the RFU and clubs to form one governing body to run the professional game.

“There is an opportunity here to address the structure of the English game, which we will take,” Sweeney said.

“How we restructure that in terms of going forward could be interesting. The RFU will have conversations about the various different models; whether that forms the nature of joint ventures, whether it is independent audit groups that help govern the professional game. They will be changes that don’t currently exist.

“We are a game that has been spending more than we’ve been earning, therefore we have to find a way to address that balance.”

The PGA will come into force in 2024 and is likely to be the vehicle by which the Premiership is reduced to ten teams, with a new funding model for a restructured and relaunched second division, potentially as Premiership 2.

Sweeney endorsed the “less is more” theory and suggested a relaunch could be rugby’s equivalent of The Hundred. Premiership Rugby is about to hire one of the brains behind the new cricket format and Sweeney has been seeking the advice of Tom Harrison, who oversaw the introduction of the new competition as chief executive of the ECB.

“At the moment our cash cow would be the East Stand (hospitality at Twickenham), the Six Nations and autumn internationals,” Sweeney said. “But talking about other formats, the integration of tier one and tier two would give us the opportunity to do that.

“Clearly one of the major issues we’ve got to grapple with is the calendar and one of the things that’s held us back in England is the overlap between the international game and the club game. So a reduction in the size of PRL (Premiership Rugby Limited) will help us with that.

“Solving the club and Test match clashes is a major priority; the degree of overlap at the moment doesn’t help anybody. Fans want to see their marquee players playing for their clubs, and England fans want to see England players able to perform at their very best.

“There is no plan to expand international matches. Reducing that overlap between club and country, we believe is a fundamental part of improving the narrative and product around the club game, which hopefully will then stimulate growth across match-day revenue, broadcast value, and so on.”

Steve Diamond, the Worcester director of rugby, accused the RFU and Premiership Rugby of sitting on their hands and watching the club hit the wall. The RFU approved the Worcester owners as suitable directors. No action was taken when it emerged that one of the owners had been barred from working as a solicitor and had reportedly failed the Football League’s directors test.

Although Sweeney conceded the RFU’s directors’ test needed to be reviewed and strengthened, he rejected criticism from Diamond that they were failed by Twickenham officials.

“We knew they were in a precarious position. We couldn’t inject cash into it and neither could PRL,” Sweeney said. “We were doing everything within the structures of what’s available to us, to manage the situation.”

[Scrumhead]

Speaking of nuclear buttons …

Could Steve Diamond offer something to the England set up? Along with Eddie and Cockerill, it would give England the least likeable coaching set up in world rugby.

Seriously though, my opinion of Diamond completely changed during his time at Worcester. Even before this season, he got them playing to a different standard and undoubtedly brought them together as a team. I wouldn’t want him around for the long term, but I think it’s fair to say England often don’t play to the sum of their parts. Given that Diamond specialises in solving this kind of problem, I wonder whether he might be an asset we should use?

[Banquo]

Speaking of nuclear buttons …

Could Steve Diamond offer something to the England set up? Along with Eddie and Cockerill, it would give England the least likeable coaching set up in world rugby.

Seriously though, my opinion of Diamond completely changed during his time at Worcester. Even before this season, he got them playing to a different standard and undoubtedly brought them together as a team. I wouldn’t want him around for the long term, but I think it’s fair to say England often don’t play to the sum of their parts. Given that Diamond specialises in solving this kind of problem, I wonder whether he might be an asset we should use?

That's a no from me.

[Puja]

Speaking of nuclear buttons …

Could Steve Diamond offer something to the England set up? Along with Eddie and Cockerill, it would give England the least likeable coaching set up in world rugby.

It's certainly *a* solution. Although very similar arguments were offered for Cockerill and increasing the bastardry quotient doesn't appear to have helped much.

Puja

[FKAS]

Speaking of nuclear buttons …

Could Steve Diamond offer something to the England set up? Along with Eddie and Cockerill, it would give England the least likeable coaching set up in world rugby.

Seriously though, my opinion of Diamond completely changed during his time at Worcester. Even before this season, he got them playing to a different standard and undoubtedly brought them together as a team. I wouldn’t want him around for the long term, but I think it’s fair to say England often don’t play to the sum of their parts. Given that Diamond specialises in solving this kind of problem, I wonder whether he might be an asset we should use?

That's a no from me.

Agreed, I'm not sure what Diamond would add. His speciality seems to be creating an us against the world attitude that brings a squad together to work hard for each other and him. That's what Cockerill is there for plus he's a good forwards coach. He'd be a great appointment for a tier 2 or 3 nation needed someone to bring a squad together for the world cup though.

[Scrumhead]

Isn’t the RWC (literally and metaphorically) and ‘us against the world’ situation though?

I don’t know what his role would be exactly, I guess I’m thinking about it more from a consultative POV. He’s available and his specialism seems to be to get teams playing beyond the sum of their parts. We could do with some of that.

I just thought about it as a potential avenue and the idea of such an incendiary bunch of coaches tickled me.

[Mikey Brown]

Launchbury to Quins a possibility according to the RP.

Oh good. Notoriously great at catching restarts, isn't he?

[twitchy]

Isn’t the RWC (literally and metaphorically) and ‘us against the world’ situation though?

I don’t know what his role would be exactly, I guess I’m thinking about it more from a consultative POV. He’s available and his specialism seems to be to get teams playing beyond the sum of their parts. We could do with some of that.

I just thought about it as a potential avenue and the idea of such an incendiary bunch of coaches tickled me.

No, it's an interesting idea but I think with eddie and cockers you got that area covered. You almost want someone to balance the others out.

[Which Tyler]

Isn't Dimes for of an admin / DoR type coach, than a hands-on tracksuit guy?

Surely, what we need is coaches under Eddie - who already is the admin guy (though better suited IMO to the hands-on role)

[twitchy]

He might be now but I'm sure he can coach the forwards if needed.

[Peej]

Hearle, Atkinson and Theobald-Thomas are all off to Gloucester from Worcester.

Individually they won't be on much, but increasing a squad size by nearly 10% seems a bit much under the cap?

[Puja]

JWillis rumoured to be going to LIrish. May just be speculation based on that being where he played his junior rugby, but it's the rumour going around.

Puja

[Peej]

I think his dad played there, and they grew up in Reading.

But with Pearson there it doesn't make that much sense? Still, in this absolute cluster of a situation beggars can't be choosers.

[Banquo]

JWillis rumoured to be going to LIrish. May just be speculation based on that being where he played his junior rugby, but it's the rumour going around.

Puja

I'd be chatting with Sarries if I were him.

[Peej]

Maybe. A tiny deal with whatever cap space they have left initially, and then a bigger deal and property empire can magically appear next season for him and his brother (a la the Vunipolae).