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

[FKAS]

Tigers sign Tom Whitely from Bristol on a long term deal effective immediately.

That's a decent signing - especially as a third choice 9.

Puja

That can cover 10 in an emergency.

[Mellsblue]

Tom Whitley is not Prem quality, imo. Even the Finishing School couldn’t sort him out. The only loanee I’ve ever wanted to send back. There’s a reason he bounces around clubs. That said, I’ve been told he’s top quality on the attitude/personality front so perhaps as a squad player he is a plus and that’s not something to be sniffed at.
Read this back and it’s completely anodyne and a waste of time, but I’ve wasted my time typing it so you lot can waste your time reading it

[FKAS]

He doesn't have to be great, Tigers have two England internationals on the books and Sam Edwards coming through. A steady and experienced hand during the international periods will be fine.

[Puja]

Tom Whitley is not Prem quality, imo. Even the Finishing School couldn’t sort him out. The only loanee I’ve ever wanted to send back. There’s a reason he bounces around clubs. That said, I’ve been told he’s top quality on the attitude/personality front so perhaps as a squad player he is a plus and that’s not something to be sniffed at.
Read this back and it’s completely anodyne and a waste of time, but I’ve wasted my time typing it so you lot can waste your time reading it

Hmm, that's disappointing. I had a vague impression of having thought he was quite good before reading that.

FKAS - he does have to be pretty good, cause while he's only third choice, he's a third choice that will have a guaranteed two periods per season where he's first choice.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

He doesn't have to be great, Tigers have two England internationals on the books and Sam Edwards coming through. A steady and experienced hand during the international periods will be fine.

Twas the point I u-turned to.

[FKAS]

Tom Whitley is not Prem quality, imo. Even the Finishing School couldn’t sort him out. The only loanee I’ve ever wanted to send back. There’s a reason he bounces around clubs. That said, I’ve been told he’s top quality on the attitude/personality front so perhaps as a squad player he is a plus and that’s not something to be sniffed at.
Read this back and it’s completely anodyne and a waste of time, but I’ve wasted my time typing it so you lot can waste your time reading it

Hmm, that's disappointing. I had a vague impression of having thought he was quite good before reading that.

FKAS - he does have to be pretty good, cause while he's only third choice, he's a third choice that will have a guaranteed two periods per season where he's first choice.

Puja

Sam Edwards will overtake him in short order I'd hope. Whiteley isn't a bad player he was tipped to be very good but didn't fulfill the hype. Wigglesworth will have played with him at Sarries so wouldn't have signed him if he didn't rate him.

[Mellsblue]

Whiteley was tipped to be very good player

By who?

[FKAS]

Whiteley was tipped to be very good player

By who?

In his early days at Sarries when he was regularly switching between 9 and 10 there was some hope he'd develop to be a good player. Didn't quite work for him sadly, probably that season at Bedford that did it.

Here's also a very All Black centric view of the Burns signing https://www.rugbypass.com/news/have-the ... -the-plot/

I'm somewhat staggered that Otere Black is casually pissing his career away in the Japan second division. He could be a starting Champions Cup flyhalf in Europe, I can only presume the money is good where he is. Brett Cameron getting a go back in NZ is somewhat inevitable, another one I thought might have been tempted to Europe, one I thought Tigers might have enquired about if they didn't fancy spending big (which they did with Pollard) in replacing George Ford.

[Which Tyler]

Tom Cruse to Saints, after 2 months at Edinburgh.
Which makes him ineligible to have played for Edinburgh last weekend.
I'm sure we all "expect" the same retrospective sanction Bristol received.

[Mellsblue]

Whiteley was tipped to be very good player

By who?

In his early days at Sarries when he was regularly switching between 9 and 10 there was some hope he'd develop to be a good player. Didn't quite work for him sadly, probably that season at Bedford that did it.

So we’ve gone from he was tipped by some unknown people to be a very good player to some hope he’d make a good player. Did he even play England u20s?

[FKAS]

Tom Cruse to Saints, after 2 months at Edinburgh.
Which makes him ineligible to have played for Edinburgh last weekend.
I'm sure we all "expect" the same retrospective sanction Bristol received.

Front row players are generally allowed more leeway in terms of injury dispensation.

[FKAS]

By who?

In his early days at Sarries when he was regularly switching between 9 and 10 there was some hope he'd develop to be a good player. Didn't quite work for him sadly, probably that season at Bedford that did it.

So we’ve gone from he was tipped by some unknown people to be a very good player to some hope he’d make a good player. Did he even play England u20s?

Hmm not sure but there's been a few that missed out on England age grade because of injury or only showing their potential a bit later on. George Martin and Billy Twelvetrees both off the top of my head didn't play a game at under 20s but were capped by England.

[Mellsblue]

In his early days at Sarries when he was regularly switching between 9 and 10 there was some hope he'd develop to be a good player. Didn't quite work for him sadly, probably that season at Bedford that did it.

So we’ve gone from he was tipped by some unknown people to be a very good player to some hope he’d make a good player. Did he even play England u20s?

Hmm not sure but there's been a few that missed out on England age grade because of injury or only showing their potential a bit later on. George Martin and Billy Twelvetrees both off the top of my head didn't play a game at under 20s but were capped by England.

Yeah but you’d think if he was being tipped to be a very good player he’d play for the u20s.

[Puja]

So we’ve gone from he was tipped by some unknown people to be a very good player to some hope he’d make a good player. Did he even play England u20s?

Hmm not sure but there's been a few that missed out on England age grade because of injury or only showing their potential a bit later on. George Martin and Billy Twelvetrees both off the top of my head didn't play a game at under 20s but were capped by England.

Yeah but you’d think if he was being tipped to be a very good player he’d play for the u20s.

He did play for the U20s, IIRC.

Tom Cruse to Saints, after 2 months at Edinburgh.
Which makes him ineligible to have played for Edinburgh last weekend.
I'm sure we all "expect" the same retrospective sanction Bristol received.

I think it's a case of *how* Briz registered him and in what category, plus the fact that he left early. Certainly there doesn't seem to be any news of Leicester suffering the same fate for playing Oghre in similar circumstances.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Hmm not sure but there's been a few that missed out on England age grade because of injury or only showing their potential a bit later on. George Martin and Billy Twelvetrees both off the top of my head didn't play a game at under 20s but were capped by England.

Yeah but you’d think if he was being tipped to be a very good player he’d play for the u20s.

He did play for the U20s, IIRC.

Puja

‘He added: “I’ve never played for England age group teams and unfortunately I’m now ten days too old to qualify for England U20s this year.’


https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/feature ... -half/amp/

[Puja]

Yeah but you’d think if he was being tipped to be a very good player he’d play for the u20s.

He did play for the U20s, IIRC.

Puja

‘He added: “I’ve never played for England age group teams and unfortunately I’m now ten days too old to qualify for England U20s this year.’


https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/feature ... -half/amp/

Apparently I do not recall correctly. Thought he was one of the plethora of disappointing U20s scrum-halves.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

He did play for the U20s, IIRC.

Puja

‘He added: “I’ve never played for England age group teams and unfortunately I’m now ten days too old to qualify for England U20s this year.’


https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/feature ... -half/amp/

Apparently I do not recall correctly. Thought he was one of the plethora of disappointing U20s scrum-halves.

Puja

Could you be thinking of Chris Cook, ex of Bath? They look pretty similar.

[Puja]

‘He added: “I’ve never played for England age group teams and unfortunately I’m now ten days too old to qualify for England U20s this year.’


https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/feature ... -half/amp/

Apparently I do not recall correctly. Thought he was one of the plethora of disappointing U20s scrum-halves.

Puja

Could you be thinking of Chris Cook, ex of Bath? They look pretty similar.

They all blend together after a time.

"We've got a really good U20s side this year - fantastic crop of front row, locks, back row, three good fly-halves that we have to spread around the backline, some excellent wingers..."

"Do we have a semi-competent 9 this year? You know, one that passes and makes good decisions?"

"...this one tackles really well?"

Puja

[Which Tyler]

Mike Williams
Bath => Exeter with immediate effect; but just for the rest of this season.

Mike hasn't played a single minute for Bath this season; and it's thought his salary had already been reassigned to cover some of the incoming players wages; so he'd essentially been put on rehab & gardening leave. His contract was already up at the end of this season, and was highly unlikely to be renewed.

It seems a good move all around, gets him some game time and puts him in the shop window, at a club with a lot of outgoing senior players, ahead of what's likely to be his last contract anywhere near a starting XV

[Mikey Brown]

He’s a big, dumb lump. Seems like a good fit.

Can’t wait to see him play openside.

[francoisfou]

Semi Radrada may well be on his way to Lyon et the end of the season. I've read that he was in Lyon on Sunday and is considering an offer - undoubtedly a rather generous one!|

[FKAS]

Various re-signings announced at Tigers. Some of the young development guys yesterday including Ilione. Today the headline so far is Dan Kelly, whilst Clare, Richardson and Simmons have also agreed new deals.

[Puja]

Various re-signings announced at Tigers. Some of the young development guys yesterday including Ilione. Today the headline so far is Dan Kelly, whilst Clare, Richardson and Simmons have also agreed new deals.

<grumbles about Clare> <accidentally summons Mellsblue>

Simmons has earned a new contract of late. Wasn't so long ago that we were questioning his selection, but he's really stepped up.

ETA. Cole just announced as extending too.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Just had a sudden urge to post but no idea why.

[p/d]

was it mention of Cole's extension?