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

[Puja]

Ethan Grayson and Frankie Sleightholme let go by saints.

Those are surprising names, both in the sense of them both being promising players and in the sense of their surnames leaving Saints.

Wouldn't mind seeing Ethan Grayson rocking up at Leicester tbh, although it's entirely probable that he's gone to a Champ club with an eye to starring eith regular game time.

Puja

Nevermind the Champ he could go up to Falcons and get the starting job. Rumours Moroni and Lucock are both leaving.

Sounds like just the long way round of going to the Championship to me.

Puja

[FKAS]

Those are surprising names, both in the sense of them both being promising players and in the sense of their surnames leaving Saints.

Wouldn't mind seeing Ethan Grayson rocking up at Leicester tbh, although it's entirely probable that he's gone to a Champ club with an eye to starring eith regular game time.

Puja

Nevermind the Champ he could go up to Falcons and get the starting job. Rumours Moroni and Lucock are both leaving.

Sounds like just the long way round of going to the Championship to me.

Puja

Play a season at Falcons, up your profile, leave before relegation for a starting job somewhere else.

[fivepointer]

I feel like this has already been mentioned but as I know we don’t mind a bit of repetition on this thread I thought I’d post anyway.

Think this is an excellent appointment. Could be a very good fit. Walder may be better suited to a support role and Lam could do with a bit more quality in his coaching team.

[FKAS]

To be fair to Walder there has been a significant improvement between Falcons last season and Falcons this season after he got full control. Still the smallest budget in the league, things went south towards the end but when the club sell off your only decent tighthead then that can happen. I would be surprised if Bristol were looking at Walder as both improving Lam's backroom staff but also as being a possible successor should things not improve and they have to part ways.

[Margin_Walker]

Yeah, looking from the outside, you can't really go too hard on Walder. In terms of trying to be competitive, he faced a far more challenging set of circumstances than any other DoR/HC.

[Spartan Shark]

Jono Ross has followed Will Cliff and Byron Macguigan in announcing his retirement from rugby.

He's been a great servant to Sale since joining in 2017 and won a lot of friends at the AJ Bell.

Sale have announced the signing of Tom Ellis and Ernst van Rhyn to cover his departure and the injury to Cobus Weise.

[chris18501]

Jono will be sorely missed. A true leader and very under rated. Ben Curry has big boots to fill as leader, but is more than capable

[FKAS]

Bit of a surprise for Ross to retire, he's only 32 isn't he?

[FKAS]

Jackson Wray to retire at the end of the season. Explains the T Willis recruitment.

[Adam_P]

Collins confirmed to Irish. Collins for Seabrook doesn't feel like an upgrade for Saints to me. Irish have a good player to add to an already exciting back three.

[FKAS]

Seabrook can also play centre do his versatility may have been seen as more useful.

[Adam_P]

Aye there is that - I guess versatile players are going to be important in the coming season or so by the looks of how many players most clubs are jettisoning this season.

[Adam_P]

Lawes is staying at Saints. Excellent news in terms of his quality and sticking with one club - but I could have understood the benefits to both club and Courtney if he'd gone for a big pay day in France. Imagine he'll be out of the international picture following the WC so if he stays fit we should get more out of him

[FKAS]

Lawes is staying at Saints. Excellent news in terms of his quality and sticking with one club - but I could have understood the benefits to both club and Courtney if he'd gone for a big pay day in France. Imagine he'll be out of the international picture following the WC so if he stays fit we should get more out of him

More beneficial to Saints if he retires from the international scene after the world cup. I imagine he was testing the water to see if the RFU would ease the restrictions on playing abroad so he could have the big wages and the playing fees from England.

[Tigger]

Manu stays at Sale ...1 year extension.

https://www.salesharks.com/2023/04/29/s ... u-tuilagi/

[Puja]

Manu stays at Sale ...1 year extension.

https://www.salesharks.com/2023/04/29/s ... u-tuilagi/

Lots of players who were rumoured to be going abroad appear to be staying now that the RFU have made it clear that, "Yes, we do still mean it, even if you're Jack Willis." Good result for the English game.

In related news, Rob Baxter attempts to douse the rumours around LCD's move being imperilled, but instead makes it sound like there actually is something to them: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/65411834

Puja

[Mellsblue]

The Manu thing was always whether Sale could afford him which they couldn’t earlier in the season but now can. France was always his second choice.

[FKAS]

Manu has been using the threat of going to France to have his wage demands met for about 10 years now. Normally he arranged some pictures of him visiting a training ground be it Racing, Toulon or similarly wealthy club.

[Mellsblue]

Sale always knew his preference was to stay. All parties have been very open about it.

[FKAS]

Sale always knew his preference was to stay. All parties have been very open about it.

I'm a Tigers fan I'm well aware how contract negotiations with Manu go. He doesn't want to leave but he wants to make sure he gets a significant wage.

[Mellsblue]

Sale always knew his preference was to stay. All parties have been very open about it.

I'm a Tigers fan I'm well aware how contract negotiations with Manu go. He doesn't want to leave but he wants to make sure he gets a significant wage.

Tigers need to be less leaky about their contract negs if all their fans know how they go.
I know someone at Sale, I was actually in the same room as Manu on Tuesday evening albeit he selfishly didn’t discuss his contract negs with me, and there was no ‘threat’ about going to France. Sale’s initial offer was waaaay below market rate even under the lower Premiership salary cap. Sale found the money to come up to where he was getting what he should be. Still less than in France by all accounts.

[FKAS]

Sale always knew his preference was to stay. All parties have been very open about it.

I'm a Tigers fan I'm well aware how contract negotiations with Manu go. He doesn't want to leave but he wants to make sure he gets a significant wage.

Tigers need to be less leaky about their contract negs if all their fans know how they go.
I know someone at Sale, I was actually in the same room as Manu on Tuesday evening albeit he selfishly didn’t discuss his contract negs with me, and there was no ‘threat’ about going to France. Sale’s initial offer was waaaay below market rate even under the lower Premiership salary cap. Sale found the money to come up to where he was getting what he should be. Still less than in France by all accounts.

Interesting that Sale tried to low ball him initially. It's been the case for a few years that you'll get more money in France as a salary. I've always assumed that players like Manu want their club to close the gap as much as possible and will then look to get England match fees to help make up the rest of the difference.

I believe it was part of the overhaul of the club that saw Angela Pinchen come in as CEO and Borthwick as HC that stopped the many leaks. Of course it helps that Manu has indeed gone, when his brother was his agent during his Tigers days many details came into the public domain, including Manu's visits (real or made up) to French clubs training centres.

I met Manu and Alessana many years back, found them both very humble and easy going.

[Mellsblue]

I'm a Tigers fan I'm well aware how contract negotiations with Manu go. He doesn't want to leave but he wants to make sure he gets a significant wage.

Tigers need to be less leaky about their contract negs if all their fans know how they go.
I know someone at Sale, I was actually in the same room as Manu on Tuesday evening albeit he selfishly didn’t discuss his contract negs with me, and there was no ‘threat’ about going to France. Sale’s initial offer was waaaay below market rate even under the lower Premiership salary cap. Sale found the money to come up to where he was getting what he should be. Still less than in France by all accounts.

Interesting that Sale tried to low ball him initially. It's been the case for a few years that you'll get more money in France as a salary. I've always assumed that players like Manu want their club to close the gap as much as possible and will then look to get England match fees to help make up the rest of the difference.

I believe it was part of the overhaul of the club that saw Angela Pinchen come in as CEO and Borthwick as HC that stopped the many leaks. Of course it helps that Manu has indeed gone, when his brother was his agent during his Tigers days many details came into the public domain, including Manu's visits (real or made up) to French clubs training centres.

I met Manu and Alessana many years back, found them both very humble and easy going.

They didn’t try and lowball him, albeit Sanderson did use that word in an interview, they told him what they could afford and improved the offer as soon as they had the funds.

[Puja]

Joe Taufete'e has apparently left Leicester, because he was playing for Houston Sabercats in MLR the other day. Shame we never saw him back at the form that he had in those seasons for Worcester.

Puja

[FKAS]

Joe Taufete'e has apparently left Leicester, because he was playing for Houston Sabercats in MLR the other day. Shame we never saw him back at the form that he had in those seasons for Worcester.

Puja

Club confirmed it the other day. Five appearances wasn't exactly the impact I thought he'd have. Only game I remember him playing well was off the bench Vs Saints away.

Now Dolly is fit we probably don't need him in the squad so him leaving works for both parties. As an aside having Dolly fit for the big games coming up could be a massive boost.

I did wonder if Taufete'e might get a contract for next season as hooker and TH cover would be useful in a world cup year where at least one hooker and TH will be on international duty at the start of the season. Potentially the same again come the 6N.