Transfer news, rumours, suggestions, frenzied speculation, and outright lies - Season 2023-24

[Banquo]

Farrell announced by Racing.

square peg meet round hole/head.

I predict Burt gone within the year

[Stom]

Brilliant news

[Mikey Brown]

Farrell announced by Racing.

square peg meet round hole/head.

I predict Burt gone within the year

It honestly wouldn’t surprise me if Farrell takes them up a level as a team, you’d say their weakness is more in the forward pack but they do seem to lack a certain grit and he’ll have class all around him in the back division. Equally he might be shown up as a complete robot.

Either could be entertaining.

[francoisfou]

I wonder if now that Soggy Backside’s captain’s departure to Racing is confirmed that he’ll up the pressure on the RFU to relax its eligibility regulations because I’m sure Farrell won’t be content with his number of caps won and will strive to be the most English capped player of all time.

[Puja]

I would like to open by stating that this is from a group chat that I belong to and therefore could be complete and utter toss. But, it is in the thread title, so it definitely belongs here:

Rumours coming out last week from good sources at Glos, Arundell wasn’t happy with Farrell joining and pushing for a move to Gloucester as a replacement for LRZ

Puja

[Puja]

I wonder if now that Soggy Backside’s captain’s departure to Racing is confirmed that he’ll up the pressure on the RFU to relax its eligibility regulations because I’m sure Farrell won’t be content with his number of caps won and will strive to be the most English capped player of all time.

I wouldn't've thought so - Fazlet's clearly doing this to get away from the pressure and scrutiny that he's under in England and it'd undermine that somewhat if he then made himself available during his sabbatical.

Puja

[Mr Mwenda]

Good luck to him. England need to wean themselves off this apparent dependency on Farrell at some point so it could well be mutually beneficial. If England have totally disintegrated without having Farrell bark at them he can come back in a couple of years.

[Oakboy]

I just hope that Borthwick has the judgement and bottle to make it clear that Farrell is finished with England. Reading anything else into his 2 year contract gives Smith and Smith no incentive for the future. It bears a dose of similarity with keeping an injury-prone Tuilagi in the mix and wondering why no decent no 12 has stepped up.

[Timbo]

Yeah, they’re not going to change the eligibility rules for someone who is on indefinite leave from test rugby. If he wants to play again he can come back, although my hunch is that we won’t see him playing in or for England again.

[FKAS]

I wonder if now that Soggy Backside’s captain’s departure to Racing is confirmed that he’ll up the pressure on the RFU to relax its eligibility regulations because I’m sure Farrell won’t be content with his number of caps won and will strive to be the most English capped player of all time.

I wouldn't've thought so - Fazlet's clearly doing this to get away from the pressure and scrutiny that he's under in England and it'd undermine that somewhat if he then made himself available during his sabbatical.

Puja

Agreed. Get away from the media pressure, nice pay cheque and with the Eurostar and the airport close by getting back to England is quick and easy should he want to.

Makes life interesting for Sarries recruitment. Paddy Jackson rumours to the fore again?

[Mikey Brown]

I would like to open by stating that this is from a group chat that I belong to and therefore could be complete and utter toss. But, it is in the thread title, so it definitely belongs here:

Rumours coming out last week from good sources at Glos, Arundell wasn’t happy with Farrell joining and pushing for a move to Gloucester as a replacement for LRZ

Puja

Flat out turns down England for the sake of his development, but the idea of being in a team/squad with Faz has him leaving Paris to join bottom of the table Gloucester?

It certainly would be dramatic.

[FKAS]

Arundell grew up near Bath so perhaps he fancies returning to that part of the world on what LRZ was to be offered.

James Cronin rumoured to be leaving Tigers to return to Munster.

[Scrumhead]

I would like to open by stating that this is from a group chat that I belong to and therefore could be complete and utter toss. But, it is in the thread title, so it definitely belongs here:

Rumours coming out last week from good sources at Glos, Arundell wasn’t happy with Farrell joining and pushing for a move to Gloucester as a replacement for LRZ

Puja

Flat out turns down England for the sake of his development, but the idea of being in a team/squad with Faz has him leaving Paris to join bottom of the table Gloucester?

It certainly would be dramatic.

[Puja]

I would like to open by stating that this is from a group chat that I belong to and therefore could be complete and utter toss. But, it is in the thread title, so it definitely belongs here:

Rumours coming out last week from good sources at Glos, Arundell wasn’t happy with Farrell joining and pushing for a move to Gloucester as a replacement for LRZ

Puja

Flat out turns down England for the sake of his development, but the idea of being in a team/squad with Faz has him leaving Paris to join bottom of the table Gloucester?

It certainly would be dramatic.

It is entirely likely that it is complete mince. However, if (and it's a big if) one were to take the unfounded rumour of utter antipathy between them as gospel, when Arundell turned down England, it seemed likely that Farrell would be the dominant figure for the national side for the next few years. Farrell leaving for Racing would change the equation on both sides, as would the significant salary opened up by LRZ's Yankee adventures.

James Cronin rumoured to be leaving Tigers to return to Munster.

Bye. Can't say he hasn't worked hard, but such an incredible step down from Genge and, whatever his salary was, we were overpaying for the quality that he was able to provide. Hopefully we have an eye on a good replacement - crying shame we couldn't intercept Brantingham on his route south.

Puja

[Captainhaircut]

Delighted Farrell move has been confirmed. I was worried his current utterly dreadful form would see them have second thoughts. If we could get Arundell back as well, that would be superb- although not sure Gloucester would be in any way a good move for him currently.

[twitchy]

Who do you think sarries will replace faz with?

[16th man]

I wonder if now that Soggy Backside’s captain’s departure to Racing is confirmed that he’ll up the pressure on the RFU to relax its eligibility regulations because I’m sure Farrell won’t be content with his number of caps won and will strive to be the most English capped player of all time.

I wouldn't've thought so - Fazlet's clearly doing this to get away from the pressure and scrutiny that he's under in England and it'd undermine that somewhat if he then made himself available during his sabbatical.

Puja

Agreed. Get away from the media pressure, nice pay cheque and with the Eurostar and the airport close by getting back to England is quick and easy should he want to.

Makes life interesting for Sarries recruitment. Paddy Jackson rumours to the fore again?

Some sort of club mission statement to be as as dislikable as possible?

[fivepointer]

Perfect time for Farrell to go. Cant blame him for taking up a good offer. While i'm certainly no fan he has given 100% to England and does merit some appreciation of his undoubted commitment and professionalism.

Leaves England with the opportunity for a reset which SB should welcome.

[Oakboy]

Perfect time for Farrell to go. Cant blame him for taking up a good offer. While i'm certainly no fan he has given 100% to England and does merit some appreciation of his undoubted commitment and professionalism.

Leaves England with the opportunity for a reset which SB should welcome.

Your last sentence is key. Whilst accepting that simply dumping players over a certain age is impractical, the question must be asked about 'ceilings'. Apart from Itoje, how many players aged over 26 have the capacity to play up to the higher level required to improve the team? So many, including Farrell, have given their all but that 'all' is not good enough as results in successive 6Ns have shown.

[Mikey Brown]

Who do you think sarries will replace faz with?

They need a big money tight-head, so they’ll probably settle for some low paid dross like Goosen or something.

[Mikey Brown]

Ceilings you say? Please explain.

[Oakboy]

Ceilings you say? Please explain.

I mean that the likes of George, Farrell, Ford, Tuilagi, Care, Youngs, Daly etc. have played to the best of their ability and that best has not produced collective team performances of a high enough standard. It may be that younger players like Dan, Smith, Smith, JVP, Quirke, Arundel etc., if given decent runs, have higher ceilings of playing performance. Or not - but since the older ones' ceiling was not good enough there is nothing to lose by playing the younger ones.

[Timbo]

Very cynical point of view & probably unfounded, but can’t help but wonder if Farrell crying off England citing ‘mental health’ was a ploy so he could go abroad and escape criticism for doing so.

Doesn’t seem like a Farrell thing to do, but honestly neither does not playing for England because of trolls and a bit of abuse.

[FKAS]

James Cronin rumoured to be leaving Tigers to return to Munster.

Bye. Can't say he hasn't worked hard, but such an incredible step down from Genge and, whatever his salary was, we were overpaying for the quality that he was able to provide. Hopefully we have an eye on a good replacement - crying shame we couldn't intercept Brantingham on his route south.

Puja

As good as Brantingham is likely to become he isn't that now and we desperately need a starting quality loosehead not a development project. If van Wyk were also to be off then Brantingham would have been an excellent acquisition and given us two young looseheads who can play at Prem Level and hopefully advance further whilst we also bring in another who's ideally international standard.

I saw the Fischetti rumour re-emerge yesterday. He was supposedly the international we were trying to acquire in the summer and came close but couldn't make it work with the salary cap so he took up an offer in Italy that's allegedly a one year deal. Don't know how true or likely it is that we'll be able to go and get that one across the line mind. Surely there's a lot of French clubs that would love to have him and have more cash than we do.

Will Goodrick-Clarke is one I struggle to believe is still in the Championship, rumours are Exeter want him for next season. He's a big lad with a good work rate will go well there though another that would be an ideal replacement for van Wyk (how he's ended up as Tigers second choice shows how bare the LH stable has become).

[FKAS]

I wouldn't've thought so - Fazlet's clearly doing this to get away from the pressure and scrutiny that he's under in England and it'd undermine that somewhat if he then made himself available during his sabbatical.

Puja

Agreed. Get away from the media pressure, nice pay cheque and with the Eurostar and the airport close by getting back to England is quick and easy should he want to.

Makes life interesting for Sarries recruitment. Paddy Jackson rumours to the fore again?

Some sort of club mission statement to be as as dislikable as possible?

Because Sarries have always cared a lot about outside opinions?

Despite the attached controversy from nearly 6 years ago he is pretty much an international quality flyhalf that's available all year round. He knows the Prem and is a good all rounder. Only downside with acquiring him as the replacement is his age, he's just turned 32 so coming to the end of the expected peak years.

The ideal replacement for Sarries would probably be Joe Simmonds. Good place kicker, leader and very good at moving his pack into the right areas of the field. He's five years younger than Jackson and Farrell as well. He's got at least one more year in France first though.