Steve Diamond sacked

[Blandy]

https://web.archive.org/web/20251001104 ... e-diamond/

Seems very strange timing, I expected him to be there for this seasona and potentially moved upstairs/look after recruitment.

[Scrumhead]

Odd timing indeed … actually quite disappointed for him if it’s true. I don’t like him as a bloke, but I think he is good at what he does.

[Mikey Brown]

Yeah, weird. I assume there is some news/confirmation behind the scenes of being able to bring someone in, rather than just acing him for losing 1 game.

Odd timing with Townsend too.

[twitchy]

My post from the rumours thread a few weeks ago:

I'm waiting for the tide of public opinion to turn when newcastle blossom from plucky underdogs scrapping to stay in the division to being the next saracens from 10 years ago.

[FKAS]

Odd decision at this time. Clearly something has kicked off behind the scenes. Promoting Alan Dickens on a temporary basis is hardly going to help anything and squad harmony unlikely to be helped by firing the person that brought them all together.

Rather than splashing the cash on a big name head coach I'd have thought acquiring quality coaching staff and slowly pushing Diamond into a desk job would have been a smarter plan.

[FKAS]

There's also a rumour of Phil Dowson taking the reigns at the end of the season.

[fivepointer]

This is a bit out of the blue. It cant be for just losing the opening game. But what could have provoked such a decision?


This is a good move i'd have thought -

John Fletcher, the current Head of Pathways at SRU and previous Head of England Under 18s will join Newcastle Red Bulls as Academy and Pathways Director from 1st December. The development of local talent into world class players is a priority for the club and this position will see Fletcher focus on building a high-performing academy team and driving player and coach development across the region.

[FKAS]

They've also brought in the former Clermont team manager McIlroy to head up rugby affairs.

[Puja]

This is a good move i'd have thought -

John Fletcher, the current Head of Pathways at SRU and previous Head of England Under 18s will join Newcastle Red Bulls as Academy and Pathways Director from 1st December. The development of local talent into world class players is a priority for the club and this position will see Fletcher focus on building a high-performing academy team and driving player and coach development across the region.

That is a hell of a good move and good news for the England pathways in general to have Fletch back involved.

On Diamond, it's highly weird. I can understand them wanting someone else, but surely it would make sense to keep Diamond in place until they have their chosen man signed and sealed - hardly like they're going to find a better caretaker than Diamond! Can only imagine there's been a falling out somewhere.

My post from the rumours thread a few weeks ago:

I'm waiting for the tide of public opinion to turn when newcastle blossom from plucky underdogs scrapping to stay in the division to being the next saracens from 10 years ago.

I believe my response was about Saracens losing public sympathy by sacking half their team in a cold-blooded overnight move, so you're on track...

Puja

[Oakboy]

It's curious timing but it's hardly a surprise that Diamond's face no longer fits, is it? He must be difficult to live with and new ownership is probably less tolerant of his characteristics.

[Danno]

It's curious timing but it's hardly a surprise that Diamond's face no longer fits, is it? He must be difficult to live with and new ownership is probably less tolerant of his characteristics.

It's the only reason that makes any sense. He's not exactly reknowned as a people pleaser when it comes to people telling him what to do.

It's still a bizarre decision, there aren't any other people I could name to coach on a from the floor up rebuild of a team. It's what he does.

[Captainhaircut]

A Scottish MD and a Scottish DOR with Townsend consulting. Looks like the SRU have got themselves a cheeky Prem partner now.

RFU really need to push for less non-English in match day squads.

[FKAS]

A Scottish MD and a Scottish DOR with Townsend consulting. Looks like the SRU have got themselves a cheeky Prem partner now.

RFU really need to push for less non-English in match day squads.

The Scottish head of rugby has spent most of the last two decades in France and the Scottish MD was most recently with Ulster iirc.

It's 15 of 23 for the match day squads with now stricter punishments than just a loss of income for Prem clubs. I'd not want to see it pushed further than that otherwise it's likely to just devalue the competition.

[Danno]

A Scottish MD and a Scottish DOR with Townsend consulting. Looks like the SRU have got themselves a cheeky Prem partner now.

RFU really need to push for less non-English in match day squads.

The Scottish head of rugby has spent most of the last two decades in France and the Scottish MD was most recently with Ulster iirc.

It's 15 of 23 for the match day squads with now stricter punishments than just a loss of income for Prem clubs. I'd not want to see it pushed further than that otherwise it's likely to just devalue the competition.

Agreed, 15 is probably the sweet spot for me. We obviously want to see English players on the pitch, but having some overseas talent on the field is a joy to see when the likes of Nadolo are rampaging around, and itsnever a bad thing to have different styles of player about

[twitchy]

[Captainhaircut]

Given how much Scotland poach English players, I think it’s fair to be concerned when 3 Scottish men take leading positions at the club closest to the border, particularly when one is their head coach.

Whilst 8 may feel the right amount, it does nothing to make players think about whether they want to declare Scottish. If the number was lower, players like Christie, Bayliss, Redpath, White etc may think twice. At the very least, they may actually have to move to Scotland and be funded by their union rather than ours.

I’d also argue that 8 is too high- using the Nadolo example, he could still have been signed if the limit was 4 or 5. The top players would still get signed, it would be the squad fillers we see every week that wouldn’t.

[fivepointer]

8 non EQP is probably a touch high for me. 5 or 6 would be better given its a 10 team league with smaller squads than we've had in the past.

I'm not convinced this is a SRU plan to sneak in by the back door. Red Bull will want the best available people and if some are Scottish then so be it. its not as if the other clubs only have only English support staff, and all of them have their share of non EQP.

[Which Tyler]

For me, 15 our of the 23 is fine - a few more would be better, but it's fine.
We're long last the days where only 1-2 clubs (out of 12) had the capacity to put out 15 EQPs without playing anyone badly out of position, or relying on the academy.
I don't really see that many overseas squad-fillers around these days (and many of those that are, are Englishmen who've declared elsewhere).

[FKAS]

Given how much Scotland poach English players, I think it’s fair to be concerned when 3 Scottish men take leading positions at the club closest to the border, particularly when one is their head coach.

Whilst 8 may feel the right amount, it does nothing to make players think about whether they want to declare Scottish. If the number was lower, players like Christie, Bayliss, Redpath, White etc may think twice. At the very least, they may actually have to move to Scotland and be funded by their union rather than ours.

I’d also argue that 8 is too high- using the Nadolo example, he could still have been signed if the limit was 4 or 5. The top players would still get signed, it would be the squad fillers we see every week that wouldn’t.

The head coach (on an interim basis at least) is Dickens an Englishman.

There isn't enough quality English players to have so few international players. We'd end up with a spiraling weak league where the next generation aren't playing against sufficient quality to develop to international level. Especially when you add in a few injuries.

[Captainhaircut]

Given how much Scotland poach English players, I think it’s fair to be concerned when 3 Scottish men take leading positions at the club closest to the border, particularly when one is their head coach.

Whilst 8 may feel the right amount, it does nothing to make players think about whether they want to declare Scottish. If the number was lower, players like Christie, Bayliss, Redpath, White etc may think twice. At the very least, they may actually have to move to Scotland and be funded by their union rather than ours.

I’d also argue that 8 is too high- using the Nadolo example, he could still have been signed if the limit was 4 or 5. The top players would still get signed, it would be the squad fillers we see every week that wouldn’t.

The head coach (on an interim basis at least) is Dickens an Englishman.

There isn't enough quality English players to have so few international players. We'd end up with a spiraling weak league where the next generation aren't playing against sufficient quality to develop to international level. Especially when you add in a few injuries.

There’s 10 sides in the PREM so if you reduced from 8 in a squad to 4, that’s probably 5 per club and 50 players who would go. I’m not talking about the top players- the likes of Lee-Warner, Jarrod Evans, Cameron Anderson, Griffin, Chris Harris, Todoro, Blose, Carrington, Thompson could all be filled by academy/championship players or players coming back from France.

I’m sure people will talk about the funds in France but take Quins as an example, they spent on Evans instead of backing Benson and Bellamy and could have used that money to make a better offer to Anyanwu.

Saints spent money on Odendaal last year and could have used that money to make a better offer to Moon.

Squads just get packed with journeyman. It’s better than it was but it could definitely go further.

[FKAS]

Given how much Scotland poach English players, I think it’s fair to be concerned when 3 Scottish men take leading positions at the club closest to the border, particularly when one is their head coach.

Whilst 8 may feel the right amount, it does nothing to make players think about whether they want to declare Scottish. If the number was lower, players like Christie, Bayliss, Redpath, White etc may think twice. At the very least, they may actually have to move to Scotland and be funded by their union rather than ours.

I’d also argue that 8 is too high- using the Nadolo example, he could still have been signed if the limit was 4 or 5. The top players would still get signed, it would be the squad fillers we see every week that wouldn’t.

The head coach (on an interim basis at least) is Dickens an Englishman.

There isn't enough quality English players to have so few international players. We'd end up with a spiraling weak league where the next generation aren't playing against sufficient quality to develop to international level. Especially when you add in a few injuries.

There’s 10 sides in the PREM so if you reduced from 8 in a squad to 4, that’s probably 5 per club and 50 players who would go. I’m not talking about the top players- the likes of Lee-Warner, Jarrod Evans, Cameron Anderson, Griffin, Chris Harris, Todoro, Blose, Carrington, Thompson could all be filled by academy/championship players or players coming back from France.

I’m sure people will talk about the funds in France but take Quins as an example, they spent on Evans instead of backing Benson and Bellamy and could have used that money to make a better offer to Anyanwu.

Saints spent money on Odendaal last year and could have used that money to make a better offer to Moon.

Squads just get packed with journeyman. It’s better than it was but it could definitely go further.

It's a nice idea in theory but if you look at a number of those assertions they don't stack up.

Chris Harris was signed as injury cover, otherwise he was being jettisoned by Glaws. He was a former Lions centre before that.

Cam Anderson is from Aylesbury and has only played for Scotland under 20s so is EQ.

Jarrod Evans was signed before Benson burst through and is playing now because Benson is injured. Bellamy is exactly the type of mediocre Championship level talent that would be promoted were more foreign players forced out the league. It was baffling why he was selected for the under 20s (though injuries played a part) he's a very shot to ever playing for England.

Odendaal was an integral part of Saints finals success. Injuries hampered him and Saints backline as a result. Thame overcoming an injury and the maturing of Litchfield mean Saints have moved on now but Odendaal offered the backs something. Saints weren't exactly short of cap space or cash when Moon opted to go, Lawes left at the same time remember. Also players in very different positions.

Thompson the lock at Tigers is there because Chessum Jnr has a knee issue picked up on his loan in Japan and Carnduff underwent surgery at the end of last season. With Ollie in the Lions squad it was a known factor that there would be an early season shortage at lock. The fact Tom Manz also went down injured emphasised the fact. Hard position to just throw in teenagers to struggle and get injured.

Anyanwu was rumoured to have been offered a lucrative contract in France. Not sure Quins wanted to match it given he'd never stayed fit long enough to have a proper breakout season and Waghorn ended up looking the better player. Again you use players in different positions which isn't how squads are built up. Ditch Evans two years ago and just role the dice on untested at that point kids?

[Danno]

One day there'll be a pic of Dimes that doesn't make me immediately want to watch Dumbo