RugbyRebels

Zach Mercer confirmed to Glos for next season.



Other major rumour doing the rounds that far ahead is Ant Watson to Saracens.

Pure speculation seems to be the DuPreez brothers to Bath - but that one is most likely agent talk, or possibly Fissler inventing stuff
https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/latest- ... thers/amp/

Pre-season at Tigers really that bad?

Mikey Brown wrote:Pre-season at Tigers really that bad?

That talk was pretty constant since before he confirmed Leicester - he just wanted somewhere for a year before moving back to London - which we all assume to mean Saracens, despite being an LI academy grad.

Which Tyler wrote:

Mikey Brown wrote:Pre-season at Tigers really that bad?

That talk was pretty constant since before he confirmed Leicester - he just wanted somewhere for a year before moving back to London - which we all assume to mean Saracens, despite being an LI academy grad.

From the way he's described things, I understand he was left looking for a contract quite late after Bath said they didn't want to keep him, so Leicester have him at a reasonably bargain price for this season. Wouldn't be surprised if he's looking to get market value on his next one.

Mind, he went off injured after 6 minutes in the last pre-season game (hopefully just being uber-careful), so "bargain" and "market value" may vary depending on how robust he actually is and many minutes he plays.

Puja

Puja wrote: From the way he's described things, I understand he was left looking for a contract quite late after Bath said they didn't want to keep him, so Leicester have him at a reasonably bargain price for this season. Wouldn't be surprised if he's looking to get market value on his next one.

Mind, he went off injured after 6 minutes in the last pre-season game (hopefully just being uber-careful), so "bargain" and "market value" may vary depending on how robust he actually is and many minutes he plays.

Depends who you believe.

We also had noises from November/December last year that he was rejecting Bath's contract offers. But then, the whole thing last year was a fiasco that did no-one any credit.

I'm lazy

Which Tyler wrote:I'm lazy

In the words of our soon-to-leave-us PM, “prenez un grip!”.

Well, I hope you're all happy now!

Which Tyler wrote:Well, I hope you're all happy now!

Much better.

In other news, the exodus from Worcester is beginning. Finn Smith is now (allegedly) due to join Saints this season, not next, and Kyle Hatherell is rumoured to have a move to France lined up. No news on Lawrence or Hill as of yet.

Borthwick must be fuming; he loves a bargain, but I'd imagine Leicester are probably full up now.

Puja

Puja wrote:Much better.

In other news, the exodus from Worcester is beginning. Finn Smith is now (allegedly) due to join Saints this season, not next, and Kyle Hatherell is rumoured to have a move to France lined up. No news on Lawrence or Hill as of yet.

Borthwick must be fuming; he loves a bargain, but I'd imagine Leicester are probably full up now.

Puja

Hatherall maybe to Stade Français.

Puja wrote:Much better.

In other news, the exodus from Worcester is beginning. Finn Smith is now (allegedly) due to join Saints this season, not next, and Kyle Hatherell is rumoured to have a move to France lined up. No news on Lawrence or Hill as of yet.

Borthwick must be fuming; he loves a bargain, but I'd imagine Leicester are probably full up now.

Puja

It'd be good for Smith to get a season with Biggar in before his contract is up at the end of this season. No idea if he'll stay at Northampton beyond that - I guess that'll be very dependent on how much money he wants to earn for the last few contracts of his career.

I think Hatherall has been linked to Toulon previously. He'd be a great fit for the French league and having been a bit of a nowhere signing for Worcester would earn himself a chunky payrise.

Biggar is 32. I'd have thought the ideal thing for him would be to start reducing his game time and mentoring a young prodigy in the mix makes great sense for him and the club. Smith won't be taking big games from Biggar this season.

Puja, I suspect Borthwick would prefer Worcester to make it to at least next summer so he could get involved with some of his bargain hunting. Maybe with Hegarty heading off as well as Nadolo we have a little spare capital. The only area we lack cover is probably 7 and maybe fullback if Watson and Steward both make the England squad. I've said it before and I'll say it again though, I'd take Shillcock if we could make that happen.

Adam_P wrote:

Puja wrote:Much better.

In other news, the exodus from Worcester is beginning. Finn Smith is now (allegedly) due to join Saints this season, not next, and Kyle Hatherell is rumoured to have a move to France lined up. No news on Lawrence or Hill as of yet.

Borthwick must be fuming; he loves a bargain, but I'd imagine Leicester are probably full up now.

Puja

It'd be good for Smith to get a season with Biggar in before his contract is up at the end of this season. No idea if he'll stay at Northampton beyond that - I guess that'll be very dependent on how much money he wants to earn for the last few contracts of his career.

What's happened to Grayson I always thought he looked really promising?

Mikey Brown wrote:Pre-season at Tigers really that bad?

Supposedly brutal. Tigers were the fittest team in the league last season, a lot of that credit goes to Aled Walters the fitness guru Tigers brought in from South Africa where he helped the Boks to world cup success.

Unsure what Watson's plans are currently and I doubt he knows either. Sounds like he just needed a club when he came to Tigers. Whether he stays or goes will depend on contract offers and whether he's back in England reckoning or not.

FKAS wrote:

Mikey Brown wrote:Pre-season at Tigers really that bad?

Supposedly brutal. Tigers were the fittest team in the league last season, a lot of that credit goes to Aled Walters the fitness guru Tigers brought in from South Africa where he helped the Boks to world cup success.

Unsure what Watson's plans are currently and I doubt he knows either. Sounds like he just needed a club when he came to Tigers. Whether he stays or goes will depend on contract offers and whether he's back in England reckoning or not.

Was watching an interview with Phil Cokanasiga where he said that the number one thing he needed to improve was his fitness, which I'd imagine came out of the pre-season beasting. Hopefully there'll be a few players at their absolute peak after that preparation, especially getting a few really good months out of a trim Nadolo.

Puja

Puja wrote:

FKAS wrote:

Mikey Brown wrote:Pre-season at Tigers really that bad?

Supposedly brutal. Tigers were the fittest team in the league last season, a lot of that credit goes to Aled Walters the fitness guru Tigers brought in from South Africa where he helped the Boks to world cup success.

Unsure what Watson's plans are currently and I doubt he knows either. Sounds like he just needed a club when he came to Tigers. Whether he stays or goes will depend on contract offers and whether he's back in England reckoning or not.

Was watching an interview with Phil Cokanasiga where he said that the number one thing he needed to improve was his fitness, which I'd imagine came out of the pre-season beasting. Hopefully there'll be a few players at their absolute peak after that preparation, especially getting a few really good months out of a trim Nadolo.

Puja

Have you seen Nadolo?

pandion wrote:

Puja wrote:

FKAS wrote:
Supposedly brutal. Tigers were the fittest team in the league last season, a lot of that credit goes to Aled Walters the fitness guru Tigers brought in from South Africa where he helped the Boks to world cup success.

Unsure what Watson's plans are currently and I doubt he knows either. Sounds like he just needed a club when he came to Tigers. Whether he stays or goes will depend on contract offers and whether he's back in England reckoning or not.

Was watching an interview with Phil Cokanasiga where he said that the number one thing he needed to improve was his fitness, which I'd imagine came out of the pre-season beasting. Hopefully there'll be a few players at their absolute peak after that preparation, especially getting a few really good months out of a trim Nadolo.

Puja

Have you seen Nadolo?

I hadn't but two minutes on instagram found me this photo from the Jersey pre-season match which seems to suggest my faith in Walters isn't misplaced. It appears that we're sending Nadolo to Aus in much better shape than when we got him in!
ETA and one from Newcastle: Puja

Down to a svelte 145kgs or so.

Mikey Brown wrote:Down to a svelte 145kgs or so.

We had him sub 140kg last season. Might get him down to 130kg with a bit of luck.

Christian Wade tweet:

My return to rugby is imminent…

Maybe he'll be some form of medical joker for Racing 92?

Puja

Puja wrote:Maybe he'll be some form of medical joker for Racing 92?

Puja

Where did you hear that?

Mellsblue wrote:

Puja wrote:Maybe he'll be some form of medical joker for Racing 92?

Puja

Where did you hear that?

Christian Aid week?