Iv'e got a horrible feeling that we may be struggling around the bottom,and it may be to late to make a surge up the table when our Internationals return especially when some of them will be gone again in February.
Too early to say. I think the team will improve, they showed a lot of grit. If the likes of Ford,12t,Morris,Mafi,Brookes,Hawkins etc improve/step up then we will give some teams a beating and just about be hanging in. BUT we have no subs bench really, so luck with injuries will be the biggest factor, and that is not looking too good so far! A few more injuries and could we accept 'writing off' this season in order to blood all the youngsters? I could but not sure how many others would.
wishful thinking but you never know - could be a funny old season, if teams like Chiefs and wasps do well before getting a few injuries and falling away, could be even tighter than last season with minimal points separating the teams.
Out of the next 5 games looking at the fixture list the only game where we may get a win from is against Newcastle. They are very poor and I can see the Falcons going down this season.
So interesting times ahead for Tigers and Cockerill. I think a defence coach is urgently needed. I see Worcester have recruited Phil Larder as their defence coach, Tigers could certainly do with recruiting somebody of that calibre.
Very long way to go - lets see what happens when the RWC is over- until then, I am sure we will see some "unpredictable" results. At this point Tigers will have to start performing well for sure if they have had a "challenging" start to the season.
this is a great chance for guys to get their extended opportunites in the club. a great chance to blood some upcoming talent. lessons will be learnt as they always are whether win, lose or draw. from i can remember from the beginning of last season, that it took a few months of scrappy rugby to start becoming more fluent and second nature, and that was with all the international players playing. doom and gloom...there is always light at the end of the tunnel!!!!!!!
I think our best chance at silver ware this year could well be the HC. We will have all our internationals available for all of the games and if the team can gel quickly enough we should be strong. I think we can scrape top 4 in the prem but one or 2 injuries in the wrong position at the wrong time and the season could end up being a disaster.
Its not all doom and gloom. Look at the facts. We are in 7th place but only 3 points behind the leaders. We have more bonus points than the top 6. We are joint leading try scorers this season. At this stage last season we had a negative points difference of 8 compared to 2 this season and look where we finished!
Of course this is my own opinion and other posters may have a different perceived factual viewpoint.
Smurphswillgetya wrote:Its not all doom and gloom. Look at the facts. We are in 7th place but only 3 points behind the leaders. We have more bonus points than the top 6. We are joint leading try scorers this season. At this stage last season we had a negative points difference of 8 compared to 2 this season and look where we finished!
WOW, that is some positive spin. You forgot to mention that we gifted them two tries through pathetic tackling, that our discipline was terrible compared to the Chief's.
First game and things can only get better. A little bit of luck and one of those drops would have gone over. I am always optimistic and expect to be at Twickers in May.
On game in, lost by 2 points, and could easily have been won by 1 point. To be suggesting on one performance that the squad may as well take the rest of the year off as "they are obviously incapable of achieving anything this year" is daft.
In fact, in most positions, the current "predicament" isn't too far off (bar the front row) what we had last season with injuries etc, and IIRC, last season was a total failure too, failing to make the HC semis, and then losing the premiership final by a single score... God help us if we have another season like the last...
We do not have a history of significantly improving our results after the return of international players. They take time to recover and get fit (!), and to be absorbed back into the club culture, so I'm not expecting miracles.
8th or 9th at best by Christmas, HC qualification at the end of the season by either:
a) finishing in the top 6,
or
b) winning it this season! It has to be our best bet and focus for silverware.
First game and things can only get better. A little bit of luck and one of those drops would have gone over. I am always optimistic and expect to be at Twickers in May. 
