Transfer Rumours Thread 2013/2014 Season

[Darc Tiger]

I liked the look of Brugnara in the Legends game last year. Admittedly he looked every bit the sprightly youngster against a bunch of ageing vets, and the scrums were uncontested, but he looked great on the ball.

[Rykard]

still trying to make Matera deal work.

[FrontRowUnionMember]

On the radio Cockers said we would have eight props.

Ayerza, Rizzo, Bristow, Brugnara on the loose head.

Cole, Mulipola, Balmain, Pasquali on the tight head.

That seems to be our lot for next season. Balmain has looked decent this season and should only develop further ditto Pasquali.

Fair enough. I thought we potentially needed another older head, but if we are confident in the progression of our younger props, great. We don't seem to be using our bench props at the minute. Prop options are in tiers, 4 internationals as front line, two players in their early twenties as immediate backup, then two youngsters developing in the background.

[Tigerbeat]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/27511386

[kpj tiger]

Pasquali looked really good against Sarries so I expect he will do OK next season, haven't seen Brugnara in a Prem game so its too early to tell with him

[DickyP]

with his face after just coming on?

... and got him carded!

[sam16111986]

I'd have thought the two younger props would be loaned to Notts to gain experience at least for the first part of next season. Get them up to speed with senior rugby. Pasquali looks a beast already and was good vs Sarries.

[Off Piste Tiger]

With Flood Bowden and Lamb having left and Burns coming what will our fly half options be next season? Williams Burns and ?

[Rykard]

bai and an academy guys I can't remember the name of

[WhitecapTiger]

Club confirmation of 6, including Burns & Pearce:

http://www.leicestertigers.com/news/19431.php

[youngtiger]

Pohe, Catchpole and Hepetema can be moved from the rumoured departures section since Cockers' radio interview. Just Pablo to go.

Bai and an academy guy I can't remember the name of

John Hargeaves? Only just 18 I think.

[Mersey Tiger]

On the basis that Rizzo is a definite recruit (he apparently wasn't mentioned by Cockers on the radio), the new recruits provide broadly one-for-one replacements for those senior players who are leaving/ have left the main squad:

Freddie Burns - Fly Half - Toby Flood
Seremaia Bai - Fly-Half/Centre - Ryan Lamb
Christian Loamanu - Centre/Winger/Full-Back - Dan Bowden
Michele Rizzo - Prop - Treviso - Boris Stankovitch
Leonardo Ghiraldini - Hooker - Treviso - Rob Hawkins (& George Chuter)
Robert Barbieri - Back Row - Treviso - Thomas Waldrom

Laurence Pearce - Back Row - Rotherham - with the departure of Schuster it looks like Tigers are looking to the existing younger props to come through, freeing up space for Pearce to strengthen the back row options, particularly when the Internationals are on. I infer the Pohe and Hepatema have been retained and will be developed in a similar manner.

So it can be viewed that the club has listened to the many members of this forum who have called for more academy players to get their chance

Arguably the squad has strengthened, with greater in-depth quality compared to this year. I confess that I thought that this year's squad was an improvement on last year's - it was just that the horrorshow of injuries messed things up.

So reasons to be cheerful for 2014/15!

[voice of the crumbie]

No mention of Rizzo (the prop that is, not our esteemed moderator) in the announcement on the club's website. Maybe not confirmed yet.

[Noddy555]

Well we'll have to see if this crop of new players will strenghthen our squad sufficiently and that we don't lose impetus during the November internationals which was the major weakness of this seasons' campaign. I still
think that the No. 8 position needs additional strength even though we've got Barbieri and young Pearce. We could also do with back-up in the No. 15 jersey to Mathew Tait, but I suppose we have fully spent up for next season and are knocking on the £4.5M ceiling.

[voice of the crumbie]

We could also do with back-up in the No. 15 jersey to Mathew Tait

We will have Scully, Morris, Hamilton plus Loamanu can play there, also Burns and, I believe, Bai as well. Matt Smith has also played there. I think that lot is sufficient.

As for no 8's we will have Crane, Pearce, Barbieri, Salvi, Gibson and Matera if he stays, who can all play there plus Slater if we were really pushed.