Transfer Rumours Thread 2013/2014 Season

[kornboy130]

Please find below as definitive a list as I can gather regarding the transfer speculation in and out of Leicester Tigers.

Please post anything you find in here and I will update the list below -when posting PLEASE put a source - even if it's just "a mate of mine who is in the know" as it will allow people to better draw their own conclusions about the speculation on here.

Happy Rumouring,
KB130.

Rumoured Departures

Javiah Pohe - rumoured to be talking to clubs in France - potential concern at signings of Bai and Loamanu with Bowden also with the potential to stay.
Terence Hepetema - rumoured to have had talks with Worcester and Newcastle.

Confirmed Departures:
Toby Flood - To Toulouse.
Thomas Waldrom - To Exeter Chiefs.
Boris Stankovich - To Newport-Gwent Dragons.
Ryan Lamb - To Worcester with immediate effect.
Jerome Schuster - To Worcester with immediate effect (On Loan) - subsequently to Tarbes
Scott Steele - To London Irish.
George Chuter - Retirement.
Rob Hawkins - To Newcastle Falcons.
Harry Wells - To Bedford Blues.
Ryan Bower - To Worcester Warriors.
Joe Cain - Retirement.
Dan Bowden - To Auckland Blues.
Harry Rudkin - Unknown.
Lucas Guillame - Unknown.
Pasqualle Dunn - Unknown.
Henry Purdy - Unknown.
Michael Noone - Unknown.

Rumoured Renewals:

Confirmed Renewals:

Ed Slater - 2 year extension.
David Mele - 1 year extension to current 2 year contract.
Adam Thompstone - Rumoured 2 year extension.
Anthony Allen - Rumoured 3 year extension.
Miles Benjamin - Agreed terms on a rumoured 2 year extension.
Jordan Crane - Agreed terms rumoured to be 3 years with a testimonial.
Vereniki Goneva - Rumoured 2 year extension.
Blaine Scully - Unknown length.
Gonzalo Camacho - Unknown length.
Louis Deacon - 2 year contract.
Tom Bristow - Unknown length.
Tiziano Pasquali - Unknown length.
Riccardo Brugnara - Unknown length.
George Catchpole - Unknown length.
Tom Price - Unknown length.
Harry Thacker - Unknown length.
Pablo Matera - believed to be 1 year.
George Catchpole - Unknown length.

Rumoured Arrivals
Teddy Thomas - Wing - Biarritz - young winger linked in French press with a possible move to Tigers. Now linked with Racing Metro.
Zee Ngwenya - Wing - Biarritz - linked with a move to Tigers in Midi-Olympique (like The Rugby Paper but a bit more fast and loose on transfer speculation - does pick most of them up first though).
Opeti Fonua - Back Row - Bayonne - move seemingly dead in the water with the Barbieri signing.
Jake Abbott - Back Row - Worcester - unlikely as Cockerill has quashed Matera rumours.
John Barclay - Back Row - Llanelli Scarlets - unlikely as Cockerill has quashed Matera rumours.
Michele Campagnaro - Centre - Treviso - Linked in Italian Press as an interest of ours given Treviso have dropped out of the Pro 12
Liam Williams - Fullback/Wing - Llanelli Scarlets - linked with Tigers on the Scarlets Forum. Seems unlikely given no need for a Fullback/Winger in the squad but more requirement for a Centre/Winger (if Goneva goes).


Confirmed Arrivals
Freddie Burns - Fly Half - Gloucester - 3 year contract TBC early 2014.
Laurence Pearce - Back Row - Rotherham - unknown contract length.
Leonardo Ghiraldini - Hooker - Treviso - unknown contract length.
Robert Barbieri - Back Row - Treviso - unknown contract length.
Michele Rizzo - Prop - Treviso - unknown contract length.
Christian Loamanu - Back Row/Centre/Winger/Full-Back - unknown contract length.
Seremaia Bai - Fly-Half/Centre - unknown contract length.
Phil Blake - Defence Coach - unknown contract length.
Aniseko Sio - Prop - Samoan Clubs - unknown contract length.

Rumoured Arrivals Confirmed (or as good as) Elsewhere
David Denton - Back Row - Edinburgh - 2 year extension at Edinburgh.
Dave Ewers - Back Row - Exeter - Believed to have extended at Exeter.
Johnnie Beattie - Back Row - Move to Castres confirmed in French press.
Charlie Sharples - Wing - 2 year extension at Gloucester.
Rhys Priestland - Fly-Half - Extension with the Scarlets/WRU.
Jonathan Wisniewski - Fly-Half - Signed with FC Grenoble.
Bradley Davies - Lock - Signed with Wasps for the 2014/15 Season.
Marlande Yarde - Wing - Signed with Harlequins for the coming season.
Blair Stewart - Fly-Half - Signed with Bayonne.
Fabian Barcella - Prop - Signed with Toulon.
Sam Burgess - Who Knows - Signed with Bath.
Alberto De Marchi - Prop - Signed with Sale Sharks.
Matthew Morgan - Fly-Half - Signed with Bristol.

14/15 Squad
Props:
M. Ayerza
F. Balmain
T. Bristow
R. Brugnara
D. Cole
L. Mulipola
T. Pasquali
M. Rizzo
A. Sio

Hookers:
N. Briggs
L. Ghiraldini
H. Thacker
T. Youngs

Second Row:
L. Deacon
S. De Chaves
G. Kitchener
G. Parling
T. Price
E. Slater

Back Row:
R. Barbieri
J. Crane
T. Croft
J. Gibson
S. Mafi
P. Matera
L. Pearce
J. Salvi

Scrum Half:
S. Harrison
D. Mele
B. Youngs

Fly Half:
F. Burns
O. Williams
S. Bai

Centres:
A. Allen
G. Catchpole
T. Hepetema
J. Pohe
M. Smith
M. Tuilagi


Wing:
M. Benjamin
G. Camacho
V. Goneva
C. Loamanu
N. Morris
B. Scully
A. Thompstone

Full Back:
S. Hamilton
M. Tait


14/15 Coaching Staff

R. Cockerill (Director of Rugby)
P. Burke (Assistant Coach - Backs)
P. Blake (Assistant Coach - Defence)
R. Blaze (Assistant Coach - Forwards)
G. Murphy (Assistant Coach - Skills)

[sam16111986]

Weren't we also linked with the Wales and Cardiff Blues lock Davies?

Sharples would be expensive. I think we're more likely to look at someone like Ollie Woodburn who offees similar but hasn't broken into his clubs first team in a big way yet.

[kpj tiger]

Yeah Bradley Davies was linked and Freddie Burns is a rumored target if flood leaves

[Skin_and_Muscle]

Dave Ewers linked, too. Or was that just forum fantasy?

[kpj tiger]

Dave Ewers linked, too. Or was that just forum fantasy?

Forum fantasy but with TTTE looking certain to leave and Ewers out of contract at the end of the season it wouldn't surprise me if it were true

[kornboy130]

Ewers was forum fantasy - and I'm not even sure if he's out of contract.

Editting the rest in now - apologies I had to rush it into a shortened lunch break.

[simoscribbler]

I really hope we don't go for another lock: our existing stock of players is superb, and I thought De Chaves was excellent last night too. If we got Denton then Slater (who I think has been one of our best this year) could stay in the row - although I expect he will be required by England soon enough.

[Frankers]

I would be surprised if Dan Bowden stayed on after this season.

[tigerburnie]

Dave Denton is a good poker player, he never batted an eye lid when I asked him if he would be wearing a shirt the same as mine next year, when asked at Murrayfield yesterday.

[kornboy130]

I really hope we don't go for another lock: our existing stock of players is superb, and I thought De Chaves was excellent last night too. If we got Denton then Slater (who I think has been one of our best this year) could stay in the row - although I expect he will be required by England soon enough.

I'd imagine we're looking at locks in the event Louis retires - he's had a long old career and his fair share of injuries.

I'd rather Slater stay in the row to be honest - the strengths which suit him to back row (pace, physicality at break down etc) are built on top of his strengths as a second row (scrummaging power, line out work and general graft) - so why negate those when you can have all of it plus another back rower on the field.

[TigerLad]

He said recently that he was honoured to be linked to Tigers but that he was just focusing on playing well for Scotland. Hasn't denied it.

[barwelltiger]

Would the signing of burns be classed as the big signing every one wants? Or not

[fleabane]

Big signings generally means players who get international call-ups and who miss a third of the season, often coming back injured.

Why do we want them?

[barwelltiger]

Big signings generally means players who get international call-ups and who miss a third of the season, often coming back injured.

Why do we want them?

Exactly but look at stains and how George North has rejuvenated them

[Dr H Flashman MBE]

Big signings generally means players who get international call-ups and who miss a third of the season, often coming back injured.

Why do we want them?

Spot on...we have an ability to buy players who are no way near an international call up and turn them into internationals. What is the point in buying a George North, great player, but away for a chunk of the season and eats a Yorkie size bite out of the salary cap, when you can get you scouts working and do it cheaper. I believe that Tigers have always been good due to the squad size not necessarily the talent of the individuals. Fans want a big signings and I am no different, I remember my child like excitement when Lote came to Welford Road, but would rather have 4 very good players than 1 star player. Sorry forgot to add, Burns would be a top banana signing if Flood goes, but not world class.