How about this as a theory? Tigers have started negotiations with Manu, nice and early, as you would expect. Simon Cohen thinks that with the injury, likelihood of England call-up and recent indescretions, we have an opportunity to trim the expected salary, so Manu's agent drums up a bit of interest in the open market and media, in order to get the best deal.
Hence the stories about Sarries and Toulouse
I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed man
How about this as a theory? Tigers have started negotiations with Manu, nice and early, as you would expect. Simon Cohen thinks that with the injury, likelihood of England call-up and recent indescretions, we have an opportunity to trim the expected salary, so Manu's agent drums up a bit of interest in the open market and media, in order to get the best deal.
Hence the stories about Sarries and Toulouse
Certainly plausible but we will probably never know.
Freddie drove a hard bargain last time, but with Manu wanting to thank the club for sticking by him over his visa difficulties. Now that debt has been repaid, and his England position and opportunities in a once-in-a-lifetime home World Cup on the scrap heap, gold jingling in French pockets and the Tuilagi family loyalty to Tigers weakened, why would he not be interested in playing in France?
Cockers might want to keep him, but the ball is in Freddie's court.
As I have stated previously, if Manu is still with Tigers the season after next, something drastic moneywise will have to enter the equation !!........ When you know Freddie..........
Forgive me if this sounds unfair but, after this season, would we miss Tuilagi if he was gone? Don't get me wrong, he is a top quality player. However, an attack that revolves around a big ball carrier in the backline only works if he's actually playing!
My main gripe with the coaching this year is that a contingency wasn't developed. Without the possibility of Tuilagi as the saviour of our backline, Mauger has a chance of recommitting our attack to speed and guile (Tait/Catchpole, Olivier/Allen), rather than power.
In hindsight, maybe my hope is that he doesn't leave but that our attack can be worked on to accommodate the players that are actually available...
fortysix wrote:Err, skin and muscle, neither Tait or Catchpole can be considered quick, as for Allen and Olivier, well Croft would blow them away....
Maybe I should have said speed or guile, or perhaps creativity.
Notwithstanding this, Olivier vs Fickou is an interesting video to watch. I wouldn't say Catchpole is particularly slow, either.
Post-injury, Tait has slowed but has still got great feet, as does Allen (no matter how disparaging comments about him are). Granted, we'll have to see whether Allen's injury has had an adverse effect on him but he's not exactly ponderous. In terms of reading a game and gaining a 'speed' advantage that way, I'd say all four of them are more creative than Tuilagi.
Croft would blow away most players in the league in terms of top speed.
Perhaps not over 4 or 5 paces but he is well known to be one of the quickest Last time this cropped up only Tom Varndell (when he was at Tigers) could do him for sheer speed. I don't think too many of our current backs would be considered to have TVs pace.
Forgive me if this sounds unfair but, after this season, would we miss Tuilagi if he was gone? Don't get me wrong, he is a top quality player. However, an attack that revolves around a big ball carrier in the backline only works if he's actually playing!
My main gripe with the coaching this year is that a contingency wasn't developed. Without the possibility of Tuilagi as the saviour of our backline, Mauger has a chance of recommitting our attack to speed and guile (Tait/Catchpole, Olivier/Allen), rather than power.
In hindsight, maybe my hope is that he doesn't leave but that our attack can be worked on to accommodate the players that are actually available...
Maybe I should have said speed or guile, or perhaps creativity.
Notwithstanding this, Olivier vs Fickou is an interesting video to watch. I wouldn't say Catchpole is particularly slow, either.
Post-injury, Tait has slowed but has still got great feet, as does Allen (no matter how disparaging comments about him are). Granted, we'll have to see whether Allen's injury has had an adverse effect on him but he's not exactly ponderous. In terms of reading a game and gaining a 'speed' advantage that way, I'd say all four of them are more creative than Tuilagi.
Absolutely astonishing comments from Skin_and_Muscle!
Manu Tuilagi is a world class player to be mentioned alongside names such as Ashley_Cooper, Folau, Bastareaud, Fofana and not far behind the likes of SBW and Nonu and yet is being rubbished on here in comparison to Catchpole, astonishing!
That's not quite what I'm saying, though. The second paragraph of mine you've quoted also refers to the qualities of other players so that's not a dig at Tuilagi.
Similarly, you state in your reply that Tuilagi is of comparable quality to mainfestly different players. For what it's worth, while we persist with a particular attacking shape, I'd only have SBW over Tuilagi but that doesn't mean I think Tuilagi is world class, nor do I think Ashley-Cooper isn't.
We were a very successful attacking team before Tuilagi because we utilised players properly. We're a very successful attacking team when Tuilagi is fit because we can exploit his particular talents. We're not so successful when Tuilagi is injured because of a failure to deploy the players we do have properly. If we ever lost Tuilagi, we'd have to play a different way, which has worked for us in the past. Therefore, he wouldn't necessarily be a huge loss.
Just laughable and such a shame how easily folk forget the lad is rare world class player, no matter who the opposition is his level never drops, he is very young and the best all round centre in England by some distance.
Strong rumours on the unoffy that Allen is going to be forced to retire because of this ongoing injury. Awful news if true. Olyvier is a downgrade if he's the replacement, could definitely do with another 12.
TigerLad wrote:Strong rumours on the unoffy that Allen is going to be forced to retire because of this ongoing injury. Awful news if true. Olyvier is a downgrade if he's the replacement, could definitely do with another 12.
Olivier IF he is coming will be on a 1 year deal we have looked at 12's but none on the market AtM who are leaving has taken our fancy for the money they want so we could wait a season and aim at a couple of 12's we are interested in next season as marquee players.
Cohen hinted that Manu might be played at 12 with Tait maybe at 13 considering last time Manu play 12 for us Mauger was here (V SA) and he actually looked quite good it might be a promising move.
Will add the Allen retiring to the rumour thread though thanks.