Leicestertinytiger wrote: ↑Thu Feb 01, 2018 12:05 pm
Good! Always rated Kitchener and never thought he deserved the stick he got on this board. Needs to be partnered with a big no.4 so suffered when he was with Fitzgerald. Spencer coming in with Barrow and Wells will address this.
Even if he doesn’t make the starting XV next season, good player to have in the squad.
I'm not convinced the 2nd row is an area you can afford to carry someone who doesn't pull his weight. Being good in the lineout (and it's a while since he's shown any evidence of that) doesn't mean you don't need to have any other abilities.
Yes, he showed a lot of promise in the past, but like a few others in my view he is running out of time to prove that he will realise that potential.
Leicestertinytiger wrote: ↑Thu Feb 01, 2018 12:05 pm
Good! Always rated Kitchener and never thought he deserved the stick he got on this board. Needs to be partnered with a big no.4 so suffered when he was with Fitzgerald. Spencer coming in with Barrow and Wells will address this.
Even if he doesn’t make the starting XV next season, good player to have in the squad.
I'm not convinced the 2nd row is an area you can afford to carry someone who doesn't pull his weight. Being good in the lineout (and it's a while since he's shown any evidence of that) doesn't mean you don't need to have any other abilities.
Yes, he showed a lot of promise in the past, but like a few others in my view he is running out of time to prove that he will realise that potential.
A lot of our forwards have stagnated without a top forwards coach. Look at how Cole has improved again since Boris turned up full time.
I'm hoping a forwards coach coming in will help bring Kitch back to his best. Alongside Slater they created an excellent partnership, similar to Deacon and Kay, or Skivington and Parling. I hope that with Spencer we will see the best of Kitchener, who isn't a natural line out caller but can jump with the best of them. On an aside, the biggest problem we've had since Ayerza retired is we don't have a natural lifter. Ayerza was brilliant as a lifter, Cole is alright and Genge needs to add that to his game. Hopefully, with more practice some of the bigger boys (Gigena looked good in some of the instagram videos they put up) will be able to pick up that particular part of their game.
MOC: “The majority of the work is done in relation to our recruitment and retention for next year, though there are still a couple of front row slots, back five slots and a couple of back line slots that we are looking at”
So everywhere except scrum-half then?
Happy days clearing straw from the pitch before the Baa-Baas games! KBO
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strawclearer wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2018 11:26 am
MOC: “The majority of the work is done in relation to our recruitment and retention for next year, though there are still a couple of front row slots, back five slots and a couple of back line slots that we are looking at”
So hooker (Stevens), Tight head to replace Cillers?, I'd imagine BoC will now sign a new deal considering he's now being selected, so I'd imagine some movement still to be picked up on. Another 10/12 and probably a back 3 player considering Tait is probably off this summer.
So 6 new signings on top of Thompson and Spencer.
A forwards coach, a defense coach and a skills coach as well I would imagine*...
*and by imagine I mean really really wish for, and in my wildest dreams a DoR to sit above MoC.
Not sure how many NZ are left that I would want Plumtree will be settled into his Canes role by next season.
Maybe Deans might want to get back into some proper competitions?
Jono Gibbes might fancy a change?
Daryl Gibson maybe?
Trouble I wouldn’t trust many NZ coaches without prior NH experience to lead the team maybe as a Head Coach with a DOR who can help them with NH rugby. Just as long as he isn’t as bullish as cockers to make it a me v them thing.
Thinking about it how many NZ sabbaticals have really helped their clubs? Would it just be better to target the not quite good enough players and keep them longer like Hamilton and Newby?
Mind it’s all a mute point until we change the HC or Head of Rugby ops. Henry for Glynn anyone??
strawclearer wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2018 11:26 am
MOC: “The majority of the work is done in relation to our recruitment and retention for next year, though there are still a couple of front row slots, back five slots and a couple of back line slots that we are looking at”
This actually worried me the most in the quotes that MOC has made in the last couple of months. He seems to be saying that the majority of work is done when we have only signed 3 players but we are still looking for at least 6 players which seems a lot to me at this stage of the season. He has also said nothing about new coaches - forwards, defence, possibly a new skill coach if Smurph goes and who would come in if, as rumoured, Deacs goes with him. Seems to me that the majority of work is still to be done.
3 new players and the players who have re-signed.
So that’s together is the majority.
6 new signings at this stage still isn’t much, super rugby hasn’t started and a lot of sH players wait to see if they are in the international squads until decideing to move. The club would have spoken to the majority of targets and will have an idea of the wage demand so would just be a case of signing the dotted line when the time comes.
RagingBull wrote: ↑Sun Feb 04, 2018 12:43 pm
3 new players and the players who have re-signed.
So that’s together is the majority.
6 new signings at this stage still isn’t much, super rugby hasn’t started and a lot of sH players wait to see if they are in the international squads until decideing to move. The club would have spoken to the majority of targets and will have an idea of the wage demand so would just be a case of signing the dotted line when the time comes.
There's also the 6N period where some of our fringe players (particularly the young ones) will get more game time and perhaps stake a claim for the first team. If they show the capability to step up then they can be pencilled in to feature more next season if not then we might need more cover.
If Worth is still playing this well then do we need a replacement for Tait?
Hot_Charlie wrote: ↑Thu Feb 01, 2018 10:40 am
Maybe Baumann, but Traynor isn't an awful signing, but it's not bad having a player of his experience with 12 caps for Scotland as a 4th choice on the LH (with Rizzo out on loan) when the club's two main LHs are very inexperienced in the position.
Rizzo has been back for some time now and I don't understand the comment " the club's two main LHs are very inexperienced in the position."?????????
Simple:
Traynor was (presumably) signed to fill the space left by Rizzo before he went out on loan (and yes, he has been back for 2 months after Genge and Bateman were injured, but obviously wasn't in the "big picture" plan for this season).
Inexperienced LHs? Easy:
Genge is 22. He might be very good but for a prop he is still somewhat inexperienced, compared to other frontline LHs, at the top level.
Bateman, other than a few games as a replacement last season, didn't make his first start in a top class competition at LH until last Autumn; I'd go as far to say in the position he is very inexperienced.
strawclearer wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2018 11:26 am
MOC: “The majority of the work is done in relation to our recruitment and retention for next year, though there are still a couple of front row slots, back five slots and a couple of back line slots that we are looking at”
This actually worried me the most in the quotes that MOC has made in the last couple of months. He seems to be saying that the majority of work is done when we have only signed 3 players but we are still looking for at least 6 players which seems a lot to me at this stage of the season. He has also said nothing about new coaches - forwards, defence, possibly a new skill coach if Smurph goes and who would come in if, as rumoured, Deacs goes with him. Seems to me that the majority of work is still to be done.
We really don't know how many players they have signed - could be 20 for all we know but only 3 have been announced. Players may not want anything announced until the end of the season in order to protect their current club, or their current club may say it can't be announced. Will depend on a number of circumstances.
Not sure how many NZ are left that I would want Plumtree will be settled into his Canes role by next season.
Maybe Deans might want to get back into some proper competitions?
Jono Gibbes might fancy a change?
Daryl Gibson maybe?
Trouble I wouldn’t trust many NZ coaches without prior NH experience to lead the team maybe as a Head Coach with a DOR who can help them with NH rugby. Just as long as he isn’t as bullish as cockers to make it a me v them thing.
Thinking about it how many NZ sabbaticals have really helped their clubs? Would it just be better to target the not quite good enough players and keep them longer like Hamilton and Newby?
Mind it’s all a mute point until we change the HC or Head of Rugby ops. Henry for Glynn anyone??
The players will still go where the money is 9 times out of 10. They know when they return to NZ they will get back in the All Blacks side if they're good enough, regardless of whether there time in Europe was with a NZRU approved coaching setup.
To be honest, I don't really see us as competing for current All Blacks anyway - there are too many other clubs with more money to offer, and more exciting lifestyles. Those are the reasons these players leave NZ, and Leicestershire + average pay does not = tempting. Paris/London/Tokyo/South of France + megabucks = much better option.
The Tigers have been in freefall for a number of years, and the Boards focus on the Stands rebuilding and keeping our financial areas compact has backfired spectacularly.
The playing side has been sidelined by the bean counters, , hoping the Tigers spirit would enable a load of journeymen and cast offs to build an invincibile force., hoping amongst hope for past glories.
This has not happened any which way, and in truth, only May Genge and Veaninu have kept us afloat this year. The England contingent havent been at the races in the majority of the matches.
If this was football,the Coaches and Senior decision making Board members( probably just the three who make all the decisions !!)would be long since gone ------------- but it isnt and they are still here.
Every pundit on here knows what we need
A back up 15
Two quality back up centres
Burns back as Co No 10-----------or similar. Gopperth would fit the bill.
2 Georgian monster props to back up Genge and Cole
2 massive Fijian South Sea second rows
A complete new back row
Pace pace pace throughout the squad
Plus a DOR and some Coaches...
And integrate Holmes Wells Simmonds and maybe a couple of youngsters into the 23 Squad pronto...
Every year we talk about clear outs----------this time it should be from every angle..
everywhere except scrum-half then?
