Taylor would be a great signing and would go straight into the starting XV. Feel with the rumour of Leatigaga coming in, we’re all right on the prop front with the likes of Genge, Bateman, Fe’ao, Cole, Leatigaga and Heyes. No need for Boyce I feel unless Bateman is going.
Wells, Williams and Spencer have all shown they can be quality players in the premiership. Some monster hits from Williams yesterday. For me I’d sadly let Kitchener and Fitzgerald move on and look to bring in a marquee second rower such as Stephen Du Toit or Etzebeth. In a dream world I guess we would look to bring both in but I doubt that would happen.
Add in a quality backrower to compliment who we already have for the likes of Mapapalangi and suddenly we have a great looking pack.
Tommy Taylor only makes sense if TPN is off. He's been decent but not stellar. Taylor being available more often and knowing the lead (as well as a lot younger) would be beneficial.
Boyce is a young player with potential. If Boris doesn't think Hill or Grahamslaw are likely to step up then a player who was hotly tipped before he moved to Quins and his career stalled might be worth a punt.
Etzebeth and Steph du Toit will be too expensive. We will need to look a little less established. I still think Snyman would be a more ideal option. I'd also keep Kitch for at least one more season.
How many times are we going to look at the less established option and then wonder why we’re not challenging for top spot!
If we want to compete with the best then we need to bring in top rated forwards. Not just hope someone we get on the cheap is going to turn good.
Big names will play a lot of internationals and demand a lot of money. Spencer isn't a top level player and he's made a positive impact already. Add my example of Snyman and you get a young man who is aobile monster and who is just breaking into international rugby. There's a few more established players ahead of him so he might not be away quite as much and there won't be the same big price tag. He was a menace against England in the summer and could well be a big name player in five years time.
Incidentally Exeter have recruited nobodies from the Championship an awful lot and done very well from it.
It's all very well saying go out and sign the best but the reality today is for players there are more attractive options. The best players, if looking at this country, will look at chances of winning silverware, a big pay packet or preferably both. Currently we cannot offer either in comparison to others in the Premiership. Signing for the history of the club is also diminishing each year.
Wayne Richardson Fan Club wrote: ↑Sun Oct 14, 2018 5:50 pm
Sam Whitelock would be a better bet as player & captain.
Has a contract in NZ until 2020.
RagingBull wrote: ↑Sun Oct 14, 2018 4:09 pm
Exeter have struggle in Europe though or at least not been able to bring their prem form to it.
Most likely due to lacking that star power others have.
Very true. I think that they lack control at halfback. Steenson is a steady prem flyhalf and their 9s wouldn't make the bench for Sarries, us, Wasps let alone start. Star quality in either 9 or 10 would push them on. Stu Townsend cost them the game yesterday with two errors you wouldn't see from an experienced international 9.
Based on the current squad being at/or very near the salary cap, any further additions would have to be at the expense of someone already within the squad.
Leatigaga is going to have to replace one of our current prop contingent, assuming we’d want to keep Genge and Cole, probably Bateman too, plus Heyes. That leaves Gigena, Cortes and Feao, so who goes. Likewise to bring in Taylor, we’d have to lose either one of the main two in TY and TPN, because would the combined salary of fringe hookers Stevens and McMillan be enough to cover Taylor?
At lock, a higher calibre player would be great, but at what expense, losing either Kitchener or Fitzgerald’s salary doesn’t even begin to cover Etzebeth level of salary.
It’s a big old balancing act.
FrontRowUnionMember wrote: ↑Sun Oct 14, 2018 9:06 pm
Based on the current squad being at/or very near the salary cap, any further additions would have to be at the expense of someone already within the squad.
Leatigaga is going to have to replace one of our current prop contingent, assuming we’d want to keep Genge and Cole, probably Bateman too, plus Heyes. That leaves Gigena, Cortes and Feao, so who goes. Likewise to bring in Taylor, we’d have to lose either one of the main two in TY and TPN, because would the combined salary of fringe hookers Stevens and McMillan be enough to cover Taylor?
At lock, a higher calibre player would be great, but at what expense, losing either Kitchener or Fitzgerald’s salary doesn’t even begin to cover Etzebeth level of salary.
It’s a big old balancing act.
You have about 200k that is from the Cilliers contract.
Etzebeth would be a marquee player so Kitchener or Fitzgerald salary would be irrelevant.
FrontRowUnionMember wrote: ↑Sun Oct 14, 2018 9:06 pm
Based on the current squad being at/or very near the salary cap, any further additions would have to be at the expense of someone already within the squad.
Leatigaga is going to have to replace one of our current prop contingent, assuming we’d want to keep Genge and Cole, probably Bateman too, plus Heyes. That leaves Gigena, Cortes and Feao, so who goes. Likewise to bring in Taylor, we’d have to lose either one of the main two in TY and TPN, because would the combined salary of fringe hookers Stevens and McMillan be enough to cover Taylor?
At lock, a higher calibre player would be great, but at what expense, losing either Kitchener or Fitzgerald’s salary doesn’t even begin to cover Etzebeth level of salary.
It’s a big old balancing act.
Agree with the principle but there's money to be found with player wages fluctuating since their last contract signing.
WRT using a marquee spot on a lock - Toomua going and Eastmond already being signed (who is a more than adequate starting 12) we may not need to replace like-for-like with Toomua (which would be pretty hard looking globally at play making 12s anyway) - allow one of the academy players to move up in the pecking order with Eastmond moving in to starting 12 shirt. This gives us some flexibility to sign a marquee player in a weaker area in the squad.
FrontRowUnionMember wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 10:25 am
Whilst yes we may bring in an Etzebeth type player in the marquee spot, we’d still have to find room in the budget to then replace Tuilagi or Toomua.
If Tuilagi goes that frees up a sizeable amount of cap.
FrontRowUnionMember wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 10:25 am
Whilst yes we may bring in an Etzebeth type player in the marquee spot, we’d still have to find room in the budget to then replace Tuilagi or Toomua.
If Tuilagi goes that frees up a sizeable amount of cap.
The whole Tuilagi contract is such a difficult one...he obviously wants another payday as he will be worried about his career getting towards the latter stages with his injury run and for us it does not really make sense to pay for a player that has barely played.
The issue is as a fit firing player there are not many of his attacking capability...in all honesty I am glad I don't have to make a decision on it as I would find that very hard
My head says let him go if he wants top money but my heart would want him a Tiger always
fortysix wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 1:05 pm
There are loads with his attacking capabilities as we presently stand. 18 stone units are pretty commonplace.
I would make him a hooker.....
You want someone with a history of hamstring injuries to scrum in the front row?
Manu scored a solo try none of our other backs would have scored Vs Ulster. Broke both their flyhalfs. Disciplined in defence (finally) unlike most of our forwards. Best performance from him in a while hopefully he'll keep building over the course of this season and we'll be happy to see him sign a new contract.
All of this is based on who we KNOW are our marque players - Some say Manu and Matt whilst other say Dan and Matt - does anyone know which is correct?
For me, if Manu is not a Marque player then I can see no sense in offering him a large increase yet given the amount of game mins we have got out of him in the last 3 years. Let him prove himself first or frame his contract to reflect his game time. We will need a centre to replace both Matt and one or two of our older centres but not necessarily a marque centre. Etzebeth would certainly be my choice as a replacement marque for Matt and let one or two other players go in order to sign decent centres one of who must be able to play F/H - not happy with Joe F as our backup. I am happy with the props and really really rate Heyes and don't see the need to recruit more. Likewise the back row and back 3 - more than happy.
