Murphy interview in Irish Independent

[DeadlyDunc]

I suspect it has a lot to do with strength in depth. If we’d had veainu, polota nau, Denton, Thompson, Spencer, and Shazam on the bench, it’s a different result. No disrespect to those there, but even Evans is still working his way back to match fitness. For the rest facing a side whose European Cup depends upon the result with almost no European experience between them, was always going to be a big ask.

Look at the experience on Sarries bench on Saturday. Skelton, Barrington, Wigglesworth, Lozowski, Clark, all regular starters. Wigglesworth looks like he’ll be the firs premiership player to qualify for a free bus pass..

Geordan is putting the building blocks in place, I can’t remember a time when the younger players had so much game time. But it takes at least couple of years for those players to gain the match smarts.

Exactly. People on here have been banging on about youngsters not being given chances and how they should be. Murphy is giving youngsters the opportunity but it seems people believe that we should be top of the league at the same time. The fact that we have been giving them a chance and are only 4 points off third, shows that we have something to look forward to in the next few seasons.

Completely agree, we can't keep thinking we can recruit 8-10 experienced players to come off the bench and keep within the salary cap.

The biggest gripe I have with RC and MOC are that they steadfastly refused to give youngsters game time in the big matches and we were always light on homegrown players as a result. That ended with bringing in a revolving door of journeymen from Benetton or 2nd string Premiership teams hoping some would make the miraculous leap to international quality. That happens on occasion with the likes of TV, Parling, Genge etc but shouldn't be the basis of building a squad.

Unfortunately we are still losing some players as a result even though GM is changing that mentality so that young players build their experience and become the core Tigers squad over a longer period like in the "good old days".

The sad fact is that we used to be able to do it within a settled club & a winning team which Exeter, Sarries etc can do now which makes the process easier for the younger players as they break through.

I believe we'll get there if we back GM and this longer term strategy and whilst some of the younger players in and around the team will inevitably get left by the wayside as we get better as a team/squad/club that's got to be the plan rather than bringing in players like Loamanu, Bai, J Ford, Aguero, Fonua, Ghiraldini, De Villiers, Kitto, Brady, Barbieri, Schuster, Owen etc who aren't any better than what we have already and only end up blocking young players game time.

[PGD]

Good to read level headed words from Geordie, largely free from the corporate bull**** we've had so often in the past & brutally honest. It will take a long time to turn Tigers back into a European force & Welford Rd into the fortress it was before, so let's be patient, don't expect instant glory but take satisfaction from incremental improvements.

There's much improvement needed, but who'll deny we're seeing some already? Our defence is better & there's even some sign of the old 'Leicester dog' again.

Balancing youth & experience isn't easy, but if academy players see their colleagues getting regular game time, that has to be a big motivator. Some won't measure up, that's how it goes, but in that body of youth are the stars of tomorrow.

[chewbacca]

The academy has to be our future. Players with Tigers DNA. We may win nothing for a few years but the young players have to believe there is a way for them to progress. We have to play them. We and they need to know if they are good enough and playing is how you improve or find your limit. GM knows this.

[Baz]

Yes, the academy is the future; Olowofela is obviously promising, but he's too easy to knock over at present. The defense has improved markedly. I've lived to see something I never expected to; Dan Cole making tackles! We still convert too few attacks into points; that will be more difficult to change, but things are gradually getting better. Perhaps we can do some good, when the long-term injuries come back next season.

[Cardiff Tig]

The biggest gripe I have with RC and MOC are that they steadfastly refused to give youngsters game time in the big matches and we were always light on homegrown players as a result. That ended with bringing in a revolving door of journeymen from Benetton or 2nd string Premiership teams hoping some would make the miraculous leap to international quality. That happens on occasion with the likes of TV, Parling, Genge etc but shouldn't be the basis of building a squad.

Unfortunately we are still losing some players as a result even though GM is changing that mentality so that young players build their experience and become the core Tigers squad over a longer period like in the "good old days".

The sad fact is that we used to be able to do it within a settled club & a winning team which Exeter, Sarries etc can do now which makes the process easier for the younger players as they break through.

I believe we'll get there if we back GM and this longer term strategy and whilst some of the younger players in and around the team will inevitably get left by the wayside as we get better as a team/squad/club that's got to be the plan rather than bringing in players like Loamanu, Bai, J Ford, Aguero, Fonua, Ghiraldini, De Villiers, Kitto, Brady, Barbieri, Schuster, Owen etc who aren't any better than what we have already and only end up blocking young players game time.

You have to remember that just as RC got the head coach job the club lost Dusty Hare to Saints. That was a big loss in the recruitment and development side that took a couple of years to impact, and since he returned in 2017 its now starting to turn around again.

The more games go by the more I realise how good RC was at holding things together. To be able to turn around a Toulon team full of egos that quickly shows his man management was great. And he's developed the players at Edinburgh just fine. It was those that run Tigers that have screwed it over.

[Crofty]

The biggest gripe I have with RC and MOC are that they steadfastly refused to give youngsters game time in the big matches and we were always light on homegrown players as a result. That ended with bringing in a revolving door of journeymen from Benetton or 2nd string Premiership teams hoping some would make the miraculous leap to international quality. That happens on occasion with the likes of TV, Parling, Genge etc but shouldn't be the basis of building a squad.

Unfortunately we are still losing some players as a result even though GM is changing that mentality so that young players build their experience and become the core Tigers squad over a longer period like in the "good old days".

The sad fact is that we used to be able to do it within a settled club & a winning team which Exeter, Sarries etc can do now which makes the process easier for the younger players as they break through.

I believe we'll get there if we back GM and this longer term strategy and whilst some of the younger players in and around the team will inevitably get left by the wayside as we get better as a team/squad/club that's got to be the plan rather than bringing in players like Loamanu, Bai, J Ford, Aguero, Fonua, Ghiraldini, De Villiers, Kitto, Brady, Barbieri, Schuster, Owen etc who aren't any better than what we have already and only end up blocking young players game time.

You have to remember that just as RC got the head coach job the club lost Dusty Hare to Saints. That was a big loss in the recruitment and development side that took a couple of years to impact, and since he returned in 2017 its now starting to turn around again.

The more games go by the more I realise how good RC was at holding things together. To be able to turn around a Toulon team full of egos that quickly shows his man management was great. And he's developed the players at Edinburgh just fine. It was those that run Tigers that have screwed it over.

Hear :censored: hear! I remember saying at the time he was sacked that I feared he was holding the whole structure together through sheer force of will...