LEICESTER TIGERS 2020/21 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACT THREAD Part 2

[westwinds31]

…....just add the standard set of injuries to that list and all of a sudden, there's a request to this forum for any forwards with boots to step forward.

[RagingBull]

It seems as though either we are under greater financial pressure or we have managed the negotiations less well than other clubs. I'm sure there are more complexities to it than either of those simple descriptions though.

Sale have announced 25% (?) cuts across the playing staff. I think I read that another club has agreed cuts of 12.5% for all playing staff.

I know a few other clubs have announced a lot of players leaving, but they look very much like the normal yearly churn rather than the kind of turmoil rumoured at Tigers. Gloucester and Wasps were allegedly in a similar situation a month ago, but that seems to have gone quiet.

What a mess, if true.

The temporary cuts for the last 3 months were entirely reasonable, but I wouldn't be signing a reduced permanent contract unless I had no better offers elsewhere - I wouldn't expect players to think any differently, they have worked hard and made sacrifices for their salaries. It's all well and good to say players should be loyal, but that has to work both ways.

I look forward to the Tigers v Falcons relegation battle next season

If Falcons can even survive till next season
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugby ... -game.html

Which is the other side of this coin.
Tigers are struggling to pay its players.
Falcons players are donating money to the club to help pay its staff!!!

[JP14]

My money would be on as potential leavers
Kerr
Cole
Gigena
Lavanini
Liebenberg
Taufua
Brink
Eastmond
Reid
Taute
Tuilagi
Veainu

I doubt Brink considering he has just arrived in the UK, how many UK clubs can afford to give him a better wage than we can right now?

[RagingBull]

My money would be on as potential leavers
Kerr
Cole
Gigena
Lavanini
Liebenberg
Taufua
Brink
Eastmond
Reid
Taute
Tuilagi
Veainu

I doubt Brink considering he has just arrived in the UK, how many UK clubs can afford to give him a better wage than we can right now?

If he’s renting why would it have to be UK?

[JP14]

I'm just thinking why bother come all the way to England, quarantine for two weeks then decide I want a bigger pay check so I'll go somewhere else. Admittedly he may no longer have to quarantine in France anymore but nonetheless I think if he was unhappy with his new contract he would never have come here.

[merryperson]

Just seen an article in the Daily Telegraph see extract from below
Exclusive: Leicester Tigers face losing a third of their first-team squad amid contract stand-off
As many as 12 players could leave the club, including England internationals, if a new deal is not agreed by 5pm on Tuesday

Leicester Tigers face losing close to a third of their first-team squad later this week with as many as 12 players engaged in a stand-off over signing new contracts.

Telegraph Sport understands that a significant number of Tigers, including England internationals, are reluctant to agree amended terms but have been told that they must do so by Tuesday at 5pm.

Failure to sign contracts, presented to them following the reduction of the Premiership salary cap, would see the players’ current deals terminated and leave them free to leave Welford Road and pursue employment elsewhere.

[FrontRowUnionMember]

Just a thought to this, are these long term reductions? The media are pinning this against the salary cap reduction, but I didn’t think that started straight away?
Or are these short term reductions to counter the financial impact of Covid-19?

Equally, how do they all instantly become free agents?
I thought we were just asking them to take reduced terms, as such if they don’t sign they remain on their current deals until a resolution is sought.
If the largest supported club in the country can not afford to pay full salary, how is any other club going to afford it?

[RagingBull]

I'm just thinking why bother come all the way to England, quarantine for two weeks then decide I want a bigger pay check so I'll go somewhere else. Admittedly he may no longer have to quarantine in France anymore but nonetheless I think if he was unhappy with his new contract he would never have come here.

He’s still technically contracted till the negotiations fail isn’t he?

[JP14]

I just think sometimes you have to bite the bullet and get on with it, the players when making their decision by 5pm tomorrow have to realise as to whether they will get a genuinely better option elsewhere. Unless players are in a scenario similar to Scott at Edinburgh I doubt many will be better off.

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

Didn't George Fords relationship break up hence the house sale maybe?

I understand players wanting to maximize their earnings but you could end up in a worse situation, the club could also be clever with this to remove some squad dead wood mid contract.

Note that even in NZ where they are playing they are making cuts.

I think that reality needs to hit in some places that wages are too high, the game doesn't generate the income like wendyball apart from possibly France where the domestic footy isn't as strong.

Also where is the information leaking to the press from?

[PGD]

Moved from another thread:
Brinkmanship. If they call the club's bluff, where will they find employment - with better T&Cs than on offer from Tigers - at this time, when most clubs aren't financially secure? One or two might attract offers (how are the French placed?), but many will be seen as little better than average players from an underachieving club.

However this falls, it doesn't read well for a united team when the Prem restarts. Borthwick is unlikely to have a say in resolving the dispute: the deadline is Tues & he doesn't start till Weds, but he'll have to gel the players into a functioning unit; not easy if 12 of them feel aggrieved by the club management.

I don't think it's fair to blame the board here (I'm often happy to other times): these are strange times & most of us have suffered financially. I don't know the full story, of course, but in the face of it: why can't these 12 do as the others have? We're in a better position than most, but could still go to the wall.

[BengalTiger]

Telegraph reporting that up to 12 senior players are refusing to sign new contracts and face exiting the club is they do not sign by 5 pm today

Another mess at Tigers, symptomatic of the last few years, for me losing the international players is a gain, they bring nothing to the club when they return burned out from England duty, Ben Youngs is a fine player for England but has not put in a performance at Tigers for the past 3 seasons.

Greg Bateman it seems is the shop steward in the squad, sorry but he would not be missed either.

The whole bunch of them are handicapping the team for the next few seasons as Sale etc have got their whole squads signed on new contracts so circumventing the new cap rules, Tigers are still trying to quell rebellion of players who on recent performances are lucky to have a contract at all.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union ... rd-journey

[trendylfj]

Didn't George Fords relationship break up hence the house sale maybe?

I understand players wanting to maximize their earnings but you could end up in a worse situation, the club could also be clever with this to remove some squad dead wood mid contract.

Note that even in NZ where they are playing they are making cuts.

I think that reality needs to hit in some places that wages are too high, the game doesn't generate the income like wendyball apart from possibly France where the domestic footy isn't as strong.

Also where is the information leaking to the press from?

Yes it did some time ago

[JP14]

Interesting that the Daily Mail aren’t exclusively reporting this as far as I’m aware.

[RagingBull]

Even if Ford was leaving Tigers not sure why he would sell his House in the current climate if it was linked to the move.