George Fords Departure - Why ?

[Scott1]

And was it really Ford who kept us up or was it Guy Thompson?

[TigerCam]

And was it really Ford who kept us up or was it Guy Thompson?

IMO George. His game management last season was exceptional

[Scott1]

And was it really Ford who kept us up or was it Guy Thompson?

IMO George. His game management last season was exceptional

As a whole perhaps your right but for single moments Guy for me. I remember trys,last ditch tackles,turnovers etc

[TigerCam]

Disagree on that.
Packs win matches.
We had George Ford behind a awful pack and we finished 11th.

1. Genge, 2. Montoya, 3. Cole
4. Wells, 5. Green
6. Liebenberg, 7. MVS, 8. Wiese
9. Youngs, 10. Burns
12. Scott, 13. Moroni
11. Nadolo, 14. Potter, 15. Steward

Honestly that is a team I would still back to beat any team in the league currently.
In fact lock potentially looks weaker.

I think the thing Ford gives is the potential to have a weaker squad and he can carry it to some way.

Like Saints he helped us massively when we went down to 13 men BUT we shouldn't have gone down to 13 men in the first place and it's something we need to work on more.

+1 .

[TigerXV]

And was it really Ford who kept us up or was it Guy Thompson?

IMO George. His game management last season was exceptional

As a whole perhaps your right but for single moments Guy for me. I remember trys,last ditch tackles,turnovers etc

Pedant alert: season before last - we came 6th last season

[TigerFeetSteve]

IMO George. His game management last season was exceptional

As a whole perhaps your right but for single moments Guy for me. I remember trys,last ditch tackles,turnovers etc

Pedant alert: season before last - we came 6th last season

Technically the season before that was the one we stayed up with as Sarries were relegated that season on salary cap breaches

[LE18]

Always liked the way George played the game going right back to his days in the team as a youngster. I did think at a couple of games this season, particularly Saints away that he seemed detached from us fans calling our thanks to him and the squad doing their lap of honour.
He will want his place back in the England team so will, I’m sure, give of his best.
According to most reports Tigers offered a better financial package than Sale so George will want his England place back.
Will it be Genge to Bristol next? What will be will be but as long as we keep a Steve Borthwick, Aled Walters and Sinfield we will be just fine.
Thanks George. Good luck but not v Tigers.

Agreed Ian, something gave me that impression at Saints and he paid lip service to the club during his interview, I said that to my friends that on the last 2 interviews something was amiss.

[RagingBull]

I think Genge to Bristol is very different to Ford and Manchester
Both clearly have big home roots, but Lam isn't embracing the "Bristolian way" unlike Sanderson with Sale
3 of the 4 Sanderson signings have been
Taylor (Sale Academy from Macclesfield)
McIntyre (Sale academy from Manchester)
Ford (Wigan academy from Manchester)
He's clearly pushing for the home fans

Meanwhile Lam doesn't seem to have real interest in bring back Bristol lads unless it's on the cheap.

If Lam really wanted Genge he prob would've signed him 2 seasons ago.

[Goodevibrations]

I find it remarkable that there are people on here seriously suggesting that we wouldn't need to see sign a quality fly-half now that we are losing a genuinely world class number ten. I along with probably most people that follow rugby would consider fly-half to be on of the three most important positions on the pitch. Last season we showed that physically we can match any team in this league but we were lacking creativity and invention, in no small part because Ford played so few games for us. This season we've managed to develop that part of our game and we are flying as a result.

This isn't to discredit any of our other players that can play fly-half because they are all either valuable squad players or have enormous potential. However, none of them are anywhere near Ford's level for me.

[Ian Cant]

I think the point some of the fans who are forwards are making is that if the pack is one of the best then a good to very good fly half can prosper.
I was a back and agree Fly Half is very important but we won a lot of games last season against good teams without George!
He’s going: I will cheer on on to the end of the season and then hope he’s back in the England squad: Sale haven’t done so well this season yet; wonder why!

[Ian Cant]

I think the point some of the fans who are forwards are making is that if the pack is one of the best then a good to very good fly half can prosper.
I was a back and agree Fly Half is very important but we won a lot of games last season against good teams without George!
He’s going: I will cheer on on to the end of the season and then hope he’s back in the England squad: Sale haven’t done so well this season yet; wonder why!

[sapajo]

I find it remarkable that there are people on here seriously suggesting that we wouldn't need to see sign a quality fly-half now that we are losing a genuinely world class number ten. I along with probably most people that follow rugby would consider fly-half to be on of the three most important positions on the pitch. Last season we showed that physically we can match any team in this league but we were lacking creativity and invention, in no small part because Ford played so few games for us. This season we've managed to develop that part of our game and we are flying as a result.

This isn't to discredit any of our other players that can play fly-half because they are all either valuable squad players or have enormous potential. However, none of them are anywhere near Ford's level for me.

Agreed spot on! My fear is that Tigers will now sit on their cheque book and will make do with our current players in that position. If Tigers are serious about climbing back to the top of English Rugby then spoiling the ship for an apath of tar will not suffice.

[CrumblingTerrace]

The fan base is split!

Some think a combination of Burns and Hegarty can replace Ford.

Some think an equal of Ford is required.

[RagingBull]

Tigers won't sit on anything now I feel back when it was the rugby committee maybe.
It's Borthwick's ship nothing so far has suggested he wants nothing but the best and sometimes what's best for the team might not be the best player.

Look at some of the 10's that have played in the champions cup final the past 5/6 years
Ihaia West
Ntamack (came from the academy)
Joe Simmonds (Academy)
Russell
Farrell (Academy)
Sexton (Academy)
Lambie
Lopez
Carter

Only really Russell and Carter would be classed as world class 10 signings.
Lambie wasn't even an out and out 10
West wasn't even starting in super rugby before he signed for La Rochelle
Sexton, Farrell, Simmonds and Ntamack all from the academies who have been brought up to play a certain way to suit their team.

[sapajo]

The fan base is split!

Some think a combination of Burns and Hegarty can replace Ford.

Some think an equal of Ford is required.

Agrred a combination of Burns and Hegarty on the pitch at the same time can replace Ford