Genge leaving

[Dr H Flashman MBE]

I guess all clubs are going to have to take a bite out of the salary cap reduction pie. No club will be immune from it and will just go to show how important the academy is now. Rob Baxter mentioned it, and as Cockers said when players get selected to play for their country “they don’t bang your door down asking for a pay reduction”!! Replacing Ford was vital and that has been nicely squared away. I have no doubt that Borthwick knew this was coming and has got things in hand. I fear not.
Good luck to Genge if he goes back to Bristol or wherever he lands.

[GB72]

I get the feeling that some players are seeing an inevitable reduction in salaries over the next few years and so if there is somewhere you want to play, you head there now whilst the salaries are still good. There will be a day when funds are tight and squads are smaller where England internationals are less sought after due to their absence rather than coveted for their ability.

Part of me also thinks that how we are funded may be a factor. What we can afford is based very much on what we earn and so a club with a rich backer may be more attractive now as they can continue to offer the big wages where better run clubs like ours may not be in a position to. The covid situation here must have been scary as well. We were close to the edge in a way that a club with a big backer behind them would not have been.

These are strange times and so decisions made for later in a playing career may have had to have been brought forward.

[MCC1964]

Who says he is moving for money? I would doubt he would put out the statement he put out in the club release if this was all about money. He’s a straight talking guy and that’s not his style. I really can’t see past this being anything but being closer to family with his own family situation and also his best mate Sinclair is there.

[Cardiff Tig]

TBH I'm not really surprised by this. He was always going to go home, I just thought/hoped it would be because he wanted to have the last couple of years playing for his home town club. Doing it now just says money to me.
Which is fine, I've moved jobs for more money. Does just seem abit wierd to be losing players to 'lesser' clubs when we are on the verge of winning things though, or at the very least challenging for trophies. Especially as these player seem to bang on about how good the management/coaches are now.

Oh well....

Bristol have been challenging for silverware until this season though. Whether this season is just a blip or is a sign of bigger issues though who knows. Plus, in a salary-capped league, a couple of decent signings for any team means they can challenge for top 4 positions and then potentially be champions.

[ay2oh]

When has any sportsman come out and said “I am moving for the money”. Although Genge is a straight talking guy he would come across as a mercenary if he said this. In an interview a while ago he said that he wanted to finish his career with the Tigers and this was after the 25% reduction debacle.

[loretta]

I guess at Bristol, Genge will be rested more. All that time faking injury on the bench…

[thunderbirds]

With the sad news of Ford and Genge going it got me thinking about who we were most upset about leaving- not necessarily technically but for their personality (Castro, Logo, Manu etc) . I was really upset when Lewis left for Bath and Telusa recently. Any thoughts?

[ay2oh]

No contest Castro

[sapajo]

Lennie Newman stirring the pot on twitter today:-

Not everyone is convinced about
@LeicesterTigers
bright future then? That’s now the 2nd international player quoting the “homesick” line. SBs first challenge maybe, retention rather than recruitment? Thoughts
@EgertonSport
?

[ay2oh]

Only the players know if there is any basis for these statements but from the camaraderie on the pitch I would be very surprised if it were true.

[Big Dai]

No contest Castro

In recent times Pat Howard. As a player and a coach.

[GB72]

On a tagent to the players that people have been saddest to see leave, which players (first team rather than academy or development) have actually gone on to play better or be more successful since leaving Tigers. I cannot think of too many who found the grass massively greener elsewhere.

I also find if somewhat heartening to see that we are being painted as the villains on social media again. Almost feels like normal service resuming having been doormats for a number of years.

[MCC1964]

Compare the club’s response to these two players leaving compared to Tom Hardwick. That says it all in my book. And neither of our two departures had to give the glowing endorsement of the club that they have given. But I guess the haters and hacks love a story. If it were toxic here, why would Pollard turn down big money to come? Our Saffa contingent would have put him off if that were the case.

[Tigerbeat]

Just announced on Bristol Bears Rugby facebook page......video with Genge signing contract and with Pat Lam

https://www.bristolbearsrugby.com/news/ ... -to-bears/

Quote: “The fact that Ellis has taken a significant pay cut to come back home emphasises his commitment to his family and wanting to inspire our Bristol Community, which is central to our Bears vision.”

[anz3001]

“I cannot express how grateful I am to all my teammates, coaches and fans at Welford Road.”

And to show just how grateful, I’m going to do a promo vid of the signing and shaking hands with Lam, mid season, a few days before I’m due to lead them out in Europe.

Vids can wait until the end of the seasons, surely. Classless imo.