Billy's off...

[4071]

This time last year, 12T was paying the price for missing a couple of kicks as a late stand-in FH in a game in which he played well otherwise.

In the first three and a half months of 2011, 12T played just ONE MINUTE of rugby for Tigers. In THREE AND A HALF MONTHS.

Week after week, despite being a proven performer at both centre positions and at fly-half, he was left out of the match-day squad. Except during the 6N, when he was allowed to sit on the bench for 80 minutes.

Eventually he started a game as the squad was rotated and played superbly. His reward was to find himself dropped again the next week.


It's all very well saying that he should fight for his place, but selection policy in the past has been based entirely on experience rather than form, ability or potential.

No doubt if he thought there was ANY chance of form or performances being rewarded, then he'd fight for his place. But it's a two way street - you can't treat a player like **** and then expect them to stay.

[Jay C]

Side note, Twelvetrees sounds like he had a rather indifferent game today.

No one in the backline covered themselves in glory today.

Youngs was very rusty & gave away several penalties at the scrum. AA is clearly not yet match fit (at least that's the excuse I'm giving him), Smurph let out a couple of bad passes, Agulla & Alex didn't really see the ball or make things happen when they did......& lets just say we won't miss Staunts next season.

Billy worked harder than any of them and also made his share of errors - usually through being overly positive with offloads/passes - unlike AA who just ran & took the hit every time......

Ford and Harrison were our best backs today, with Smurph just behind....

.... so lets see if Cockers sticks true to his "pick on form/earn the shirt" philosophy next week ......

I guess the jury is still out on Billy after his time here - as someone else says : Glaws will either make or break him - I expect the former, but time will tell.....

[Pete]

The only mitigating factor is that now the Board will have to remove the two main coaches. Otherwise there will be an increasing lack of spectators from next year. Drab and boring describes the shop, and drab and boring is increasingly the way of Tigers.

[SpanishTiger]

Just a thought: close your eyes, fast forward 4 years and our backline, and England's, could have been: Youngs-Ford-Billy-Many

[kend]

I'm not so sure this is a bad thing for either party. The club only needs so many inside centres and 12T isn't the first choice. We also have Forsyth as the up and coming player. If he wants a starting slot then the right thing to do is to move. The Guardian suggests he's also got a substantial pay rise from Gloucester, only so much the salary cap can contain. It's the paradox of development; a clubmight well develop a talented player, but not necessarily have the space to include them in the squad, you need luck with the opportunities as well. Tigers face the same potential issue with Ford and Flood (IMHO)

[RWA]

So Billy is now thrust into the exciting line-up that is Gloucester Rugby !! Potential, potential, potential....but still raw. Burns at 10 is solid and really a 15....he may have to play a lot more at 15 as Mr Morgan is pretty much injured for 70% of most seasons. Which leaves a gap at 10, Taylor can step in but surely Twelvetrees is a better option at 10 ? Maybe Billy wants to play 10 ? Look outside and sure, May and Sharples have pace, but Sharples has been very much off the pace this season and Trinder has a lot to learn. Oh another thing...Gloucester need to get ball and 36 will find that the forwards are not as dominant as Tigers...so you're on the back foot more.

Good luck Billy !

[MurphysLaw]

[quote="PM76"]I just found this quote from Cockers in the telegraph regarding Billy:

“On Monday I had a long discussion with Billy and he told me he wanted to stay, on Wednesday his agent told me has signing for Gloucester,” said Cockerill.

“We would have loved to have kept him. I made assurances about the amount of playing time but he feels he wants to be first choice centre at 12, Gloucester have assured him he will be their first choice. We offered him good money but they offered him more. We offered a six figure salary but they upped it by 50 per cent.”[/quote]

Nice money then, and an apparent first choice spot at 12. Good luck to him. He has much to live up to. The current incumbent at Gloucs is Fuimolo-Sapola (sp?) who is a cracking player imo. Big shoes to fill Billy!
As an aside, anyone know where F-S is going?

[AidanMcDowell]

Thank you 4071 - beautifully put.

[grobyman]

Yes he has talent, but at any cost, I don't think so. Ospreys was good, but not seen anything approaching that since. He has had a good run so far this season due to injuries and WC, occaisional sparks but not consistent. However, to be fair, he is not the only one not to put his hand up.

Ps where is Niall Morris, he was one who did make a good case for a starting place in the squad early in the season, injured? Not seen hide nor hair.....

[WellingtonTiger]

To be honest this news has made me rather angry.
I think 12Trees has a lot of potential but if having been offered a decent contract (6 figure salerys are not to be sniffed at) by the club that bought him on isnt enough to show some loyalty then go.

If he doesnt back himself to go up against A.Allen and fight for a spot and win the shirt then may be we dont want him. The reason we have been so successful over the years is players have been prepared to come here and fight for a shirt. They knew when they sign up it will be tough but if they can get into the side they will deserve it. No team can guarentee a place, no matter what they say. If he doesnt want to play for Tigers they go.

[sapajo]

Ps where is Niall Morris, he was one who did make a good case for a starting place in the squad early in the season, injured? Not seen hide nor hair.....

Good question, but probably no doubt, fallen out of favour

[hooking_king]

I don't normally respond to posts like this because they are a waste of time, but I'll make an exception on this occasion. Those who have said this is a bad decision by Cockers are out of their mind. As Cockers has quite rightly said, Leicester is a club that you stay and fight for your place. You do not hold the club to ransom for a higher salary. For all those who say "we don't know what salary has been discussed" you can rest assured it's a fair one.

There is a new breed of rugby player coming through that is focused more on money and how much they can make. Fair enough, it's a short career. However, when the club is so heavily restricted by a salary cap you cannot demand over the top wages. 12Trees has let the club down. A club that has supported his development. He should be willing to pay back the club by proving he is worth a big money contract in 3 or 4 years, not demanding one now.

It's a shame he's a talent, there is no doubting that (those of you have said otherwise are being daft, he is a skilful player) but he clearly lacks a loyalty to Leicester that has made this club a success. Good riddance. Let's bring through some more academy players who want to play for Leicester not for the ££££.

[jonlin]

Great post Hooking-king, could not agree more.Set next to Howard,Gibson and Mauger the boy is know where near. If he has gone for more game time and exposer at Glaws, he will certainly be exposed playing at twelve for them.

[Longshanks]

hooking_king makes some good points well but, remember, the situation with Billy is not an isolated case. The list of recent and imminent departures includes those whose loyalty to the club had been unquestionable. I am sure it is not just the money (although a 50% differential suggests a view of Billy's potential greatly at odds to Cockerill's) - these players will have weighed up a host of other factors as well. We should be concerned on all fronts but particularly if the head coach does not understand his key players well enough to know their motivations.

[tigercaspian]

Let me think now....where did Anthony Allen come from and why did he join us ?? Er, was it Gloucester , and was it to develop his career ? Sounds familiar doesn't it ??!! And such a long time ago in 2009, no wonder you've all forgotten !!
Good luck, Billy boy, we 've enjoyed having you here but if more money and more game time (in business this is called a promotion I think!) is what you think you need, then you have made the right decision.
I for one wouldn't complain if we had Gopperth here....none of our kickers is currently up to the standard we need to stay at the top of the tree. Any one else think that Billy's miss just after halftime against the Ulstermen was when the wheels fell off in that game ??