We need to invest more money in the team! - None available

[kornboy130]

So the ground development has not affected the amount of money we have been able to spend on the squad. Even if we had a multi-millionaire throwing their money around, we can still not spend any more money on the squad. Does everyone understand that?! Now can you stop moaning about how the board are spending too much money on ground development etc and not on players?!

I doubt it will make a difference for many of you!

"the playing side" is not just players though is it? coaches, S and C staff, facilities etc.

A good friend of mine has seen the inner workings of a few premiserhip clubs of which he ranks the professionalism and general day to day operations of Tigers as the best he has seen - that being said we are increasingly not the Premiership's "rich club" and whilst that will go a long way, it won't close things out how we want.

[Bunchy]

We spend up to the cap

We have our 2 marquee players

We are about to sign a very expensive injury dispensation player (Mermoz) up the limits allowed

Please can we all realise that we CANNOT invest more - its not allowed....

The other projects are funded differently and whether or not they were done, there is still no more that we can spend -.....

[JackFlashJonny]

Not only the above but where does all this money go...other clubs seem to be getting so much more bang for their buck than us

We must have a lot of average players on big money as you look around and cannot understand where it has all gone...

Other clubs? ALL other clubs? SOME other clubs? Bath didn't, Wasps haven't yet, Chiefs get most bang-for-their-buck, Sarries lots of $$$$$, nearly £700k for the Vunipolas alone. Who are these other clubs? Wuss? Glaws deffo not, Saints?, Sale deffo not. So who are they? Please list.

Using any kind of logic you could see Sarries, Wasps, Exeter and perhaps Bath are getting a lot more for their money than we are...Sarries only have 2 marquee players as do anyone yet they have a lot more talent than we do...

The is the most average squad we have ever had yet it is the most expensive..go figure that one out

[h's dad]

Not only the above but where does all this money go...other clubs seem to be getting so much more bang for their buck than us

We must have a lot of average players on big money as you look around and cannot understand where it has all gone...

Other clubs? ALL other clubs? SOME other clubs? Bath didn't, Wasps haven't yet, Chiefs get most bang-for-their-buck, Sarries lots of $$$$$, nearly £700k for the Vunipolas alone. Who are these other clubs? Wuss? Glaws deffo not, Saints?, Sale deffo not. So who are they? Please list.

Using any kind of logic you could see Sarries, Wasps, Exeter and perhaps Bath are getting a lot more for their money than we are...Sarries only have 2 marquee players as do anyone yet they have a lot more talent than we do...

The is the most average squad we have ever had yet it is the most expensive..go figure that one out

My mistake. There does seem to be somebody who thinks everybody is conforming with the salary cap regulations.

[jgriffin]

Other club supporters seem to think they're not getting value for money, even Bath, and Wasps ain't won anything yet, neither Exe who got to the Euro semis AS DID WE last season.
We are in dire straits but I hate it when we are deemed to be the lowest of the low, when we ain't (yet ).

[Noddy555]

Kornboy don't forget also the massive amount of money we have had to pay out over the last 3 seasons in medical fees and the paying of wages to physiotherapists etc, They dom't come cheap.

[TigerMac3]

First post but feel like this is a good place to start!

Isn't the issue not the lack of cash, but how the cash that was available has been spent? The recruitment strategy the previous 12-18 months has been shocking. The lack of a quality no.8 is criminal, don't forget that we released 3 ball carrying 8's and recruited an Argentinian chap I've yet to even see carry the tackle bags. Add the rentention of M Tait when a world class 15 was needed, plus the huge sums quoted for JPP; were we really crying out for a winger, regardless of pedigree. We're yet to see any ROI from Rizzo, Cilliers etc.

If we're spending up to the limit of the cap, then fine, but make sure were spending the cash on the required quality.

[Noddy555]

Yes TigerMac3 I hear what you are saying but I like many other posters on this forum cannot believe that clubs like Sarries and Wasps are sticking to the salary cap. If they are then they must have come up with some way of massaging their figures.

[Doghashadhisday]

Other club supporters seem to think they're not getting value for money, even Bath, and Wasps ain't won anything yet, neither Exe who got to the Euro semis AS DID WE last season.
We are in dire straits but I hate it when we are deemed to be the lowest of the low, when we ain't (yet ).

I am with you on this JG. I dont think we have wasted money but have been rather unlucky. People forget that the Youngs brothers signed new contracts when they were England Internationals. We have Ayerza, Cole and Mulipola who were again Internationals when their contracts were renewed. Burns was also on the England radar at the time of signing. All these would not have come cheap.
People were overjoyed with magic Monday but again these players would have had an uplift in their salaries to keep them. Then we have our 2 marquee signings probably close on a £1m salary cap out injured for the season and then a SA international JPP. Add in Betham and Veinau that people were drooling over and I can see us spending up to the cap without much left. O'Connor, Williams and Fitz and Lacy are quality signings as well. Then we have to keep youngsters like Thacker and Evans.

On paper that is a quality squad which in the current climate would take a lot of money to put together. People are just looking at the results and moaning. We have a top squad but clearly there is something wrong behind the scenes, add to that that our best players both in the backs and forwards have been out injured and our fly-halves taken turns to damage jaws etc and we have no consistency.
Someone will come in, our star players will be available and all will be red, white and green

[Loob19]

I think the game in this country needs to turn away from the football model of big clubs being expected to make big name signings and look to develop the academies. I feel that we've developed some wonderful players that have gone on to represent the Tigers but I do feel this is an area we could improve. Worcester and Newcastle are in a position where they need to produce their own players as they're not in a position to attract high profile players, although Newcastle's signing of Mermoz is a show of intent.

Saracens seem to continually produce/develop young talent and embed it into there 1st 15. Whilst I think the Tigers have done a good job of this over the years, I think we are falling behind a little bit and it is definitely an area where we can invest and improve.

[Tom Tom]

IMHO the slide began when Dusty defected to Saints.
Dusty was our scout and found some very talented unknowns some for the playing side but most for the academy. Am I right in saying that the backbone of our team until the last few years came from the academy and they had been brought in already moulded to the Tigers ethos?

[RagingBull]

First post but feel like this is a good place to start!

Isn't the issue not the lack of cash, but how the cash that was available has been spent? The recruitment strategy the previous 12-18 months has been shocking. The lack of a quality no.8 is criminal, don't forget that we released 3 ball carrying 8's and recruited an Argentinian chap I've yet to even see carry the tackle bags. Add the rentention of M Tait when a world class 15 was needed, plus the huge sums quoted for JPP; were we really crying out for a winger, regardless of pedigree. We're yet to see any ROI from Rizzo, Cilliers etc.

If we're spending up to the limit of the cap, then fine, but make sure were spending the cash on the required quality.

Sounded like him and Goneva where on the same wedge.

We needed an experiance first choice winger really esp with Veainu playing at full back.

IMHO the slide began when Dusty defected to Saints.
Dusty was our scout and found some very talented unknowns some for the playing side but most for the academy. Am I right in saying that the backbone of our team until the last few years came from the academy and they had been brought in already moulded to the Tigers ethos?

Hare didn't help himself too much though and Interestingly Saints fans are having the same problem as us despite having share involved.


The academy situation in my eyes should be fairly simple to fix.
1) Stop scouting the private schools as the main source of players. (Nothing wrong with them but they is so much more untapped talent out there)
2) spend more on scouting the clubs around the area, we have a huge catchment but we don't seem to use it.
3) Pay the players, The game is pro now and Youngsters have agents who will get them better deals elsewhere. Umaga would still be with us if Cohen (or someone) had paid him the money he was worth and shown him our direction we want to take with him.
4) try and loan more players to Championship teams in the senior academy leave the junior academy players for the lions and South etc. Maybe see if it is possible to loan them to outside comps like ITM, Aus or Currie cup teams for experiance outside Leicester.
5) Stop using the academy coaching job as jobs for the lads, Some players suit being coaches and it is a good step players like Deacon, Allen and Newby for example but other don't.

This requires money but it shouldn't be hard.

[jgriffin]

Good post RB agree especially casting the net wider, there are kids playing other sports who could quickly make top rugby players too.