Leicester Tigers 2016/17 Squad/Transfers/Contract thread 3

[strawclearer]

Jack Ram reported as already contracted for next season.

Know nothing about him (except he was once MOTM in a team including Veainu!) but -
a 30 year old flanker? Other than 8, is the back row a priority?

[kpj tiger]

Jack Ram reported as already contracted for next season.

To Doncaster? Surely he must have a clause if a prem club came sniffing

[Downsouth]

Steve Johnson has just mentioned Leigh Halfpenny as a possible signing. I think that could work.

[RagingBull]

Steve Johnson has just mentioned Leigh Halfpenny as a possible signing. I think that could work.

Steve Johnson is having a laugh if he thinks we are after Haflpenny or that he would come.

[kpj tiger]

I noticed in the Facebook live video of the lap at the end of the game there was a tall pacific island looking bloke in a denim jacket, didn't recognize him (the only person It might have been is Mermoz) so if not maybe a MOC purchase?

Edit - Having watched it a second time I think it is actually Mermoz

[sam16111986]

Steve Johnson has just mentioned Leigh Halfpenny as a possible signing. I think that could work.

Steve Johnson is having a laugh if he thinks we are after Haflpenny or that he would come.

He's on silly money in France and there's a dual contract for him in Wales if he wants it. He's got no affiliation to our club or any of our players so he's not going to take a pay cut to join us.

[Qbec]

The No8 for the Navy today vs Army might worth trial Fairbother had preseason at Newcastle & at Saracens. Looks pretty good certainly able to get go forward & good in defence

[jgriffin]

I noticed in the Facebook live video of the lap at the end of the game there was a tall pacific island looking bloke in a denim jacket, didn't recognize him (the only person It might have been is Mermoz) so if not maybe a MOC purchase?

Edit - Having watched it a second time I think it is actually Mermoz

No it wasn't, Mermoz was the smaller bloke in a parka.

[kpj tiger]

I noticed in the Facebook live video of the lap at the end of the game there was a tall pacific island looking bloke in a denim jacket, didn't recognize him (the only person It might have been is Mermoz) so if not maybe a MOC purchase?

Edit - Having watched it a second time I think it is actually Mermoz

No it wasn't, Mermoz was the smaller bloke in a parka.

That makes things more interesting, he was on the pitch walk so he must be a player/staff but I really didn't recognize him at all

[Grimlish]

Mulli was in a Parka. I thought the fella in the Denim jacket looked like he must be TV's brother - they were sitting together in the stand during the match

[wormus]

Jonah Holmes in the Championship team of the season.

Also ex Tigers academy 9 Scott Steele is in.

Joe Ford kicked 4 conversions, 1 penalty & 1 drop goal on Friday.
Furthermore Jonah Holmes had 2 tries too, two great Tiger prospects.
But not a patch on Freddie, Owen & Jack Roberts all scoring & all leaving too
http://www.englandrugby.com/news/featur ... -carnegie/

[kpj tiger]

So according to the Tigers facebook group the guy on the pitch walk in the denim jacket was Tongan international Valentino Mapapalangi (mentioned a few pages back on this thread) who is here on a trial

Highlights video for those who are interested
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxiNStMUSwg

[FrontRowUnionMember]

If it is Mapapalangi, then that's pretty interesting as he's a player I suggested on here that I thought could be worth a look at. Big explosive back row player. Could fit with the story O'Connor was looking at some of the Tongan players he'd worked with. My question would be, how to fit him in the squad, with Williams, Croft, O'Connor, Evans, McCafferey, Hamilton and Kalamafoni already on the books.

[kpj tiger]

If it is Mapapalangi, then that's pretty interesting as he's a player I suggested on here that I thought could be worth a look at. Big explosive back row player. Could fit with the story O'Connor was looking at some of the Tongan players he'd worked with. My question would be, how to fit him in the squad, with Williams, Croft, O'Connor, Evans, McCafferey, Hamilton and Kalamafoni already on the books.

I guess he's being brought in as a project backrow/lock but you have to consider Croft is likely to start taking a back seat now and maybe Tigers have thought that Hamilton might be weighing up a move back to Wales in the next few seasons, Also Evans & Williams have been in or around the England EPS so depth might not be as strong as we think

[FrontRowUnionMember]

Croft's continued absence this year has made me wonder if he may call it a day. If so, Mapapalangi would make sense, straight replacement.
6. Williams, Hamilton
7. O'Connor, Evans
8. Kalamafoni, McCafferey, Mapapalangi
Plenty of flexibility there with most of them comfortable in varying back row slots. Has added firepower though.

Still think we need one prop definitely, if not two. A front line prop to replace Ayerza, plus potentially a project option given Brugnara and Balmain are also off. Maybe a project hooker too, assuming Bateman stays at prop.
1. Genge, Rizzo, Mulipola, (Hills)
2. Youngs, Mcguigan, Thacker
3. Cole, Cilliers, Bateman, (Betts)
Looks a little light doesn't it, when you think Cole is a shoe in for England, Genge is making a terrific case to also be included, plus Rizzo and Mulipola would most likely also be called up for Italy and Samoa respectively, if fit, which leaves us very short on options . Must retain the services of Boris too, to keep/get our pack in the ascendancy at scrum time.

Outside of that, I wouldn't mind seeing another centre added, replacing Roberts (who has really stepped up this year). Assuming we use Toomua as an alternative to the two Ford's, we need another inside centre. We'll lose George Ford most international periods, plus if proven to be fit again, Manu too. So that leaves our one remaining front line centre also covering ten. Can't be in two places at once. Hopefully the club have someone up their sleeves here, either another 10/12 ideally, as Betham and Tait can cover 13, and we have enough back three cover to allow that. I quite like the rumours arrojbd Morris from Quins, looks a real prospect, but not sure another fullback is critical.
10. Ford, Ford, (Hardwick)
11. Pietersen, Brady
12. Toomua, Smith, (Thacker)
13. Tuilagi, Betham
14. Thompstone, Holmes
15. Veianu, Tait, (Worth)

Senior prop
Project prop
Project hooker
Mapapalangi
A 10/12
Based on trend assumption Kalamafoni and Joe Ford are, as suggested, already signed up.

Ayerza salary = new front line prop
Balmain salary = new project prop
Brugnara salary = new project hooker
Croft? salary = Mapapalangi
Fonua salary = Kalamafoni
Williams & Burns salary = Ford brothers
Roberts salary = Holmes
Is there room left in the budget for another 10/12???

That would give us significantly better balance.
Time to get raiding the Greene King Championship for some promising young English prospects, and maybe see what Pacific Islander prospects we can find too.