LEICESTER TIGERS 2020/21 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACT THREAD Part 2

[sam16111986]

I can’t help thinking that all the noise around this in the media is coming from a small number of sources.
Maybe it is Freddie, who as Manu’s agent is trying to get him the best deal. If true, spilling stuff is not in anyone’s interest, club, player or agent.
It’s only my opinion, for one I will no doubt be shot down in flames for, but I feel that we may have seen the best of Manu a number of years ago. When he was starting out and playing alongside Alesana he was a real game changer. The exuberance if youth, his speed and line breaking runs were fantastic to watch. Of late, in between his considerable injury layoffs, other teams appear to have worked him out and he is nowhere near as devastating as he once was. He’s a very expensive asset, given the limited game time due to time away with England and injury and maybe the club’s limited funds could be better spent elsewhere.
Freddie, as his agent, sees a revenue stream for him with limited time in it. The younger Tuilagis don’t seem to have made the impression on the Premiership that Manu did/has. I really hope that any media leaks haven’t come from Mr T.

Certainly agree with your comments about Manu. IMO he is no longer in the 10 best 13s in the world, still a very good player and those who talk about potential Lions tours I think he’ll be lucky to make the plane.

Gatland is head coach he'll be selected even if he's playing in France.

[sapajo]

Manu is an exceptional player but his best days in a Tigers shirt are consigned to history. I wish him and his family well, it seems he has decided its now time for him to move on and so must the club and us now.

[Duncan B]

Certainly agree with your comments about Manu. IMO he is no longer in the 10 best 13s in the world, still a very good player and those who talk about potential Lions tours I think he’ll be lucky to make the plane.

Didn’t fancy watching the six nations or World Cup then?

He’s been in absolutely superb form.

[johnthegriff]

Surely Lions players will not be selected from French Division 2. It would be a big step up in intensity, definitely a route to injury.

[kend]

Whatever squabbles are going on between players and the club were inevitable as I am sure has happened at many other clubs. Whether it has been dealt with poorly by the club (the manner it was communicated) may or may not be the case. The announcement earlier today makes it as clear as it can at this point in time.
If the announcement had been made last week, for example, when the situation was coming to a head, then I think it would have saved a lot of speculation and anxiety - this then is my only criticism of the club at this time based on what I have seen.
30 odd redundancies amongst the staff put into perspective some of the players dissatisfaction, so if Bateman and others wish to be released from their contracts then let them go and let us rebuild.

The statement from the club says exactly what you would expect it to say in these circumstances, carefully worded and saying no more than is wise. Worth bearing in mind you are seeing one side of a negotiating position in that statement.

I'm not sure it's fair to compare the players situation to the redundancies of the backroom staff (as sad and unfortunate as that is). The roles carry very different levels of risk and benefit. The players are on individual fixed term contracts and will, presumably, have had different renegotiation offers. The question is whether the club can really summarily terminate the players contracts without compensation. Given the club will have brought legal expertise to bear on the issue, the players would have been crazy not to get advice. Remains to be seen whether they have grounds.

Whatever you think of the situation, losing those players will be a blow. Any side would miss a Tuilagi, Veainu or Taufua. And Tigers were not playing very well with them, so it's hard to see how losing them will improve it. At least in the short term. I bet Ford's initial reluctance to sign caused a few heightened pulse rates in the BoD.

Who would want to be Borthwick at this point........

[ABClub]

Surely Lions players will not be selected from French Division 2. It would be a big step up in intensity, definitely a route to injury.

Perhaps I'm being a cynical little so and so but the nature of the Lions is that the coach doesn't need to worry about players long term availability. Hence why it's often at odds with the professional game in terms of club and country. A lot of Lions tourists from the last 3 tours comment that training sessions often feel like a test match. The goal is very short term for all involved but especially the coaches.

If Gats picked Manu from D2 or any Sarries guys from the Championship who aren't up to speed and get injured early then he just calls up the next cab of the rank at the end of the day.

[Longshanks]

BBC Sport - Rugby Union webpage (5.49pm):

England centre Manu Tuilagi is one of six players to have been told to look for another club by Leicester Tigers, reports BBC Radio Leicester.

Several players, including 29-year-old British and Irish Lion Tuilagi, have been locked in a contract dispute with the Premiership strugglers.

Players have been offered amended terms as a result of the league's salary cap being reduced from 2021-22.

Greg Bateman, Telusa Veainu and Jordan Taufua are also set to be released.

Full article:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/53256761

[MCC1964]

Ach. This is all very unpleasant, but the vast majority of the squad have accepted the terms they were offered, so it’s not clear as yet what else could be done. Perhaps we will find out from Andrea later.

For me the big miss is Telusa. Although he’s been injured a lot recently a bit like Manu, he was really one of the few X factor players we had along with Johnny May and Manu and in theory available for the whole season. Now, it seems, they will all be gone.

[RagingBull]

I would hope Borthwick is trying to develop a game plan that isn’t reliant on players but a system.

It’s certainly a hindrance but chances are by end of next season 5 of the 6 might have been gone anyway.

[Longshanks]

One of the questions that arises is what does Tigers now do with any salary cap headroom that the club feels it can afford to commit?

Other quality players are clearly in the market and if we can afford to bolster the remaining squad then there are surely deals to be done. Hopefully strategic investment rather than panic buying!

[FrontRowUnionMember]

Well that looks pretty definitive.
We move on without the six players suggested.
Initial suggestions seemed to be that they were still talking, but that seems a little more final.
Coming out of this, we still have an improved coaching setup (huge plus), and assuming three of them would likely have been amongst our top 4-6 earners, plenty of newly found cap space to fill the gaps there and in midfield, even allowing for the the reduction.
I’m certain there will be many players also stood down perhaps on principal both here and abroad, that may now have to accept lesser contracts rather than face being without a club.
It’s just going to be a bit of a merry go round.
I see it as a chance for GM and SB to shuffle the deck as they see fit, and having salary of JT, MT and TV to play with will allow plenty of flex.

I would hope Borthwick is trying to develop a game plan that isn’t reliant on players but a system.

It’s certainly a hindrance but chances are by end of next season 5 of the 6 might have been gone anyway.

On the money. Hopefully we take this opportunity to build a team/gameplan that is interchangeable, and not reliant on specific individual skillets. That’s what Sarries and Exeter do. It’s plug and play team selections.

[strawclearer]

Bondi tweeting that the LTTV interview later will be very "uncomfortable" viewing.

"But that’s where we are, this is an uncomfortable time.

Tough times make tough people."

[rdracup]

So the fat lady has sung then - I must have missed that

[mol2]

Sacking a few of your star players would seem a sure fire way of attracting the sponsors and in the future the corporate clients and season ticket holders.

[ABClub]

One of the questions that arises is what does Tigers now do with any salary cap headroom that the club feels it can afford to commit?

Other quality players are clearly in the market and if we can afford to bolster the remaining squad then there are surely deals to be done. Hopefully strategic investment rather than panic buying!

If Taufua goes then a replacement back row will be job one you'd presume. Though I'd equally take an international lock such as Alemanno.

Taufua is one of the best back rows in the Jeff so he'd be a massive loss. Reffell is an excellent player and Lewis very talented though so I'd actually be pretty happy with a flanker such as Callum Gibbins joining if it allowed a really strong lock signing. Wells can cover 6 to a good standard.

If Bateman is leaving then Logo would fit the squad very well. Covers both sides and is a dynamic carrier.

As for losing 3 centres in Manu, Reid and Eastmond. With Matt Scott joining I'd be really happy seeing how Hardwick and Worth do in the midfield for the rest of the postponed season. Recruitment could then be targeted at the 2021/22 season.