Transfers & Rumours Non-Tigers 2020-21

[Tiglon]

I’d take Ritchie - he’d be my starting 6 for the lions if they tour

Doubt we’d be able to afford him though

If Taufua goes there will be a marquee spot free.

Hamish Watson has re-signed for Edinburgh. Excellent work from Cockers to get that over the line.

Ritchie and Watson are both excellent players, but if Taufua leaves and that does leave a marquee spot free - would you spend that on a back rower? With Liebenberg, Wiese, Refell and Brink, do we need a superstar there?

[RagingBull]

League is moving to 1 marquee spot anyway and ours will most likely be Ford.

[ABClub]

League is moving to 1 marquee spot anyway and ours will most likely be Ford.

It's still 2 marquees for 2021/22 though, then 1 marquee in 2022/23.

In order to get the temporary reductions agreed to it was decided the senior ceiling would return "to a minimum of £6.4m" in 2024/25 as well. So with the current agreement there will only be the 22/23 and 23/24 seasons with 1 marquee player and the £5m senior ceiling.

Home grown academy players not counting towards the £100k academy ceiling and the max salary for an academy player going up from £30k to £50k will hopefully aid Tigers.

Henderson, Chessum, Dimen and Manz would be the current dev squad players falling under that £100k ceiling. If under 24 players can keep performing like Henderson we will be getting great value from that academy ceiling for non 'home grown' players.

Saimone Tobeyaweni and Pheonix Laulu-Togagae joining in their final academy year could well be earmarked for similar places in the development squad as well.

[ABClub]

I’d take Ritchie - he’d be my starting 6 for the lions if they tour

Doubt we’d be able to afford him though

If Taufua goes there will be a marquee spot free.

Hamish Watson has re-signed for Edinburgh. Excellent work from Cockers to get that over the line.

Ritchie and Watson are both excellent players, but if Taufua leaves and that does leave a marquee spot free - would you spend that on a back rower? With Liebenberg, Wiese, Refell and Brink, do we need a superstar there?

The regions will be sniffing around Reffell as well as Taufua having offers in France so tf might not be as simple as that to be fair. Reffell is a brilliant young player so hopefully he stays.

If a top class lock such as Ruan Botha is available then I'd be very happy to see a starting XV lock join ahead of a back row. International quality locks who are available all seasons are big earners and in short supply though.

Manuel Leindekar was brilliant for Uruguay in the 2019 RWC and is an excellent lineout lock who could be a shrewd signing for a Premiership club.

[kk20gb30]

Kyle Moyle's move to Gloucester becomes permanent :

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/55564079

[kk20gb30]

Dai Young to return to Cardiff ?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/55564079

[sam16111986]

Dai Young to return to Cardiff ?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/55564079

Dai as DOR and then Peel to join from Ulster as head coach in the summer. Should work for them. Some rumours they are trying to bring Priestland in at flyhalf.

[Cagey Tiger]

Dai Young to return to Cardiff ?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/55564079

Dai as DOR and then Peel to join from Ulster as head coach in the summer. Should work for them. Some rumours they are trying to bring Priestland in at flyhalf.

As I said to my Llanelli born-and-bred brother-in-law, Blues must be desperate. Dai has a proven track record of producing serially under-achieving teams. The turnround at Wasps after he left being the latest glaring example. Nothing against him as a person and he did a lot for Wasps as a club around when they moved to Coventry, but affairs on the pitch are not his forte.

[Tiglon]

Dai Young to return to Cardiff ?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/55564079

Dai as DOR and then Peel to join from Ulster as head coach in the summer. Should work for them. Some rumours they are trying to bring Priestland in at flyhalf.

As I said to my Llanelli born-and-bred brother-in-law, Blues must be desperate. Dai has a proven track record of producing serially under-achieving teams. The turnround at Wasps after he left being the latest glaring example. Nothing against him as a person and he did a lot for Wasps as a club around when they moved to Coventry, but affairs on the pitch are not his forte.

Quite harsh on him.

Wasps finished 9th the season before he arrived. In 2016,17,18 they finished 3rd, 1st and 3rd (plus one semi and 2 quarters in the Champions Cup). Given the move to Coventry, the financial issues and the constant rotation of star names, I'd say he did a good job. Ok, the last 18 months were poor, but that doesn't take away from his earlier achievements.

He also guided Cardiff Blues to consecutive 2nd place finishes in the Celtic League, which is significantly better than they have ever achieved before or since. As with Wasps, he also took them to 2 quarters and a semi in the Champions Cup, as well as winning the Challenge Cup. Since he left they have reached one quarter, but most seasons haven't even qualified for the Champions Cup at all.

[Cagey Tiger]

Dai as DOR and then Peel to join from Ulster as head coach in the summer. Should work for them. Some rumours they are trying to bring Priestland in at flyhalf.

As I said to my Llanelli born-and-bred brother-in-law, Blues must be desperate. Dai has a proven track record of producing serially under-achieving teams. The turnround at Wasps after he left being the latest glaring example. Nothing against him as a person and he did a lot for Wasps as a club around when they moved to Coventry, but affairs on the pitch are not his forte.

Quite harsh on him.

Wasps finished 9th the season before he arrived. In 2016,17,18 they finished 3rd, 1st and 3rd (plus one semi and 2 quarters in the Champions Cup). Given the move to Coventry, the financial issues and the constant rotation of star names, I'd say he did a good job. Ok, the last 18 months were poor, but that doesn't take away from his earlier achievements.

He also guided Cardiff Blues to consecutive 2nd place finishes in the Celtic League, which is significantly better than they have ever achieved before or since. As with Wasps, he also took them to 2 quarters and a semi in the Champions Cup, as well as winning the Challenge Cup. Since he left they have reached one quarter, but most seasons haven't even qualified for the Champions Cup at all.

Personally, I felt that I was being quite lenient. In his Cardiff and Blues days, he had lots of big name players and squads to achieve far more than they did. I used to work with a Cardiff chap and he speculated that Dai had some "hold" over the Cardiff management. It was the only thing that he felt could explain why Dai hadn't been sacked in numerous seasons. I have no argument with what his teams achieved but (washes mouth with soap and water) Wasps in particular should have achieved more. As for the Blues since he left, their financial situation, like all the Welsh regions, is much worse.

[Tiglon]

As I said to my Llanelli born-and-bred brother-in-law, Blues must be desperate. Dai has a proven track record of producing serially under-achieving teams. The turnround at Wasps after he left being the latest glaring example. Nothing against him as a person and he did a lot for Wasps as a club around when they moved to Coventry, but affairs on the pitch are not his forte.

Quite harsh on him.

Wasps finished 9th the season before he arrived. In 2016,17,18 they finished 3rd, 1st and 3rd (plus one semi and 2 quarters in the Champions Cup). Given the move to Coventry, the financial issues and the constant rotation of star names, I'd say he did a good job. Ok, the last 18 months were poor, but that doesn't take away from his earlier achievements.

He also guided Cardiff Blues to consecutive 2nd place finishes in the Celtic League, which is significantly better than they have ever achieved before or since. As with Wasps, he also took them to 2 quarters and a semi in the Champions Cup, as well as winning the Challenge Cup. Since he left they have reached one quarter, but most seasons haven't even qualified for the Champions Cup at all.

Personally, I felt that I was being quite lenient. In his Cardiff and Blues days, he had lots of big name players and squads to achieve far more than they did. I used to work with a Cardiff chap and he speculated that Dai had some "hold" over the Cardiff management. It was the only thing that he felt could explain why Dai hadn't been sacked in numerous seasons. I have no argument with what his teams achieved but (washes mouth with soap and water) Wasps in particular should have achieved more. As for the Blues since he left, their financial situation, like all the Welsh regions, is much worse.

He reached the semi finals of the Champions Cup with Nicky Robinson at fly half. What more did you expect?!

[RagingBull]

I think people underestimate just how little the WRU and players care about club rugby.
Being a head coach for a welsh region side is mainly people trying to use it as a stepping stone to elsewhere.

I 100% believe that no coach in the world can really turn around a welsh region outside of 1 or 2 good seasons due to the players getting picked for wales more and starting to lose focus at the club.
Look at Scarlets 2 finals then 4th of conference B so what 8th in the league.

[JP14]

Georgian international lock-forward Lasha Jaiani has joined Wasps with immediate effect. He was educated at Whitgift School in London, where Elliot Daly and Danny Cipriani went.

[Cagey Tiger]

Quite harsh on him.

Wasps finished 9th the season before he arrived. In 2016,17,18 they finished 3rd, 1st and 3rd (plus one semi and 2 quarters in the Champions Cup). Given the move to Coventry, the financial issues and the constant rotation of star names, I'd say he did a good job. Ok, the last 18 months were poor, but that doesn't take away from his earlier achievements.

He also guided Cardiff Blues to consecutive 2nd place finishes in the Celtic League, which is significantly better than they have ever achieved before or since. As with Wasps, he also took them to 2 quarters and a semi in the Champions Cup, as well as winning the Challenge Cup. Since he left they have reached one quarter, but most seasons haven't even qualified for the Champions Cup at all.

Personally, I felt that I was being quite lenient. In his Cardiff and Blues days, he had lots of big name players and squads to achieve far more than they did. I used to work with a Cardiff chap and he speculated that Dai had some "hold" over the Cardiff management. It was the only thing that he felt could explain why Dai hadn't been sacked in numerous seasons. I have no argument with what his teams achieved but (washes mouth with soap and water) Wasps in particular should have achieved more. As for the Blues since he left, their financial situation, like all the Welsh regions, is much worse.

He reached the semi finals of the Champions Cup with Nicky Robinson at fly half. What more did you expect?!

I see that you have a similar view of Mr Robinson to me

But if you look at the players in that semi https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiff ... neken_Cup), many of whom were there before and after, you would expect more than the 5th/6th places in the league that they generally got around then. And their European performances weren't what a Cardiff supporter would hope for.

[Tiglon]

Personally, I felt that I was being quite lenient. In his Cardiff and Blues days, he had lots of big name players and squads to achieve far more than they did. I used to work with a Cardiff chap and he speculated that Dai had some "hold" over the Cardiff management. It was the only thing that he felt could explain why Dai hadn't been sacked in numerous seasons. I have no argument with what his teams achieved but (washes mouth with soap and water) Wasps in particular should have achieved more. As for the Blues since he left, their financial situation, like all the Welsh regions, is much worse.

He reached the semi finals of the Champions Cup with Nicky Robinson at fly half. What more did you expect?!

I see that you have a similar view of Mr Robinson to me

But if you look at the players in that semi https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiff ... neken_Cup), many of whom were there before and after, you would expect more than the 5th/6th places in the league that they generally got around then. And their European performances weren't what a Cardiff supporter would hope for.

Do you think their squad was better than Leinster, Munster, Leicester, Wasps and Toulouse at that time? Because to do better in Europe, those are the teams they would have had to beat.

They did do better than 5th/6th in their league, they finished 2nd twice in a row!

Cardiff fans might have hoped for more, just like I hope to win the lottery. Neither were ever likely to happen, and neither are Dai Young's fault....