LEICESTER TIGERS 2023/24 - KANGAROO MCKELLER: Do you come from a land down under? (Squad thread pt 2)

[LE18]

Just a thought and I’m not looking for an argument here but has Englands attack moved on maybe because Farrell isn’t there?

Definitely.

[RagingBull]

Just a thought and I’m not looking for an argument here but has Englands attack moved on maybe because Farrell isn’t there?

Maybe but we was just as awful in the first 3 games.
It really felt like the rumours of players and coaches telling him to practice attack moves before the Ireland game are true.

[Scott1]

Just a thought and I’m not looking for an argument here but has Englands attack moved on maybe because Farrell isn’t there?

Maybe but we was just as awful in the first 3 games.
It really felt like the rumours of players and coaches telling him to practice attack moves before the Ireland game are true.

Yes,some kind of switch was definitely flicked. We were night and day in the last 2 games

[sam16111986]

Just a thought and I’m not looking for an argument here but has Englands attack moved on maybe because Farrell isn’t there?

Maybe but we was just as awful in the first 3 games.
It really felt like the rumours of players and coaches telling him to practice attack moves before the Ireland game are true.

Yes,some kind of switch was definitely flicked. We were night and day in the last 2 games

If you start from scratch again you need to pick your priorities. England picked defence and attacking ruck speed early doors, which makes sense as the ruck coach was only available for a short period. The attacking game plan seen in the last two games was present Vs Scotland the difference was execution. Hopefully the more games they play with these new systems the more cohesion we see.

Dan Cole said the attack was refined over the 6N period. Training was roughly 60/40 in favour of defence for the first half and then 60/40 in favour of attack in the second.

[Scott1]

Maybe but we was just as awful in the first 3 games.
It really felt like the rumours of players and coaches telling him to practice attack moves before the Ireland game are true.

Yes,some kind of switch was definitely flicked. We were night and day in the last 2 games

If you start from scratch again you need to pick your priorities. England picked defence and attacking ruck speed early doors, which makes sense as the ruck coach was only available for a short period. The attacking game plan seen in the last two games was present Vs Scotland the difference was execution. Hopefully the more games they play with these new systems the more cohesion we see.

Dan Cole said the attack was refined over the 6N period. Training was roughly 60/40 in favour of defence for the first half and then 60/40 in favour of attack in the second.

Lawrence return to full fitness and form has certainly helped too but BY would definitely disagree with Coles 60/40

[Tigersunited]

I agree we need an attack coach but let us appointment someone that can actually coach an effective attack based upon a CV that attests to this fact. We have appointed to many so called attack coaches in name only in the past and the wheels of our attack fell off years ago not just this season.

I agree. We can’t skimp on it. We are too poor at it not too!

I just hope it’s not an Aussie that was at brumbies - all far too cosy if so….

[Leicestertinytiger]

In terms of signings my personal preference would be 5 more I don't think we will get it though.

Van Wyk, Richardson, Carter, Rogerson, Cracknell, Wiese, Wilkinson, Scott, Porter (I hope not), Watson - Out
Smith, Beets, Perese, TH Lock, Back Rower, Fly Half, Centre, Wing = In (Hear me out but maybe Jesse Kriel wage demands has dropped since he's not played since the final...lol)

Cole, Pollard, Youngs I feel are players we need to look at replacements for either within or from outside. Would like to keep Pollard though.

Think Wilkinson could still perform for us in the squad 10 role.

Hoping for three more signings.

Starting eight - Beets will come good but we could do with a premiership standard player to ease the pressure on him. Would someone like Tuisue want a switch with Mercer at Gloucester. Morgan Morris doesn’t seem to get anywhere near the Welsh squad.

Starting right wing - can’t blame the club for giving Watson another chance because when fit he’s been quality. Unfortunately he’s not played this season and the gamble hasn’t paid off.

Squad centre - Scott brought some much needed experience to the backline. We were linked with Sam Spink a while back and could do with some midfield reinforcements.

[Stephen18]

In terms of signings my personal preference would be 5 more I don't think we will get it though.

Van Wyk, Richardson, Carter, Rogerson, Cracknell, Wiese, Wilkinson, Scott, Porter (I hope not), Watson - Out
Smith, Beets, Perese, TH Lock, Back Rower, Fly Half, Centre, Wing = In (Hear me out but maybe Jesse Kriel wage demands has dropped since he's not played since the final...lol)

Cole, Pollard, Youngs I feel are players we need to look at replacements for either within or from outside. Would like to keep Pollard though.

Think Wilkinson could still perform for us in the squad 10 role.

Hoping for three more signings.

Starting eight - Beets will come good but we could do with a premiership standard player to ease the pressure on him. Would someone like Tuisue want a switch with Mercer at Gloucester. Morgan Morris doesn’t seem to get anywhere near the Welsh squad.

Starting right wing - can’t blame the club for giving Watson another chance because when fit he’s been quality. Unfortunately he’s not played this season and the gamble hasn’t paid off.

Squad centre - Scott brought some much needed experience to the backline. We were linked with Sam Spink a while back and could do with some midfield reinforcements.

Agree with a lot of what’s been said here think we need some more signings to compete next season. A true 2nd choice development 10, and the fact that to my knowledge Wilkinson hasnt gotten any premiership minutes this season he’s 24 i don’t know if he was sign by Borthwick so I don’t know if he’s seen as that, and shilcock is in my mind an emergency 3rd choice he can do a job but when you look at other clubs like Saracens as much as it pains me Goode can play 10 but they’d only play him there is Farrell and vunipola weren’t available and the talk is despite having Lozowski there bringing in 2, 10s a senior and development. A senior centre with premiership experience to fill the role Scott plays to help organise and bring others through not sure who’s available harris added so much to Gloucester on Friday in that role not sure who available though. And we definitely need a ball carrying game line 8, don’t know what’s happening with Sam Simmons with the rumours billy vunipola is off to Montpellier, think he could do a job for us off the back of a dominant pack.

[LekkerTigers]

Iosefo Masi from Fijian Drua has had a cracking couple of games recently. Could be shrewd signing if we got him before a French club signs him, if one hasn’t already.

[TigerFeetSteve]

https://www.leicestertigers.com/news/lo ... rts-tigers

Club have confirmed Carter has left

[TigerFeetSteve]

The club have wished Dan Richardson happy birthday

https://twitter.com/LeicesterTigers/sta ... NNcog&s=19

He was the other one (along with Carter) rumored we'd let go on loan pending a full time move, so question is, was that just a scheduled tweet and he's gone... or does that suggest that we may have him for this weekend also to cover Cole having a week off?

[Tiglon]

Just a thought and I’m not looking for an argument here but has Englands attack moved on maybe because Farrell isn’t there?

I would say so. There was an interesting moment in the Sarries v Quins game where Healey highlighted Farrell screaming in the face of a team mate for dropping a difficult pass. Is that going to make you want to try something next time, particularly when under the added scrutiny of wearing an England jersey? Or is it going to make you take the safe option?

Micro management and blame cultures are the easiest way to stifle creativity, and Farrell is a perfect example of both. If I had a manager in my business displaying Farrell's brand of "leadership", they'd be out the door pretty quickly. Ok, elite sport is a different environment and I'm sure pro players can accept more pressure than the people I work with, but they're still humans and there is still a negative effect from such extreme "leadership" styles.

It isn't Farrell's skillset that prevents creativity, it's his personality that discourages it.

I don't want to bash Farrell, I have a lot of admiration for him, but he needs to grow and mature from a leadership point of view.

[AViewFromLe2]

The club have wished Dan Richardson happy birthday

https://twitter.com/LeicesterTigers/sta ... NNcog&s=19

He was the other one (along with Carter) rumored we'd let go on loan pending a full time move, so question is, was that just a scheduled tweet and he's gone... or does that suggest that we may have him for this weekend also to cover Cole having a week off?

We always wish players happy birthday, even if they are on loan. I wouldn't read too much into it either way.

[AViewFromLe2]

I agree we need an attack coach but let us appointment someone that can actually coach an effective attack based upon a CV that attests to this fact. We have appointed to many so called attack coaches in name only in the past and the wheels of our attack fell off years ago not just this season.

I agree. We can’t skimp on it. We are too poor at it not too!

I just hope it’s not an Aussie that was at brumbies - all far too cosy if so….

I'm guessing that the implication is that Rod Seib is going to come up from the Brumbies to be our attack coach next season. If that is the case then i don't see any issues with it.

Ultimately McKellar has got the job because of the success he had with the Brumbies, so it makes sense to lean into that coaching staff which has worked well previously. We may actually get a proper game plan that the coaches are comfortable with imparting onto the players - the Brumbies had a good, balanced style - makes sense to use that, given that's how McKellar got the job.

It is also a good thing for McKellar to have his people around him, and who are comfortable working together. It is not just players that need to gel, it's coaching groups too, so makes sense to have a group that are familiar with each other already in place. He also needs his people in place as a sounding board, he clearly trusts them, so why not use them.

Ultimately I want McKellar to succeed, if it makes it easier for him to succeed with his people around him then that feels a good decision to make. Also, whilst i don't want him to fail, if he fails with his people around him, then he has no excuses or get out clause. You get accountability.

[GB72]

Not sure whether I find the number of players getting early releases concerning or not.

On the one hand, if they are not part of our plans for the season then getting them off the wage bill makes sense.

On the other hand, and this may just be me, there does seem to be more than the usual number of mid season departures this year and that does bring about a concern as to actually how tight our finances actually are.

Add to that the attack coach position (lack of temp cover plus the fact that not many employment situations will not go away with an application of cash) and you have to start to wonder.

The communications are not helping. I know we have always tried to keep control of what information is let out but the weekend was just funny with a player on the pitch warming up with another club before any announcement is made. The latest signing releases also seem rushed and a bit low key and then there was the season ticket debacle.

Again, are these just simple errors or a sign of a department cut thin on numbers and struggling to keep up.

Again, this is me in full tin foil hat mode but I am a little worried that our finances may be a bit more thread bare than is being let on.