LEICESTER TIGERS 2022/23 - Prisoner of Oadby Pre-Season

[Scott1]

Yes,I have a feeling we will retain Porter and lose Kelly. Watson is nailed on fitness permitting.

[TigerFeetSteve]

With PRC now done and dusted that puts less of a strain on numbers too, though if we loose both Watson and Steward to England we may get a little thin on the ground.
Maybe Falcons are prepared to let Radwan go early after releasing Mcguigan

With Pollard back fit I'm not seeing us too thin on the ground

Our 15 options minus Steward & Watson are

Burns
Atkinson
Ashton
Simmons
Potter

Plus Walsh in the Dev squad

That said I wouldn't be surprised if we squeeze an extra back 3 player in.

I was forgetting Simmons who for them to chuck straight in via Ospreys they must have confidence in him.
Worse case scenario for 6 nations we loose in the back JVP Youngs Kelly Porter Watson and Steward.
Personally I would be surprised if Porter went and feel whoever the England coach is will want to look at other faces than Youngs with both him and JVP still going to the World Cup.

If Borthwick's in charge of England we may lose Potter too based on his comments about him after the Ospreys game...

If we lose that IMO our backline is something like

Wigglesworth
Atkinson
Murimurivalu (anothe 15 option I missed)
Pollard
Scott
Ashton
Burns

Edwards/Simmons
Cokanasiga
Saumaki

[RunTigerRun]

I would also say that I think us letting Shelley go early means that the rest of our backs are probably all fit and ready to go.

Since the start of the season we've now let 3 backs leave and only replaced 1.

Hegarty -> Atkinson
Nadolo
Shelley

So either our remainder are all fit and firing or we have found that with Shelley's salary freed up we can afford to bring another back in (previously linked to Shilcock who is no longer at Bath)

I can’t find an official confirmation, but according to Shillcock’s Instagram he is in Japan playing for the Dinoboars this season. Hopefully a stop-gap until he can return to the prem for next season?

Shame to see Shelley go as he showed some good lines, pace and hunger. Wonder what the backs will be next year as we do seem to have more who are aging…

Here’s hoping OHC is not the only incoming!

[Rugbygramps]

It will be an interesting balancing act for Borthwick in terms of how many Tigers players he picks.
Potter is an excellent player but is he any further ahead of OHC and Loader or Freeman, or the 2 young lads up at Sale.
If there was still a Saxons team Potter would be nailed on, just not sure imo that he quite at test level yet.

[Rugbygramps]

I would also say that I think us letting Shelley go early means that the rest of our backs are probably all fit and ready to go.

Since the start of the season we've now let 3 backs leave and only replaced 1.

Hegarty -> Atkinson
Nadolo
Shelley

So either our remainder are all fit and firing or we have found that with Shelley's salary freed up we can afford to bring another back in (previously linked to Shilcock who is no longer at Bath)

I can’t find an official confirmation, but according to Shillcock’s Instagram he is in Japan playing for the Dinoboars this season. Hopefully a stop-gap until he can return to the prem for next season?

Shame to see Shelley go as he showed some good lines, pace and hunger. Wonder what the backs will be next year as we do seem to have more who are aging…

Here’s hoping OHC is not the only incoming!

The one guy I would love to see at Tigers is Sleightholme. Doesn’t always seem to be in the mix at Saints but always impresses me with plenty of power and pace

[CrumblingTerrace]

It seems to be more common for us to bring in players like Shelley and then agree their departure mid-season.

How do you think this is seen by players/agents... a positive that the club will accommodate their early release when other opportunities arise? Or a negative that there's no guarantee they'll stay employed for the duration of their contract?

[TigerFeetSteve]

I would also say that I think us letting Shelley go early means that the rest of our backs are probably all fit and ready to go.

Since the start of the season we've now let 3 backs leave and only replaced 1.

Hegarty -> Atkinson
Nadolo
Shelley

So either our remainder are all fit and firing or we have found that with Shelley's salary freed up we can afford to bring another back in (previously linked to Shilcock who is no longer at Bath)

I can’t find an official confirmation, but according to Shillcock’s Instagram he is in Japan playing for the Dinoboars this season. Hopefully a stop-gap until he can return to the prem for next season?

Shame to see Shelley go as he showed some good lines, pace and hunger. Wonder what the backs will be next year as we do seem to have more who are aging…

Here’s hoping OHC is not the only incoming!

The one guy I would love to see at Tigers is Sleightholme. Doesn’t always seem to be in the mix at Saints but always impresses me with plenty of power and pace

Sleightholme signed an extension at saints, announced by Saints a couple of days ago

[Rugbygramps]

It seems to be more common for us to bring in players like Shelley and then agree their departure mid-season.

How do you think this is seen by players/agents... a positive that the club will accommodate their early release when other opportunities arise? Or a negative that there's no guarantee they'll stay employed for the duration of their contract?

Shelley and Horton were both short term signings during the Southern Hemisphere close season, if I recall correctly, so there tenure was both for them to gain experience and give us cover. Win win situation and even more so if we unearth a diamond.

[TigerFeetSteve]

It seems to be more common for us to bring in players like Shelley and then agree their departure mid-season.

How do you think this is seen by players/agents... a positive that the club will accommodate their early release when other opportunities arise? Or a negative that there's no guarantee they'll stay employed for the duration of their contract?

Of those we've released midseason since we've had Borthwick (there's been a few)

I think the only ones who didn't have anything lined up was Van Wyk & Hardwick

[TigerFeetSteve]

It seems to be more common for us to bring in players like Shelley and then agree their departure mid-season.

How do you think this is seen by players/agents... a positive that the club will accommodate their early release when other opportunities arise? Or a negative that there's no guarantee they'll stay employed for the duration of their contract?

Shelley and Horton were both short term signings during the Southern Hemisphere close season, if I recall correctly, so there tenure was both for them to gain experience and give us cover. Win win situation and even more so if we unearth a diamond.

Horton was short term, Shelley was a permanent signing who it says we've agreed an early release of.

[Rugbygramps]

It seems to be more common for us to bring in players like Shelley and then agree their departure mid-season.

How do you think this is seen by players/agents... a positive that the club will accommodate their early release when other opportunities arise? Or a negative that there's no guarantee they'll stay employed for the duration of their contract?

Shelley and Horton were both short term signings during the Southern Hemisphere close season, if I recall correctly, so there tenure was both for them to gain experience and give us cover. Win win situation and even more so if we unearth a diamond.

Horton was short term, Shelley was a permanent signing who it says we've agreed an early release of.

Ok thanks. Me getting in a muddle again.

[LE18]

Shelley failed to impress me in the cup games, did a lot of running but little else playing on the wing. Horton showed up well.
Harry and Guy will have vacancies, having recently moved to a bigger house.

[Jimmy Skitz]

With PRC now done and dusted that puts less of a strain on numbers too, though if we loose both Watson and Steward to England we may get a little thin on the ground.
Maybe Falcons are prepared to let Radwan go early after releasing Mcguigan

With Pollard back fit I'm not seeing us too thin on the ground

Our 15 options minus Steward & Watson are

Burns
Atkinson
Ashton
Simmons
Potter

Plus Walsh in the Dev squad

That said I wouldn't be surprised if we squeeze an extra back 3 player in.

have I missed an announcement of Kini leaving?

[TigerFeetSteve]

With PRC now done and dusted that puts less of a strain on numbers too, though if we loose both Watson and Steward to England we may get a little thin on the ground.
Maybe Falcons are prepared to let Radwan go early after releasing Mcguigan

With Pollard back fit I'm not seeing us too thin on the ground

Our 15 options minus Steward & Watson are

Burns
Atkinson
Ashton
Simmons
Potter

Plus Walsh in the Dev squad

That said I wouldn't be surprised if we squeeze an extra back 3 player in.

have I missed an announcement of Kini leaving?

No I missed typing him out, he's still with us apologies

[trendylfj]

The rugby paper has us after Josh Bassett - https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/latest- ... r-bassett/. Not sure about this one - 30 year old winger would seem to indicate Ashton may be off