LEICESTER TIGERS 2023/24 - Crocodile McKeller: Men at Work

[tigerburnie]

Not quite the super tuesday some might have hoped for, the Watson situation is most odd, is the secrecy due to the rumours of an RFU contract one wonders(well this one does)

[GB72]

Not quite the super tuesday some might have hoped for, the Watson situation is most odd, is the secrecy due to the rumours of an RFU contract one wonders(well this one does)

My thought, and it may be well wide of the mark, is that he has signed a contract abroad for post the World Cup that has not been announced so as not to muddy the waters about selection. Whether he is on a short term contract wth the RFU until the end of the world cup is another matter but it just seems odd that we have said nothing if he has indeed re-signed with us.

[Rugbygramps]

I would be really surprised if Watson had been given a central contract.
My gut feeling is he is sticking around. I hope he isn’t trying to hold us to ransom. TBH the amount of time he is likely to spend with England if he goes so be it we have cover now

[kpj tiger]

Not quite the super tuesday some might have hoped for, the Watson situation is most odd, is the secrecy due to the rumours of an RFU contract one wonders(well this one does)

My thought, and it may be well wide of the mark, is that he has signed a contract abroad for post the World Cup that has not been announced so as not to muddy the waters about selection. Whether he is on a short term contract wth the RFU until the end of the world cup is another matter but it just seems odd that we have said nothing if he has indeed re-signed with us.

I dont think it'd be a problem if he had signed abroad, Joe Marchant is in the squad and he's going to Stade next season

[Rugbygramps]

Not quite the super tuesday some might have hoped for, the Watson situation is most odd, is the secrecy due to the rumours of an RFU contract one wonders(well this one does)

My thought, and it may be well wide of the mark, is that he has signed a contract abroad for post the World Cup that has not been announced so as not to muddy the waters about selection. Whether he is on a short term contract wth the RFU until the end of the world cup is another matter but it just seems odd that we have said nothing if he has indeed re-signed with us.

Certainly a possibility though it would mean all this about him wanting to be closer to his family was a smokescreen

[GB72]

Not quite the super tuesday some might have hoped for, the Watson situation is most odd, is the secrecy due to the rumours of an RFU contract one wonders(well this one does)

My thought, and it may be well wide of the mark, is that he has signed a contract abroad for post the World Cup that has not been announced so as not to muddy the waters about selection. Whether he is on a short term contract wth the RFU until the end of the world cup is another matter but it just seems odd that we have said nothing if he has indeed re-signed with us.

I dont think it'd be a problem if he had signed abroad, Joe Marchant is in the squad and he's going to Stade next season

A good point. Just shows that none of this makes sense, unless he was on a longer contract with us. I just do not get it. We understand that his contract has ended, he has not confirmed as re-signing, he has not confirmed as leaving and currently appears to be training with England without a club.

Maybe the deal is that he is contracted to Enlgand for the World Cup then starts a new contract with us afterwards. That would allow a better offer without us paying it all and also helping to keep it under the cap. That is all a bit random and a total guess but that would cause all sorts of social media outrage I suspect and would be a reason for keeping quiet.

[AViewFromLe2]

Watson is a big name player, and probably the last real exciting or big time transfer up for grabs, unless Smith goes Racing. As a result, if he was leaving, someone would have announced it by now you would have thought, or there would be more rumours in the rugby media about him going. Certainly, a lot of the rugby world seem to think he is staying on - Charlie Morgan doing a whole piece looking at the squads for next year & including Watson probably shows he's staying, given how well connected into Tigers Charlie is.

If he has not signed on with us, he is now technically out of contract, so you would have imagined that if he was not signing any contract from us, we would have said something to that effect. Personally i think he's signed on with us again, which is why it has not been announced. Firstly - it's business as usual to a certain extent. Secondly, if he has signed on, there is no rush to announce these things, he's also with England atm, and will be for a while yet, so it's not like it's that important to announce it. I just think it will be announced in due course, but there is no rush internally to announce it. Certainly, there were a few months between Montoya & Martin signing their new deals, and them actually being announced by the club.

[TigerFeetSteve]

Harry Potter now removed from squad list...

Anthony Watson remains...

Read into that what you will but I am probably approaching 99% sure Watson is staying

[AViewFromLe2]

Harry Potter now removed from squad list...

Anthony Watson remains...

Read into that what you will but I am probably approaching 99% sure Watson is staying

I put a fairly long answer on another thread about Watson with my reasoning about his position, so I won't repeat it here but I am also of the opinion that he stays with us. Just as another point to those I made in the other thread, if he wasn't staying with us, we would have known about it for a while now, so we would have been linked with a big-name winger as a replacement. The fact we have not, just gives another reason to believe he is staying. I think he would have stayed even if Potter had not left, now Potter has gone, like you I am very sure he stays.

[Hot_Charlie]

Matt Rogerson - Always been a big fan of Rogerson, he will bring a lot on and off the pitch but It will be interesting to see how he fits in, especially going from 1st choice club captain to potentially further down the pecking order

Very different circumstances but similar in a way to Ed Slater's move to Gloucester. I'm sure with Rogerson's background and apparent character it's only going to be a benefit to our squad.

[Hot_Charlie]

Harry Potter now removed from squad list...

Anthony Watson remains...

Read into that what you will but I am probably approaching 99% sure Watson is staying

It's a bit disappointing. I'm sure in the past the squad pages have been updated as pre-season has begun.

Missing Gary Sherrard directing things?

[TigerFeetSteve]

Harry Potter now removed from squad list...

Anthony Watson remains...

Read into that what you will but I am probably approaching 99% sure Watson is staying

It's a bit disappointing. I'm sure in the past the squad pages have been updated as pre-season has begun.

Missing Gary Sherrard directing things?

Was definitely later last season.

We didn't even confirm the leavers list until the 1st July last season.

The academy promotions were only confirmed last year on the 17th July.

They essentially did it the first working day of the month, but picked up on an error one day later.

The new starters tend to be put on the website once the majority of them have a squad photo taken

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

It's pretty obvious that today's announcement should have been released 24hrs earlier.
Another example of our less than top notch communications as a club.

[markharbtiger]

It's pretty obvious that today's announcement should have been released 24hrs earlier.
Another example of our less than top notch communications as a club.

I’m not sure this is anything to be too bothered about…I for one am glad we’ve heard

[markharbtiger]

Well nothing at 9....

Yes there was it was Powell
(Sorry could not resist…)