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

[RagingBull]

Agree 100% with this

Agree the planning this year does seem to be have been poor. Normally we’re told that recruitment is done and dusted by December for the next season. But it appears we’re still talking to the likes of Simmonds, Marchant etc

If you think about Wiese leaving, T Willis, CCS, Mercer all joined rivals this season so this forward planning would’ve been beneficial. It isn’t always about big signings. If you look at Saracens, they’ve made some shrewd appointments from Newcastle and the likes of Spink.

I may be wrong, but isn't this like only the 2nd or 3rd year that teams are even allowed to talk to players in contract at other clubs before January?!?

Believe it got removed, just I don't think most clubs can afford release fees.

[AViewFromLe2]

The club really needs to pick up some more promising young players
More planning and we might have been able to have signed CCS to replace Wiese, Louie Johnson to back up Pollard.

Like we should have seen Irish failing and had a talk with Wiese about his future, if he wasn't going to commit to a longer contract then we could've signed CCS on a short term contract and get a bigger contract once Wiese left.

Same with Guy Pepper at Bath, he would've been a perfect back up to Reffell, Ilione could focus more on 6 or 8 which I think he would've thrived more in.

Agree 100% with this

Agree the planning this year does seem to be have been poor. Normally we’re told that recruitment is done and dusted by December for the next season. But it appears we’re still talking to the likes of Simmonds, Marchant etc

If you think about Wiese leaving, T Willis, CCS, Mercer all joined rivals this season so this forward planning would’ve been beneficial. It isn’t always about big signings. If you look at Saracens, they’ve made some shrewd appointments from Newcastle and the likes of Spink.

Just on Simmonds, i heard we did have a conversation with him & i did get that backed up, so i’m confident we did have a conversation with him. However i do not know that we are still speaking with him. It is likely that with Beets coming in, that conversation then ended.

I like the recruitment for next season. I know the narrative around the entire club is negative atm, but all 3 signings add to what we have currently.

Smith is certainly an upgrade on Van Wyk, Perese is as good as Porter, maybe even better, same with Matt Scott. Then finally Beets seems a well-researched and clever signing, that could be a really smart piece of business.

I have said this before and I’ll say it again. The squad for next season looks good, with more youngsters looking to break through - Finn Carnduff and Josh Manz to name a couple. The main thing for me is the attack coach. Nail a decent one & i think that really elevates us to the upper points of the table, given we’re not doing that badly given the current arrangement.

[longlivethecrumbie]

Agree 100% with this

Agree the planning this year does seem to be have been poor. Normally we’re told that recruitment is done and dusted by December for the next season. But it appears we’re still talking to the likes of Simmonds, Marchant etc

If you think about Wiese leaving, T Willis, CCS, Mercer all joined rivals this season so this forward planning would’ve been beneficial. It isn’t always about big signings. If you look at Saracens, they’ve made some shrewd appointments from Newcastle and the likes of Spink.

Just on Simmonds, i heard we did have a conversation with him & i did get that backed up, so i’m confident we did have a conversation with him. However i do not know that we are still speaking with him. It is likely that with Beets coming in, that conversation then ended.

I like the recruitment for next season. I know the narrative around the entire club is negative atm, but all 3 signings add to what we have currently.

Smith is certainly an upgrade on Van Wyk, Perese is as good as Porter, maybe even better, same with Matt Scott. Then finally Beets seems a well-researched and clever signing, that could be a really smart piece of business.

I have said this before and I’ll say it again. The squad for next season looks good, with more youngsters looking to break through - Finn Carnduff and Josh Manz to name a couple. The main thing for me is the attack coach. Nail a decent one & i think that really elevates us to the upper points of the table, given we’re not doing that badly given the current arrangement.

The big thing for me is going to be the backs coach and getting them in early, getting the players comfy with the system and style of play and bought into it.

[Tiglon]

I'm surprised there isn't more excitement about Perese, he's got pace, power and handling skills.

Definitely an upgrade on Porter/Scott for me.

[Leicestertinytiger]

Think there’s excitement - with Kata, Perese, Kelly I’m struggling to think of another premiership club with a better set of centres. And we’re rumoured to be bringing in a fourth.

But with all things it’s also counterbalanced by the fact that Wiese is going with no real like for like replacement. So yes whilst Smith and Perese are big upgrades there’s also a big downgrade in the backrow.

[sapajo]

Bath have certainly recruited very well and their squad is strong in depth. They continue to do so with the signing of Guy Pepper from Falcons and of course they have signed Van Wyk to.

[Rugbygramps]

Unless I misunderstood the Wiese situation it was touch and go for a while whether or not he stayed.
I would imagine it then makes it difficult to approach CCS, for example, if he looks at the squad and sees Wiese and Liebenberg in his 2 chosen positions

[sapajo]

Think there’s excitement - with Kata, Perese, Kelly I’m struggling to think of another premiership club with a better set of centres. And we’re rumoured to be bringing in a fourth.

But with all things it’s also counterbalanced by the fact that Wiese is going with no real like for like replacement. So yes whilst Smith and Perese are big upgrades there’s also a big downgrade in the backrow.

We were devoid of a big ball carrier before Wiese and look to return to the status quo. I do not think Hatherall is the magic replacement.

[Leicestertinytiger]

Think there’s excitement - with Kata, Perese, Kelly I’m struggling to think of another premiership club with a better set of centres. And we’re rumoured to be bringing in a fourth.

But with all things it’s also counterbalanced by the fact that Wiese is going with no real like for like replacement. So yes whilst Smith and Perese are big upgrades there’s also a big downgrade in the backrow.

We were devoid of a big ball carrier before Wiese and look to return to the status quo. I do not think Hatherall is the magic replacement.

It’s difficult. I actually rate Hatherell and think if we had an actual functioning attack, forward pod with multiple options with the 10 behind to change the point of attack with him as a runner he’d do really well. But currently with one up carriers we’re too easy to shut down.

[ay2oh]

Having released 10-12 players(including short term signings) would have thought that we have more players incoming. Hoping for a prop who can play both sides, a centre and a big nasty no 8.

[sapajo]

Having released 10-12 players(including short term signings) would have thought that we have more players incoming. Hoping for a prop who can play both sides, a centre and a big nasty no 8.

Its the hope that kills you

[RagingBull]

Hatherell carrying imo is better than any Saints player.
Which to me sums up how important game plan is.

[Tigersunited]

Having released 10-12 players(including short term signings) would have thought that we have more players incoming. Hoping for a prop who can play both sides, a centre and a big nasty no 8.

Its the hope that kills you

Heard from a very good source that no more significant signings incoming.

[ay2oh]

Find that very strange as Andrea stated that we would spend up to the cap. We must have knocked at least £1M off the wage bill with those departures and even if the 3 new signings + contract renewals amount to the same the cap has gone up by £1.5M so either Andea has mislead us or their are more signings to come.

[FrontRowUnionMember]

No significant incomings is not the same as no incomings. For argument sake, Eloff plus an 8 and centre of same level may not be seen as significant given they are not international level, however we saw Porter and Wiese join us at that level and both went on to be internationals.