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

[GB72]

didn't the A league fold as it was too costly?

Could have been an issue, I also seem to remember teams pulling out of matches last minute in its last few years as players were called up to the main squad.

maybe there is a way prem sides can field academy + sides in tier 3 or so to give these academy lads game time?

My guess is that is not what the RFU Want. They want to strengthen the lower leagues and the champ by forcing the Prem to ditch a load of young talent. Sudden wave of available players will make them affordable as well.

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

Edwards leaving & Whiteley staying is a really poor decision.

[Ellie]

Why do Tigers on their website post the news about the academy lads leaving and Kata’s ban way down the front page if at all it even appears high up on the page, they seem to have a consistent policy of trying to bury this type of news. As Kata’s ban appeared on major news channels and will be talked about on this forum seems a rather petty act to me.

[sapajo]

Edwards leaving & Whiteley staying is a really poor decision.

Agreed next seasons player recruitment and retention decisions are unfathomable.

[Ellie]

Edwards leaving & Whiteley staying is a really poor decision.

Agreed next seasons player recruitment and retention decisions are unfathomable.

Perhaps if they had started the fans forum/meetings as they promised we could ask these types of questions and hopefully get more insight as to team strategy and recruitment process.

[RagingBull]

I mean I think the signings so far have been pretty good.

The idea they are unfathomable is so typically over the top

[quote=sapajo post_id=882121 time=<a href="tel:1713979622">1713979622</a> user_id=9379]
[quote="Wayne Richardson Fan Club" post_id=882118 time=<a href="tel:1713977429">1713977429</a> user_id=4125]
Edwards leaving & Whiteley staying is a really poor decision.

Agreed next seasons player recruitment and retention decisions are unfathomable.
[/quote]

Perhaps if they had started the fans forum/meetings as they promised we could ask these types of questions and hopefully get more insight as to team strategy and recruitment process. Still no announcement about attack coach even though it’s been in the press!
[/quote]

I mean since when does the press dictate when we announce stuff?

[Tiglon]

Why do Tigers on their website post the news about the academy lads leaving and Kata’s ban way down the front page if at all it even appears high up on the page, they seem to have a consistent policy of trying to bury this type of news. As Kata’s ban appeared on major news channels and will be talked about on this forum seems a rather petty act to me.

Tigers have posted about Kata's ban on Instagram, so it's not as if they're trying to hide it...

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

Why do Tigers on their website post the news about the academy lads leaving and Kata’s ban way down the front page if at all it even appears high up on the page, they seem to have a consistent policy of trying to bury this type of news. As Kata’s ban appeared on major news channels and will be talked about on this forum seems a rather petty act to me.

Tigers have posted about Kata's ban on Instagram, so it's not as if they're trying to hide it...

But they do hide stuff on the Website.

[TigerFeetSteve]

Why do Tigers on their website post the news about the academy lads leaving and Kata’s ban way down the front page if at all it even appears high up on the page, they seem to have a consistent policy of trying to bury this type of news. As Kata’s ban appeared on major news channels and will be talked about on this forum seems a rather petty act to me.

Tigers have posted about Kata's ban on Instagram, so it's not as if they're trying to hide it...

And Twitter and Facebook too..

[Jimmy Skitz]

have they just posted multiple stuff since the Kata story, it could be as simple as that?

[Tiglon]

Edwards leaving & Whiteley staying is a really poor decision.

Agreed next seasons player recruitment and retention decisions are unfathomable.

How do we even know Edwards wanted to stay? Players are not commodities to be controlled, they're actual people who make their own decisions...

It's not so unfathomable that we offered him 3rd choice and he decided to take his chances elsewhere.

Bristol only have Randall, Marmion and Lennon on the books at 9 from what I can see. It isn't unfathomable that he has been offered 3rd choice ahead of Lennon, with a shot at replacing Marmion as 2nd choice in a year when his contract expires, if he impresses. He may also believe that Youngs isn't retiring any time soon so he's got a better chance at Bristol.

Maybe Bristol have offered him a very good package. Maybe Bristol is a more attractive place to live at 22 years old (it is). Maybe he fancies a change.

[Tiglon]

have they just posted multiple stuff since the Kata story, it could be as simple as that?

All the stuff above it is promoting upcoming matches, which is surely more important to the club than reporting of an entirely expected ban.

[markharbtiger]

Edwards leaving & Whiteley staying is a really poor decision.

Agreed next seasons player recruitment and retention decisions are unfathomable.

How do we even know Edwards wanted to stay? Players are not commodities to be controlled, they're actual people who make their own decisions...

It's not so unfathomable that we offered him 3rd choice and he decided to take his chances elsewhere.

Bristol only have Randall, Marmion and Lennon on the books at 9 from what I can see. It isn't unfathomable that he has been offered 3rd choice ahead of Lennon, with a shot at replacing Marmion as 2nd choice in a year when his contract expires, if he impresses. He may also believe that Youngs isn't retiring any time soon so he's got a better chance at Bristol.

Maybe Bristol have offered him a very good package. Maybe Bristol is a more attractive place to live at 22 years old (it is). Maybe he fancies a change.

I am never quite sure about our thinking wrt 9s. We let Ben White go for example…of course he might have wanted to go, but seems a shame given the player he’s become

[RagingBull]

Agreed next seasons player recruitment and retention decisions are unfathomable.

How do we even know Edwards wanted to stay? Players are not commodities to be controlled, they're actual people who make their own decisions...

It's not so unfathomable that we offered him 3rd choice and he decided to take his chances elsewhere.

Bristol only have Randall, Marmion and Lennon on the books at 9 from what I can see. It isn't unfathomable that he has been offered 3rd choice ahead of Lennon, with a shot at replacing Marmion as 2nd choice in a year when his contract expires, if he impresses. He may also believe that Youngs isn't retiring any time soon so he's got a better chance at Bristol.

Maybe Bristol have offered him a very good package. Maybe Bristol is a more attractive place to live at 22 years old (it is). Maybe he fancies a change.

I am never quite sure about our thinking wrt 9s. We let Ben White go for example…of course he might have wanted to go, but seems a shame given the player he’s become

I mean with White it was clear that JvP was rated higher though.

When you are meant to be an upcoming player being overtaken by a player 3 years younger is gonna prob push you away.

Like Ben White played 70+ games for us

[sk 88]

didn't the A league fold as it was too costly?

Not really. It only actually died a full death with covid.

It was run down because several clubs (notably Irish & Wasps) consistently failed to put out any kind of side or support it at all, filling their sides with guests whose main selection criteria appeared to be breathing & being available. Everyone was occasionally guilty of this at times (it was a reserve team competition after all), but most of the other clubs generally got decent enough teams out.

An U-23 comp for semi-pro players & the handful of younger professionals already employed would have very marginal costs, that can be recouped to an extent with sponsorship & selling tickets to the matches. Some people did used to pay the £5 to watch A League games who weren't season ticket holders. You could play them at training grounds or "out grounds" if open stadiums was seriously considered such a gross cost.