|
|
Post by Danno on Mar 29, 2023 13:34:48 GMT
Rumours of London Irish and Newcastle circling the drain have resurfaced.
|
|
Ulythium
Full Member
Lily-livered
Posts: 7,112
Member is Online
|
Post by Ulythium on Mar 29, 2023 20:03:02 GMT
Worrying times for the Premiership, having already lost two clubs this season.
I've no great love for Newcastle, but I do think they'd be a big loss if they were to go under, being the northernmost club in the top flight.
Irish have had a great season. Hopefully they'll pull through, even if they end up merging with Ealing or something along those lines.
|
|
|
|
Post by muddyfunster on Mar 29, 2023 22:13:24 GMT
It's all rather sad. I've never really been a big Premiership fan but I hate seeing these institutions fall. Was bad enough when Wasps went to Coventry...
|
|
|
|
Post by elstoof on Mar 30, 2023 6:10:43 GMT
I don’t get how the English league is such a precarious house of cards while the Top14 has seemingly endless amounts of money
|
|
|
|
Post by Danno on Mar 30, 2023 10:48:07 GMT
The French have the fans to pay for it:
Top 14 has just signed a TV deal for €113m a year. The current premiership deal is £110m over three years.
They also get ~1million more fans through the gates over a season. More fans = more sponsorship,merch etc.
|
|
|
|
Post by elstoof on Mar 30, 2023 10:52:22 GMT
Yet we still have the richest union in the world, fucking leeches at the top of the RFU
|
|
zephro
Junior Member
Posts: 3,010
Member is Online
|
Post by zephro on Apr 5, 2023 8:14:32 GMT
The French union isn't so rich because the clubs and their owners are all powerful. But they also pull in football crowds not the 10k or so in the UK.
Scotland went on a debt fueled rampage in the 00s and the borders and Caledonians both folded as there just weren't enough fans.
|
|
Ulythium
Full Member
Lily-livered
Posts: 7,112
Member is Online
|
Post by Ulythium on Apr 5, 2023 16:24:30 GMT
zephroWhat are your thoughts regarding Townsend - should the SRU offer him a new deal when his current one expires this year, or would you rather see someone else come in and take charge?
|
|
zephro
Junior Member
Posts: 3,010
Member is Online
|
Post by zephro on Apr 6, 2023 13:02:46 GMT
I'd stick with Townsend myself. He's got the best record of any Scotland coach in memory (you'd have to go back to Telfer). Beating Ireland and South Africa probably remains an uphill struggle for Scotland, I'm not sure any other coach can fix that easily. Kinda suspect the actual ceiling for the team is limited by the team / players to pick from. Like we kept getting let down by not throwing the ball straight at lineouts, dunno if a head coach can actually do much about that.
4 from 5 in the last Calcutta Cups, the 2 narrowest losses to New Zealand I've ever seen, handily beat Argentina several times, have won most the games against Australia (Cotter having always lost to them including THAT quarter final), won away in Paris, not ever lost to Italy (unlike Cotter). From Scotland's previous low standards that's actually a good showing.
Who else is even out there that could do something more? Jamie Jospeh once he's done with Japan I guess... Not like we can steal Andy Farrell.
|
|
Ulythium
Full Member
Lily-livered
Posts: 7,112
Member is Online
|
Post by Ulythium on Apr 7, 2023 20:40:40 GMT
A rough night for Leicester, getting resoundingly beaten by Leinster (41-17 with 10 minutes to go).
Small wonder Saracens - a bunch of serial cheats - are the only English team that can compete in Europe, when one looks at the strength of Leinster's squad compared to that of Tigers.
|
|
zephro
Junior Member
Posts: 3,010
Member is Online
|
Post by zephro on Apr 7, 2023 23:29:42 GMT
Welcome to my world of watching the URC every year. The whole thing is just waiting for Leinster to fuck it up possibly.
|
|
|
|
Post by Danno on Apr 8, 2023 9:51:25 GMT
A rough night for Leicester, getting resoundingly beaten by Leinster (41-17 with 10 minutes to go). Small wonder Saracens - a bunch of serial cheats - are the only English team that can compete in Europe, when one looks at the strength of Leinster's squad compared to that of Tigers. That was 95% of the #1 test team in the world vs. a verrrrrry depleted Tigers squad |
|
zephro
Junior Member
Posts: 3,010
Member is Online
|
Post by zephro on Apr 9, 2023 11:26:20 GMT
I know it was 6 years ago but around the time Cockerill was getting fired Leicester did loose 0-43 at home to Glasgow, who do not have the money like Leinster. Nobody complained then.
I think I'm just finding this a bit amusing as the English clubs didn't complain when it was them with the cash to throw around.
|
|
Ulythium
Full Member
Lily-livered
Posts: 7,112
Member is Online
|
Post by Ulythium on Apr 12, 2023 17:14:45 GMT
I'm sure plenty of Tigers fans complained, but maybe not on the same grounds  Chris Ashton is retiring at the end of the season. He has always struck me as a pretty sizable helmet, but there's no denying his aptitude for scoring tries - I must admit that part of me would like to see him reach the 100 mark in the few games he has left. |
|
Ulythium
Full Member
Lily-livered
Posts: 7,112
Member is Online
|
Post by Ulythium on Apr 13, 2023 10:09:39 GMT
Oh, and Jack Willis has signed a three-year deal with Toulouse, meaning that he'll be out of the reckoning for England after the World Cup (unless the RFU changes its selection policy, of course).
|
|
|
|
Post by elstoof on Apr 13, 2023 10:19:02 GMT
Isn’t there an amnesty for former wasps and Worcester players who sign abroad
|
|
Ulythium
Full Member
Lily-livered
Posts: 7,112
Member is Online
|
Post by Ulythium on Apr 13, 2023 10:27:03 GMT
Only until the RWC is over - then the expectation is that the old rule will be reinstated.
|
|
Ulythium
Full Member
Lily-livered
Posts: 7,112
Member is Online
|
Post by Ulythium on Apr 13, 2023 12:56:58 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Danno on Apr 14, 2023 13:53:17 GMT
|
|
Ulythium
Full Member
Lily-livered
Posts: 7,112
Member is Online
|
Post by Ulythium on Apr 14, 2023 14:54:55 GMT
'Fraid not, Danno - in fact, yesterday's Guardian article was the first I'd heard of it. I completely agree that it seems like a stretch, though. Oh, and I'd be very wary indeed of believing in the highfalutin plans for a self-sufficient business model, as that's exactly what they promised when they moved to the Ricoh! We all know how that panned out. That makes at least six rumours regarding Wasps' future home - Solihull, Worcester, Coventry, London, Henley-in-Arden, and the 'Wasps Nest' idea - and even now, two weeks from the end of the Championship season, nothing definitive has been announced. |
|
Ulythium
Full Member
Lily-livered
Posts: 7,112
Member is Online
|
Post by Ulythium on Apr 16, 2023 14:54:25 GMT
Ashton scores his 99th Premiership try at the end of the first half against Chiefs.
|
|
Ulythium
Full Member
Lily-livered
Posts: 7,112
Member is Online
|
Post by Ulythium on Apr 16, 2023 15:56:52 GMT
... Followed by his 100th and 101st in the second half.
Fair play to the guy - what a record that is.
|
|
Ulythium
Full Member
Lily-livered
Posts: 7,112
Member is Online
|
Post by Ulythium on Apr 24, 2023 16:24:56 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Danno on Apr 24, 2023 16:50:05 GMT
The farce marches on. It's bordering on biZarre |
|
Ulythium
Full Member
Lily-livered
Posts: 7,112
Member is Online
|
Post by Ulythium on May 2, 2023 10:11:20 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Danno on May 2, 2023 17:08:21 GMT
Apparently they're in talks to ground share at Wimbledon as part of which they stand to get £25mill from Brentford for vacating their ground.
|
|
|
|
Post by Danno on May 2, 2023 17:53:24 GMT
Missed a decimal in there, £2.5M. Seems like they need it pronto
|
|
zephro
Junior Member
Posts: 3,010
Member is Online
|
Post by zephro on May 2, 2023 18:10:47 GMT
Didn't they lose sponsors when they hired Paddy Jackson?
|
|
|
|
Post by Danno on May 2, 2023 19:32:56 GMT
They did indeed, poor choice imo. And then they got a bit spendy (hence the top 4 potential this season)
|
|
Ulythium
Full Member
Lily-livered
Posts: 7,112
Member is Online
|
Post by Ulythium on May 2, 2023 21:15:22 GMT
Agreed - signing Jackson was a poor call.
In related news, the takeover of Worcester Warriors should've been completed today, per a deadline given by the administrator, but it's 22:15 and no news has been forthcoming.
|
|
