23/24 Squad - stronger/weaker

[jimKRFC]

Thinking out the in's and outs at Bristol it's my opinion that we're shaping up to be (on the whole) weaker than last year:

Players:
Piutau - Malins; even
Radradra - Ravouvou; weaker
Uren - Marmion; even
Joyce - Not replaced (Rice to step up?)
Jeffries - Not replaced (Dun or Tull to step up?)
Whitelely - Woolstenholme; ?
Bedlow - Not replaced (Ascherl to step up?)
Lloyd - Not replaced (Bailey to step up?)
Eames - Not replaced
Byrne - Oghre; even

Coaches
McPhilips - ?
Muldoon - Irish; stronger
Irish - ?

We have fewer forwards and we're losing key backs and not replacing with the same quality. Even though injuries have meant they played less often than hoped Semi & CP have won us several games. Without them I can see us really struggling.

[Puja]

Good thread idea! You've got to imagine that Bristol have more signings to come in - they were so top-heavy this season and, while Radradra and Piutau may have won games on their own, you just can't put all your eggs in one basket. No surprise that your season turned around when you got Batley on the cheap from Worcester and actually recovered some depth in your tight five. You must have cap room to spare with losing some of those players and I wouldn't've thought the budget freed up by the sudden gazumping of Jeff Rees and Lloyd's has been spent yet.

For Leicester, it's an odd group of signings. Officially out so far, there is only Jansen, Wolstenholme, and Ashton, but Watson is pretty much guaranteed and you wonder about the likes of Saumaki, and Murimurivalu who haven't really been in the first XV plans this year.

To copy your format:
Watson - > Hassell-Collins; downgrade, but with potential
Muri/Saumaki? - > Shillcock; small upgrade with potential
Ashton -> Bassett; probably even if we're thinking Ashton's form would drop as he got older
Wolstenholme -> Not replaced (not really necessary with the young 9s)
Jansen -> Hatherell; an upgrade, but I'm still yet to see the necessity with our back row riches

Plus Theobald-Thomas coming in as a project (maybe Taufete'e heading off again, idk?)

To be honest, the signing I'm waiting for is confirmation that we've locked down Tom West to a long-term deal. He has been a superb acquisition.

Puja

[stepsider]

Good thread idea! You've got to imagine that Bristol have more signings to come in - they were so top-heavy this season and, while Radradra and Piutau may have won games on their own, you just can't put all your eggs in one basket. No surprise that your season turned around when you got Batley on the cheap from Worcester and actually recovered some depth in your tight five. You must have cap room to spare with losing some of those players and I wouldn't've thought the budget freed up by the sudden gazumping of Jeff Rees and Lloyd's has been spent yet.

For Leicester, it's an odd group of signings. Officially out so far, there is only Jansen, Wolstenholme, and Ashton, but Watson is pretty much guaranteed and you wonder about the likes of Saumaki, and Murimurivalu who haven't really been in the first XV plans this year.

To copy your format:
Watson - > Hassell-Collins; downgrade, but with potential
Muri/Saumaki? - > Shillcock; small upgrade with potential
Ashton -> Bassett; probably even if we're thinking Ashton's form would drop as he got older
Wolstenholme -> Not replaced (not really necessary with the young 9s)
Jansen -> Hatherell; an upgrade, but I'm still yet to see the necessity with our back row riches

Plus Theobald-Thomas coming in as a project (maybe Taufete'e heading off again, idk?)

To be honest, the signing I'm waiting for is confirmation that we've locked down Tom West to a long-term deal. He has been a superb acquisition.

Puja

Shillcock, though a bit injury prone, is class, good to see him back in the Prem

[Puja]

Shillcock, though a bit injury prone, is class, good to see him back in the Prem

I'm very, very pleased that we acquired him. I've long been an admirer of his talents and his performance for Bath was pretty much the main reason they beat us earlier in the season. Add in being able to cover both 15 and 10 to Prem standard and he's a superb acquisition.

Puja

[Which Tyler]

Shillcock, though a bit injury prone, is class, good to see him back in the Prem

I'm very, very pleased that we acquired him. I've long been an admirer of his talents and his performance for Bath was pretty much the main reason they beat us earlier in the season. Add in being able to cover both 15 and 10 to Prem standard and he's a superb acquisition.

Puja

Wish we coulda kept him, but I can't disagree that Lawrence, Barbeary and Hill were more important, or that FLW was more important to keep for the season.

Can't really do this thread for Bath yet as there's too much we just don't know yet.

Williams, Ellis, Boyce & Etete out.
Lawrence, Hill, Barbeary, Du Toit & Russell in.

More exits to come, and possibly 1 more incoming, but that's looking increasingly unlikely (and we've been told no more signings, but know that that doesn't rule out a signing that's been made but kept private - such as the Welsh internationals are asking for)

[FKAS]

Shillcock, though a bit injury prone, is class, good to see him back in the Prem

I'm very, very pleased that we acquired him. I've long been an admirer of his talents and his performance for Bath was pretty much the main reason they beat us earlier in the season. Add in being able to cover both 15 and 10 to Prem standard and he's a superb acquisition.

Puja

Shillcock the Hegarty replacement surely?

[BenHK]

Sale looking pretty light on the transfers front so far:

Outgoing
McGuigan - not replaced, but pretty well stocked on the wings
Will Cliff - not replaced, but have Warr and Quirke and a couple of academy guys coming through
Ashman - not replaced. Hopefully have a hooker yet to be signed to replace him - Akker is good, but need a solid replacement #2

Incoming
Sam Bedlow - bit of a strange one as we're reasonably well stocked in the centres, but good competition for S. James, Manu, RDP
Had Tom Ellis joing recently, so should count him in as well. Think more injury replacement for Coenie than bolstering the squad

Hopefully a few more announcements on some other signings imminently