Premiership Squads 2018/19

[Doorzetbornandbred]

Your missing Kenny from the Exeter Squad, loosehead prop. Also Exeter have a lot of lads who are on apprenticeships that appear to play for the seniors at times in some lesser games. Do other clubs have apprentices?

[Which Tyler]

Your missing Kenny from the Exeter Squad, loosehead prop. Also Exeter have a lot of lads who are on apprenticeships that appear to play for the seniors at times in some lesser games. Do other clubs have apprentices?

Where would he fit into the hierarchy? senior or academy? Is he a new signing or an apprentice? (Exeter site doesn't include him in their squad anywhere that I can see).

As for apprentices - yes; with varying degrees of formality attached; and only likely to get any game time in the A league or possibly the AWC (and then only in an emergency)

[Doorzetbornandbred]

He was playing last season for the seniors(Anglo Welsh) and is dual registered to Plymouth Albion this season along with about 12 other lads from Chiefs. I think it may be a cunning way for Chiefs to get cheap players and keep the EQP % up as well. With the record number they took in this year as Academy players and probably similar gonna happen this year as well it'll be interesting to see where they all are in 3 years time.

[Tigersman]

Is it that cunning?

I think nearly every club has increased their senior Academy intake from the junior intake.
Glous have done the same as exeter in terms of academy numbers.

Pretty much every club is no releasing that they need to be promoting younger players to help with the cap and EQP levels.

Hence the also increased numbers of championship players being signed.

[Which Tyler]

Thanks - Academy then. where would he be in the pecking order? Bare in mind I've only got 6 slots for each positionl.

[Doorzetbornandbred]

Thanks - Academy then. where would he be in the pecking order? Bare in mind I've only got 6 slots for each positionl.

Considering Kennys gone to Albion from Taunton and Southworths gone from Barnstaple to Taunton replacing Kenny Id say Kennys further up the pecking order.

[Which Tyler]

Thanks, I'll make the change.

ETA: Doing so, I had a quick scan of the academy places as you were suggesting; they're pretty much all up to the 15-20 member range now (except Bristol - newly promoted; and Sarries - haven't announced their new academy intake yet); whereas the more typical figure (feels like it) used to be 5-10ish

[Doorzetbornandbred]

Thanks, I'll make the change.

ETA: Doing so, I had a quick scan of the academy places as you were suggesting; they're pretty much all up to the 15-20 member range now (except Bristol - newly promoted; and Sarries - haven't announced their new academy intake yet); whereas the more typical figure (feels like it) used to be 5-10ish

They do seem to be using Academy lads as a means to get more money from the RFU, I only know what I know about the Chiefs lot as its the local club and Ive coached several of these lads at different times.

[jimKRFC]

Bristol - newly promoted

I think the small size of our academy is more due to the small catchment we had up until last year. Bristol's academy used to be only about half the city. We are putting in place additional coaching to improve things, we have a "transition coach" to help the move from junior to senior squads as well as signing up Peter Walton.

[Doorzetbornandbred]

Bristol - newly promoted

I think the small size of our academy is more due to the small catchment we had up until last year. Bristol's academy used to be only about half the city. We are putting in place additional coaching to improve things, we have a "transition coach" to help the move from junior to senior squads as well as signing up Peter Walton.

Thats a good signing getting Peter Walton.

[Tigersman]

Bristol - newly promoted

I think the small size of our academy is more due to the small catchment we had up until last year. Bristol's academy used to be only about half the city. We are putting in place additional coaching to improve things, we have a "transition coach" to help the move from junior to senior squads as well as signing up Peter Walton.

and you finished bottom of the U18 league so I can't imagine too many U18 players put their hands up in that year.

[jimKRFC]

and you finished bottom of the U18 league so I can't imagine too many U18 players put their hands up in that year.

True....

[Raggs]

Home grown Senior academy don't count towards salary cap. That's why they're filling out.

[Which Tyler]

Home grown Senior academy don't count towards salary cap. That's why they're filling out.

I thought they had a cap of their own?

[Raggs]

Home grown Senior academy don't count towards salary cap. That's why they're filling out.

I thought they had a cap of their own?

I think senior academy does, but not home grown. There's a limit on how much an academy player can earn and total size of senior academy i believe.

[Tigersman]

I believe there is a cap for Home Grow players aswell.

Think £600,000 of credits are available.

[Danno]

Given our leakiness last season I'm not terribly upset that Easter has left:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/ ... concussion

It's at the end of the article

[Which Tyler]

Right - this is what I've got now; witht he season about to kick-off.
We're unlikey to get any announcements until Tuesday, whilst the first match is Friday; and I'm going to be busy all week, so I thought I'd run the updates now. There probably are still 1-2 signings to come, but as of now, they'll pretty much be mid-season signings (eg Newcastle will want to replace Wilson; Guy Mercer is still looking for a home; injuries are inevitable)

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[Adam_P]

Quins have just signed Kunatani to add to their back row stocks

[Which Tyler]

Quins have just signed Kunatani to add to their back row stocks

Not in the last hour or so they haven't.

Though I have been told that Mark Jones left Sale a couple of days ago without me noticing - I'll have to run the edit when I'm back on the laptop, no way I'm trying that on a tablet.
Besides, it'll give me a few hours for any other mistakes to be noticed

[Adam_P]

Quins have just signed Kunatani to add to their back row stocks

Not in the last hour or so they haven't.

Was announced yesterday

[Which Tyler]

Quins have just signed Kunatani to add to their back row stocks

Not in the last hour or so they haven't.

Was announced yesterday

Yes, announced before I posted the squad list that includes his name in the Quin's backrow...

[Mikey Brown]

I know they’ve been trying times on here recently but are you going to cool it with your sass mouth once the season starts?

[Scrumhead]

Gopperth reported to be out for 9mths following a knee reconstruction. I hate to say it, but given he’s 35, that may effectively be career-ending.

I’d imagine they’ll play de Jongh or Lovabalavu at 12 but If they want a second playmaker instead, you’d have to think that opens the door for le Bourgeois to show whether he can cut it in the Premiership or not.

[Raggs]

If Searle continues to impress, it may be Sopoaga at 12.