Sale vs Saints

[Puja]

SALE
15 Mikey Haley
14 Denny Solomona
13 Sam James
12 Mark Jennings
11 Marland Yarde
10 James O'Connor
9 Faf de Klerk
1 Ross Harrison
2 Rob Webber
3 Will Griff John
4 Bryn Evans
5 Andrei Ostrikov
6 Jono Ross (capt)
7 Ben Curry
8 Josh Strauss

16 Mark Jones
17 James Flynn
18 Halani Aulika
19 George Not
20 Cameron Neild
21 Janse van Rensburg
22 Will Cliff
23 Will Addison

SAINTS
15 Harry Mallinder
14 Juan Pablo Estelles
13 Rory Hutchinson
12 Tom Stephenson
11 Ben Foden
10 James Grayson
9 Cobus Reinach
1 Alex Waller
2 Mikey Haywood
3 Jamal Ford-Robinson
4 Michael Paterson
5 Sam Dickinson (capt)
6 Tom Wood
7 Jamie Gibson
8 Teimana Harrison

16 Reece Marshall
17 Francois van Wyk
18 Paul Hill
19 Alex Moon
20 Mitch Eadie
21 Nic Groom
22 Stephen Myler
23 Tom Collins

[Banquo]

yay, Tom Stephenson! Has Collins been struggling, or are they just looking for experience in the backline?

[Spiffy]

Whatever happened to star RL wing, Charnley, who joined Sale last season but hardly seems able to get a game? Presumably he's still on the books but just not selected?

[Digby]

What's going on with Neild?

[Adam_P]

I like the Saints backline, despite these selections being forces through injury/bans/internationals. I just worry that going Grayson is going to have to deal with crap ball all game as a pack with Dickinson at lock, and both Wood and Gibson together in the back row is not great. I would have started Moon and had a back row of 6. Wood/Gibson 7. Harrison 8. Eadie.

[Puja]

Whatever happened to star RL wing, Charnley, who joined Sale last season but hardly seems able to get a game? Presumably he's still on the books but just not selected?

He is still there - just hasn't adapted to the game at all and I've given up hope now. He's okay, but nowhere near where he apparently was in league and I fully expect him to cross back for the next league season.

What's going on with Neild?

Had a concerted run at being a hooker at the start of the season which ended abruptly when he had a game of lineout throwing that Trevor Leota would've been disappointed with and was given the shepherd's crook. Unfortunately, while he was trying that, Ross and Strauss were settling in and the two Currys have been shining, so there's not much space in the back-row anymore.

Any other questions?

Puja

[Banquo]

Whatever happened to star RL wing, Charnley, who joined Sale last season but hardly seems able to get a game? Presumably he's still on the books but just not selected?

He is still there - just hasn't adapted to the game at all and I've given up hope now. He's okay, but nowhere near where he apparently was in league and I fully expect him to cross back for the next league season.

What's going on with Neild?

Had a concerted run at being a hooker at the start of the season which ended abruptly when he had a game of lineout throwing that Trevor Leota would've been disappointed with and was given the shepherd's crook. Unfortunately, while he was trying that, Ross and Strauss were settling in and the two Currys have been shining, so there's not much space in the back-row anymore.

Any other questions?

Puja

Have you seen Charnley play much then?

[Mellsblue]

Whatever happened to star RL wing, Charnley, who joined Sale last season but hardly seems able to get a game? Presumably he's still on the books but just not selected?

He is still there - just hasn't adapted to the game at all and I've given up hope now. He's okay, but nowhere near where he apparently was in league and I fully expect him to cross back for the next league season.

What's going on with Neild?

Had a concerted run at being a hooker at the start of the season which ended abruptly when he had a game of lineout throwing that Trevor Leota would've been disappointed with and was given the shepherd's crook. Unfortunately, while he was trying that, Ross and Strauss were settling in and the two Currys have been shining, so there's not much space in the back-row anymore.

Any other questions?

Puja

Have you seen Charnley play much then?

Nobody has. I believe the return to League is between two clubs, can’t remember which, but everyone including the player is exiecting him to go back to league.

[Digby]

Neild was been playing hooker a while, why did one game see an abrupt end to that?

[Banquo]

He is still there - just hasn't adapted to the game at all and I've given up hope now. He's okay, but nowhere near where he apparently was in league and I fully expect him to cross back for the next league season.


Had a concerted run at being a hooker at the start of the season which ended abruptly when he had a game of lineout throwing that Trevor Leota would've been disappointed with and was given the shepherd's crook. Unfortunately, while he was trying that, Ross and Strauss were settling in and the two Currys have been shining, so there's not much space in the back-row anymore.

Any other questions?

Puja

Have you seen Charnley play much then?

Nobody has. I believe the return to League is between two clubs, can’t remember which, but everyone including the player is exiecting him to go back to league.

seems a bit odd, he's not played much

[Mellsblue]

Have you seen Charnley play much then?

Nobody has. I believe the return to League is between two clubs, can’t remember which, but everyone including the player is exiecting him to go back to league.

seems a bit odd, he's not played much

He had a decent run when he first moved across and just didn’t score anywhere near enough. Especially when compared to Drunky Solomona on the other wing scoring at will. I think he was then injured and hasn’t managed to force his way back in with Drunky and McGuigan playing so well this season. Even when he wasn’t injured I think he fell behind Odogwu in the pecking order last season.
He hasn’t really been given a proper run at it - half a season probably - but he’s on relatively big money, I believe, and he hasn’t looked like delivering. I only saw him a handful of times when he moved over but he just didn’t look like he ‘got’ Union, he never looked at ease or natural in a game. I’m not sure whether Yarde’s arrival was because of Charnley’s impending move or was the push for him to get the move but his now fourth choice and that can’t be where anyone anticipated he would be when he swapped codes.

[Puja]

Have you seen Charnley play much then?

Nobody has. I believe the return to League is between two clubs, can’t remember which, but everyone including the player is exiecting him to go back to league.

seems a bit odd, he's not played much

He's had a reasonable bit - played about 12 games last season and has had about another 3-4 this year. And that's just first team - he's played a bit in the A-league as well. As Mells said, he's suffered from Drunkie Denny taking to the game like a duck to water, but mostly it's about the fact that he looks lost and confused every game and that doesn't seem to be changing hugely even with time. Some people are good at one sport and not another and I don't think there's any shame in him going back to the one where he's naturally talented.

Puja

[Spiffy]

Nobody has. I believe the return to League is between two clubs, can’t remember which, but everyone including the player is exiecting him to go back to league.

seems a bit odd, he's not played much

He had a decent run when he first moved across and just didn’t score anywhere near enough. Especially when compared to Drunky Solomona on the other wing scoring at will. I think he was then injured and hasn’t managed to force his way back in with Drunky and McGuigan playing so well this season. Even when he wasn’t injured I think he fell behind Odogwu in the pecking order last season.
He hasn’t really been given a proper run at it - half a season probably - but he’s on relatively big money, I believe, and he hasn’t looked like delivering. I only saw him a handful of times when he moved over but he just didn’t look like he ‘got’ Union, he never looked at ease or natural in a game. I’m not sure whether Yarde’s arrival was because of Charnley’s impending move or was the push for him to get the move but his now fourth choice and that can’t be where anyone anticipated he would be when he swapped codes.

In the same vein - what has happened to Odogwu? You would have predicted a big future for him last season, but we haven't heard of him since. I'd totally forgotton about him to be honest (probably like many other posters here.)

[Mellsblue]

seems a bit odd, he's not played much

He had a decent run when he first moved across and just didn’t score anywhere near enough. Especially when compared to Drunky Solomona on the other wing scoring at will. I think he was then injured and hasn’t managed to force his way back in with Drunky and McGuigan playing so well this season. Even when he wasn’t injured I think he fell behind Odogwu in the pecking order last season.
He hasn’t really been given a proper run at it - half a season probably - but he’s on relatively big money, I believe, and he hasn’t looked like delivering. I only saw him a handful of times when he moved over but he just didn’t look like he ‘got’ Union, he never looked at ease or natural in a game. I’m not sure whether Yarde’s arrival was because of Charnley’s impending move or was the push for him to get the move but his now fourth choice and that can’t be where anyone anticipated he would be when he swapped codes.

In the same vein - what has happened to Odogwu? You would have predicted a big future for him last season, but we haven't heard of him since. I'd totally forgotton about him to be honest (probably like many other posters here.)

I think he’s mostly playing for Sale Jets in League 2 North, ie fourth tier rugby.

[Digby]

Is there less drug testing in league 2 North?

[Mellsblue]

Is there less drug testing in league 2 North?

Can I assume he’s failed a drugs test?

[Digby]

Is there less drug testing in league 2 North?

Can I assume he’s failed a drugs test?

I wouldn't. But something a bit weird has happened to see him drop that far.

[Mellsblue]

Is there less drug testing in league 2 North?

Can I assume he’s failed a drugs test?

I wouldn't. But something a bit weird has happened to see him drop that far.

Agreed.

[Puja]

Is there less drug testing in league 2 North?

Can I assume he’s failed a drugs test?

I wouldn't. But something a bit weird has happened to see him drop that far.

Given that he was fired from Leicester despite being considered a prospect and is now nowhere near the Sale team after playing very well indeed, one would have to assume a disciplinary issue somewhere.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Can I assume he’s failed a drugs test?

I wouldn't. But something a bit weird has happened to see him drop that far.

Given that he was fired from Leicester despite being considered a prospect and is now nowhere near the Sale team after playing very well indeed, one would have to assume a disciplinary issue somewhere.

Puja

Double post.

[Mellsblue]

Can I assume he’s failed a drugs test?

I wouldn't. But something a bit weird has happened to see him drop that far.

Given that he was fired from Leicester despite being considered a prospect and is now nowhere near the Sale team after playing very well indeed, one would have to assume a disciplinary issue somewhere.

Puja

Hopefully Yarde can get him back on track.....