RugbyRebels

Margin_Walker wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 11:09 am FWIW RiL saying that Bath have signed Charlie Griffin and Kepu Tuipulotu.

If that's true as well as the rumour about Offiah going there, they are really cleaning up on the best of that LI U17 crop from last year.

FKAS wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 11:14 am

Margin_Walker wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 11:09 am FWIW RiL saying that Bath have signed Charlie Griffin and Kepu Tuipulotu.

If that's true as well as the rumour about Offiah going there, they are really cleaning up on the best of that LI U17 crop from last year.

Bath at least used to wait until their early twenties before raiding LI...

Margin_Walker wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 11:09 am FWIW RiL saying that Bath have signed Charlie Griffin and Kepu Tuipulotu.

If that's true as well as the rumour about Offiah going there, they are really cleaning up on the best of that LI U17 crop from last year.

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 12:02 pm A] RiL saying something =/= that thing being true.
B] If it's true that the 3 academies are being disbanded - those 60-80 players are going to want to find a home somewhere.
B₂] Existing clubs are going to be most interested in the best talent from those 3 academies.
B₃] It's going to take more than 3 going to one club to start smelling fishy

Margin_Walker wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 12:14 pm

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 12:02 pm A] RiL saying something =/= that thing being true.
B] If it's true that the 3 academies are being disbanded - those 60-80 players are going to want to find a home somewhere.
B₂] Existing clubs are going to be most interested in the best talent from those 3 academies.
B₃] It's going to take more than 3 going to one club to start smelling fishy

It's all light hearted in good spirits. No offence intended.

I did preface with 'for what it's worth' on the RiL point to be fair.

Conversation for another thread, but there will be 100s of players looking for new homes when the academies close. They'll be younger than these final year lads though who are on the pro academy contract market now and were always going to be picked up.

Margin_Walker wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 12:14 pmIt's all light hearted in good spirits. No offence intended.

Banquo wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 12:29 pmthere will be 100's more if 35+12 kicks in

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 12:32 pm

Margin_Walker wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 12:14 pmIt's all light hearted in good spirits. No offence intended.

No offence taken. Just thought it was worth the reminder.

Banquo wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 12:29 pmthere will be 100's more if 35+12 kicks in

FTFY
I'm still hoping it doesn't, as it's simply silly.

Banquo wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 12:57 pmAs an aside, the 76 players who appear to be on Bath's roster also looks a bit silly. There is a middle ground you'd think tho.

Banquo wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 12:57 pm****its the RFU, could easily change. Know more after Friday*****

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 1:05 pm

Banquo wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 12:57 pmAs an aside, the 76 players who appear to be on Bath's roster also looks a bit silly. There is a middle ground you'd think tho.

It does - but then, including 18 year old on the senior roster has always been silly IMO. It was silly when Exeter were doing it (do they still?) and it's silly when Bath do it.

Banquo wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 12:57 pm****its the RFU, could easily change. Know more after Friday*****

This was more my point though. As far as I'm aware (and I'm way less connected than you) negotiations are ongoing. RFU can propose what they like, but if no-one agrees, then it's not agreed upon.

Banquo wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 12:57 pmAs an aside, the 76 players who appear to be on Bath's roster also looks a bit silly. There is a middle ground you'd think tho.

francoisfou wrote: ↑Wed Apr 17, 2024 6:16 pm The idefatigable Jimmy Gopperth, who'll be 41 in June, has extended his contract with ProD2 side Provence Rugby by one year, at least, and that season could be in the Top14.
His club are currently 2nd with four matches remaining which are definitely winnable.
He's played 23 of the 25 matches this season and he's at 85% kicking for the posts.
George North will join Provence next season so it'd be great to see them both in the Top14.

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Wed Apr 17, 2024 4:25 pm

Banquo wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 12:57 pmAs an aside, the 76 players who appear to be on Bath's roster also looks a bit silly. There is a middle ground you'd think tho.

Out of interest - just been answering some questions on expected / possible departures, and looking at Bath's squad.
Can you remember the number allowed for the academy? Because that's where Bath will come unstuck (assuming the 35+12 does indeed go through)
Currently, Bath's senior squad looks to have 48 players, 1 of whom (Owen) is thought to have already left, whilst another (Le Roux) is thought to not have started yet.
So depending what counts as "transition from the academy" we're already within the 35+12 (I make it 13 home grown senior players aged 24 or under at the start of the current season).

It's the 30 academy players being reduced to ??? that's going to be where we (well, the players) are screwed.
It looks like we're only graduating 1 (Treacey) from the U18 to the senior academy this year (where he'll likely be supplemented by the likes of Offiah, Griffin, and Tipolotu - which suggests that Van Graan is already being ruthless there; and presumably will be ruthless with academy graduates into the senior squad as well.

francoisfou wrote: ↑Wed Apr 17, 2024 6:16 pm The idefatigable Jimmy Gopperth, who'll be 41 in June, has extended his contract with ProD2 side Provence Rugby by one year, at least, and that season could be in the Top14.
His club are currently 2nd with four matches remaining which are definitely winnable.
He's played 23 of the 25 matches this season and he's at 85% kicking for the posts.
George North will join Provence next season so it'd be great to see them both in the Top14.

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Wed Apr 17, 2024 4:25 pm

Banquo wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 12:57 pmAs an aside, the 76 players who appear to be on Bath's roster also looks a bit silly. There is a middle ground you'd think tho.

Out of interest - just been answering some questions on expected / possible departures, and looking at Bath's squad.
Can you remember the number allowed for the academy? Because that's where Bath will come unstuck (assuming the 35+12 does indeed go through)
Currently, Bath's senior squad looks to have 48 players, 1 of whom (Owen) is thought to have already left, whilst another (Le Roux) is thought to not have started yet.
So depending what counts as "transition from the academy" we're already within the 35+12 (I make it 13 home grown senior players aged 24 or under at the start of the current season).

It's the 30 academy players being reduced to ??? that's going to be where we (well, the players) are screwed.
It looks like we're only graduating 1 (Treacey) from the U18 to the senior academy this year (where he'll likely be supplemented by the likes of Offiah, Griffin, and Tipolotu - which suggests that Van Graan is already being ruthless there; and presumably will be ruthless with academy graduates into the senior squad as well.

Banquo wrote: ↑Thu Apr 18, 2024 11:22 amPepper to Baath confirmed

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Thu Apr 18, 2024 11:57 am

Banquo wrote: ↑Thu Apr 18, 2024 11:22 amPepper to Baath confirmed

3 years
https://www.bathrugby.com/content/guy-p ... -year-deal

FKAS wrote: ↑Thu Apr 18, 2024 12:15 pmDo we know if the rumours around one year development, two years senior with substantial salary uplift after year one are true?

Margin_Walker wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 11:09 am FWIW RiL saying that Bath have signed Charlie Griffin and Kepu Tuipulotu.

If that's true as well as the rumour about Offiah going there, they are really cleaning up on the best of that LI U17 crop from last year.