A place where escape goats go to play
https://www.notplanetrugby.com/
Yeah, there’s a case for that. Maybe ceasing to exist might be seen as a smigeon harsh. (And cease to exist , they might.)Raggs wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 5:54 pm Vindictive shmindictive. I'd just find it bloody hilarious.
Edit - and they've only been relegated and fined. New updated regs would have seen them stripped of trophies too.
I was more referring to all the other championship clubs.Rhubarb & Custard wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 7:29 pm It does seem a bit different when we're on the verge of saying those top clubs will be enshrined and not have to continually earn their place, but I take your point, and they're not easy to sympathise with.
It's certainly going to make avoiding relegation this season all the more important, or face disappearing into purgatory for a few years.Margin__Walker wrote: Fri Jul 31, 2020 9:49 am Detailed summary of the Championship proposal.
Looks like Rugbypass have seen a copy
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/english- ... mpionship/
Some of the figures look a bit fanciful on first glance. With bands of players drafted after their first year in the regional hubs onto set salaries at prem clubs of 50 to 90k. Can't think there are many 19 year olds in the prem on that kind of money.
Margin__Walker wrote: Fri Jul 31, 2020 9:49 am Detailed summary of the Championship proposal.
Looks like Rugbypass have seen a copy
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/english- ... mpionship/
Some of the figures look a bit fanciful on first glance. With bands of players drafted after their first year in the regional hubs onto set salaries at prem clubs of 50 to 90k. Can't think there are many 19 year olds in the prem on that kind of money.
Shenanigans!put together by Ed Griffiths, the former Saracens chief executive
Club in the running for top 4, so basically anyone in the top 6 currently I'd say.sockwithaticket wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2020 9:13 am The Rugby Paper alleging that a top 4 club is currently under salary cap investigation.
That would be, for those who've forgotten or can't be arsed to check, one of Exeter, Northampton, Bristol or Sale.
On a scale of Quins (£12k over and a minor fine) to Sarries (wholesale financial doping, consistent lying about the situation and de facto relegation) what do we reckon?
Ah, yes, so chuck in Bath and Wasps. Suddenly one team looks more likely than others...Raggs wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2020 9:25 amClub in the running for top 4, so basically anyone in the top 6 currently I'd say.sockwithaticket wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2020 9:13 am The Rugby Paper alleging that a top 4 club is currently under salary cap investigation.
That would be, for those who've forgotten or can't be arsed to check, one of Exeter, Northampton, Bristol or Sale.
On a scale of Quins (£12k over and a minor fine) to Sarries (wholesale financial doping, consistent lying about the situation and de facto relegation) what do we reckon?
FILTHY WASPS!sockwithaticket wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2020 9:28 amAh, yes, so chuck in Bath and Wasps. Suddenly one team looks more likely than others...Raggs wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2020 9:25 amClub in the running for top 4, so basically anyone in the top 6 currently I'd say.sockwithaticket wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2020 9:13 am The Rugby Paper alleging that a top 4 club is currently under salary cap investigation.
That would be, for those who've forgotten or can't be arsed to check, one of Exeter, Northampton, Bristol or Sale.
On a scale of Quins (£12k over and a minor fine) to Sarries (wholesale financial doping, consistent lying about the situation and de facto relegation) what do we reckon?
Still looking at Exeter myself. Lots of very good players, international or just sub international, where their worth is huge. And also a huge squad.JM2K6 wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2020 9:31 amFILTHY WASPS!
Er I'd say Sale/Bath/Bristol on the basis of not much except their spending habits (in Bath's case there's a lot more obviously)
It would be a big blow to the league if they were to be found in contravention of anything. Even something small, due to their rivalry with Sarries and comments around the breach, would be blown up in the rugy media.JM2K6 wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2020 9:40 am Yup I think I and others are sleeping on them purely because we want them to be the good guys to Sarries' bad guys, and because of how loud they've been about Sarries' cheating.
It's Fissler reporting it so a 50/50 chance of being wrong if some of his transfer "scoops" are anything to go bysockwithaticket wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2020 9:13 am The Rugby Paper alleging that a top 4 club is currently under salary cap investigation.
That would be, for those who've forgotten or can't be arsed to check, one of Exeter, Northampton, Bristol or Sale.
On a scale of Quins (£12k over and a minor fine) to Sarries (wholesale financial doping, consistent lying about the situation and de facto relegation) what do we reckon?
It;s like the first day of the season isn't it? Some new players for every team, but there's been a reduced pre-season training, nor pre-season friendlies etc.Margin__Walker wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:43 pm Finally game week for the GP. Are we expecting any huge reversals in form from any club following the break
Margin__Walker wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:43 pm Finally game week for the GP. Are we expecting any huge reversals in form from any club following the break
Hask uses teambinjuice a lot in house of rugbySaintK wrote: Fri Jul 31, 2020 3:36 pm Any Instagrammers come across Binjuice before? Wondering who it is!
https://www.instagram.com/teambinjuice/?hl=en ?
Tigers should be good to go thenMargin__Walker wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2020 1:16 pm Yep, will be interesting to see if clubs that got through with little off season drama fare better.
Can't wait to watch some domestic rugby again. May well binge and watch every game.
It would be vaguely amusing if Exeter were pinged, given how vocal Tony Rowe was about Sarries cheating at the time.JM2K6 wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2020 9:40 am Yup I think I and others are sleeping on them purely because we want them to be the good guys to Sarries' bad guys, and because of how loud they've been about Sarries' cheating.
Lee Blackett confirmed that the hulking Will Rowlands is to stay at the club, defying rumours linking him with a move to the Dragons in Wales. Much fancied young gun Thibaud Flament is also staying put. Together with England veteran Joe Launchbury, club stalwart James Gaskell and the up and the up and coming Theo Vukasinovic and Myles Edwards, Wasps engine room larder looks well stocked.
Good news for our lock stocks. Rowlands has been a really key player for us over the last few years and keeps getting better. Not so great for our EQP average, but we've got plenty throughout the squad.SaintK wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2020 9:34 am Rowlands staying at Wasps, Flament staying put as wellLee Blackett confirmed that the hulking Will Rowlands is to stay at the club, defying rumours linking him with a move to the Dragons in Wales. Much fancied young gun Thibaud Flament is also staying put. Together with England veteran Joe Launchbury, club stalwart James Gaskell and the up and the up and coming Theo Vukasinovic and Myles Edwards, Wasps engine room larder looks well stocked.
Week One (6 July) - 804 players and club staff were tested. Of these, ten people tested positive. Of those ten, six were players and four non-playing staff
Week Two (13 July) - 856 players and club staff were tested. Of these, nine people tested positive. Of those nine, seven were players and two non-playing staff.
Week Three (20 July) – 896 players and club staff were tested. Of these, two players tested positive.
Week Four (27 July) - 846 players and club staff were tested. Of these, five people tested positive. Of those five, four were players and one was a non-playing member of staff.
Week Five (3 August) – 917 players and club staff were tested. Of these, two people tested positive. Of those two, one was a player and one was a non-playing member of staff.
Week Six 1 (10 August) – 989 players and club staff were tested. Of those four people tested positive. Of those three, one is a player and three are non-playing members of staff.
Should be a cracking signing.
Yeah, great player. Hopefully he's got another campaign in his legs.
Bigger thing is hoping he gets a campaign to play inMargin__Walker wrote: Wed Aug 12, 2020 9:08 pmYeah, great player. Hopefully he's got another campaign in his legs.
Forwards
Motu Matu’u, Matt Cornish, Agustin Creevy, Sekope Kepu, Harry Elrington, Allan Dell, Will Goodrick-Clarke, Lovejoy Chawatama, Ollie Hoskins, Adam Coleman, Rob Simmons*, Steve Mafi, George Nott, Jack Cooke, Albert Tuisue, Seán O’Brien, Blair Cowan, Matt Rogerson, Isaac Curtis-Harris
Backs
Ben Meehan, Nick Phipps, Rory Brand, Paddy Jackson, Jacob Atkins, Theo Brophy Clews, Terrence Hepetema, Curtis Rona, Matt Williams, Phil Cokanasiga, Ben Loader, Waisake Naholo, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Charlton Kerr, Tom Parton, Tom Homer
Short-term contracted players
Brendan Macken, James Stokes, Ross Neal, TJ Ioane, Sebastian de Chaves
Senior Academy (2nd and 3rd years)
Ben Atkins, Luke Green, Chunya Munga, Ben Donnell, Josh Smart, Izaiha Moore-Aiono, Caolan Englefield
*Joins after the conclusion of Super Rugby AU
Struggle to argue with that. Sale are definitely favourites for me, but could see Smith and Marchant creating some magic with Dombrandt running lines. Problem is, I can see Sale winning with just basic grinding rugby, and not needing to do anything special, I don't see Quins winning the same way.Jim Lahey wrote: Fri Aug 14, 2020 9:13 am Bookies have Sale by 6 tonight.
Anyone have any dissenting views? On paper and given the lack of home crowd advantage I think it might be a prison-style dressing down for Quins.