Transfers rumours

[Scotty]

Bath face fight from West Country rival for England prop Beno Obano

Bath could be set to leave two significant pieces within their pack as Beno Obano and Zach Mercer become the subject of interest.

www.therugbypaper.co.uk

Chiefs after Obano,
Watson and JJ yet to sign new contracts at Bath
Mercer still linked with a move to France

Obano to Chiefs makes sense as he is a fringe international player who is very physical. I think he would do well at Chiefs BUT how much cap do we have? Big squad with quite a few internationals that all will want paying and have contracts.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

He may be a great guy but he's really not turned out to be the player we thought he would be...

Any news on whose replacing Diams by the way? Sanderson prehaps? or maybe Diams had a no.2 who could step up much like Blackett did?

Even the coaches didn't know until 7.45am the day he left - Paul Deacon has stepped into the HC role for now, see how he gets on I guess.

Would love to see Axe come home, but I imagine he's got an eye on the Sarries top job.

 

[will311293]

Obano to Chiefs makes sense as he is a fringe international player who is very physical. I think he would do well at Chiefs BUT how much cap do we have? Big squad with quite a few internationals that all will want paying and have contracts.

Yes you must be close to that limit and i can't imagine that one or two will be knocking on the door asking for a bump up especially simmonds bros. Who would Obano replace? Moon? or Hepburn?

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Origin for all of those was Ruck; and I don't think these guys bother with things like fact checking before reporting each others rumours.

According to Ruck, Obano to Exeter; Priestland to retirement; Mercer to Montpellier; Dunn and Ewels to France; JJ, Watson and Cokonasiga all back to LIrish...
so pretty much every Bath player with international ambitions to leave the club; 3 to remove themselves from international contention; 3 to a club who can't afford them and 1 to a club who can't afford him within the salary cap (depending on departures, of course).
Of the lot, only Obano and Rhys make any form of actual sense - the rest seemed to be a case of flinging mud and hoping something sticks; given the context around the original story, the same may well go for the realistic rumours.

Some of those don't make a lot of sense on the face of it. But I guess the great imponderable, as with every club, is their financial state.

I could understand Mercer going. He doesn't really seem close to getting an international look in and a change of scene and possibly bigger bucks may appeal.

Obano would be a bit odd if his motivations are international. Barf are obvs on Eng's radar with both Stuart and Dunn making the squad. His issue is that there are 3 good LHs ahead of him and irrespective of where he plays his club rugby he's almost certainly going to have to wait for Mako or Marler to retire before getting a real look in.

 

[will311293]

Even the coaches didn't know until 7.45am the day he left - Paul Deacon has stepped into the HC role for now, see how he gets on I guess.

Would love to see Axe come home, but I imagine he's got an eye on the Sarries top job.

Yeah he oozes class everytime he used to speak to BT and seems like a dream head coach. Sale squad IMO is slightly difficult atm. You have a blockbuster squad at the moment and im sure the club are being expected to make top 4 and challenge for ***les (obvs a good chance you would have made it if not for COVID). It's a fair burden to take on

 

[will311293]

Some of those don't make a lot of sense on the face of it. But I guess the great imponderable, as with every club, is their financial state.

I could understand Mercer going. He doesn't really seem close to getting an international look in and a change of scene and possibly bigger bucks may appeal.

Obano would be a bit odd if his motivations are international. Barf are obvs on Eng's radar with both Stuart and Dunn making the squad. His issue is that there are 3 good LHs ahead of him and irrespective of where he plays his club rugby he's almost certainly going to have to wait for Mako or Marler to retire before getting a real look in.

Dunn kind of makes sense as LCW & George are the dream team and Barbeary is the prodigal son. Ewels and Mercer leaving for France at 25 & 23 doesn't make much sense as they would want to be England regulars/squad members.

 

[BPM]

Mercer does seem to have been unfairly discarded by Eddie so I can imagine why he might see better pay and the opportunity to experience a different lifestyle as an attractive option. He's easily young enough to come back and challenge for England after a couple of years to line his pockets.

In contrast, Ewels is in almost every England squad and has been given plenty of opportunities by Eddie. If he is going it can only be money. Sounds like BS though.

Arguably Dunn has been the most shabbily treated, but I very much doubt a guy who was so publicly emotional about his debut is just going to up and leave so soon after.

The London Irish ones sound like complete fiction.

 

[will311293]

gotta love a rumour mill though....

We had Guy Thompson back to Wasps this week and Cordero in as well.

 

[BPM]

Cordero to Wasps has been going around for a while now. He's been linked to Quins too.

Thompson isn't playing for Ealing any time soon and is not getting younger, so he might fancy a 1yr deal?

 

[will311293]

Cordero to Wasps has been going around for a while now. He's been linked to Quins too.

Thompson isn't playing for Ealing any time soon and is not getting younger, so he might fancy a 1yr deal?

Can't see Cordero coming unless Bassett and Sops leave and even then gonna want some wonga. Thompson is probably more a nostalgic want haha. I think you will see a lot of players from championship moving on loan for fitness reasons and why i feel for Ealing slightly after building a squad worthy of challenging for the Championship and they could be pilfered now.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Can't see Cordero coming unless Bassett and Sops leave and even then gonna want some wonga.

I think Sopoaga leaving is a certainty - he'll be on a serious wage (when he signed he was being touted as the next big thing for the ABs) but hasn't delivered at all. Even if Wasps do want to keep him (and I don't know why they would, especially if Cordero is a faint possibility) they'd be looking to cut his wages by a lot.
I reckon he'll go to Japan

 

[will311293]

I think Sopoaga leaving is a certainty - he'll be on a serious wage (when he signed he was being touted as the next big thing for the ABs) but hasn't delivered at all. Even if Wasps do want to keep him (and I don't know why they would, especially if Cordero is a faint possibility) they'd be looking to cut his wages by a lot.
I reckon he'll go to Japan

Yeah he seems like a lovely guy and we have made some brilliant signings over the last few years but replacing Cips with him was a mistake. I really don't know what we will do, as Atkinson is a brilliant talent and so is Umaga but we do need an experienced 10 to steady the ship and it seems Jimmy might be slowing down, much like Steenson.

We really need a few lumpy locks and an inside centre too.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

rugbyinsideline (Lol) saying Sale are in talks with Thorley.

 

[will311293]

rugbyinsideline (Lol) saying Sale are in talks with Thorley.

@TRF_Olyy - who would Thorley replace? I am assuming Sale are pretty tight on the wage budget now? Even with two marquee players (assuming Faf, De Jaeger), it must be a tight salary cap. Thorley would most likely ask for a fair chunk of change i would imagine seeing as he is an England squad player and would probs command a fair fee.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

@TRF_Olyy - who would Thorley replace? I am assuming Sale are pretty tight on the wage budget now? Even with two marquee players (assuming Faf, De Jaeger), it must be a tight salary cap. Thorley would most likely ask for a fair chunk of change i would imagine seeing as he is an England squad player and would probs command a fair fee.

Think Yarde and McGuigan are out of contract - maybe McGuigan to Edinburgh to replace van der Merwe and be more on the Scottish selector's radar?
Yarde got a 12month extension after coming back from his injury - I wouldn't be surprised to see him leave. If he can get a decent wage at a French (or Japanese) club he should take it, the knee injury will have taken years off his career

 

[ALJ]

rugbyinsideline (Lol) saying Sale are in talks with Thorley.

Thorley signed extension on 24th of Dec (or at least that's when it was announced).

 

[will311293]

Some interesting rumours floating around atm.
So far i have seen...
Kolisi to Wasps
Stooke to Wasps (Done Deal apparently)
Devoto to Wasps (Via a service station haha)
Mike Brown to Falcons
Huw Jones to Irish
Fearns to Falcons
Tim Cardall to Glaws
Obano to numerous teams
Rowlands to (Insert Welsh Team here) - most likely Scarlets with Ball leaving


Anyone else got some good rumours? i think Devoto in the service station takes it at the moment but i'm looking forward to seeing Smith to Bath spotted in the pharmacy

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Seen Cipriani to Bath mentioned but that's likely just because he's jobless and Bath are losing Priestland

 

[will311293]

Seen Cipriani to Bath mentioned but that's likely just because he's jobless and Bath are losing Priestland

Saw that too, also read on the Bath forum they are nervous that Orlando Bailey is fed up with playing second fiddle and not getting game time.

Could all be hearsay but with the amount of game time young english 10's are currently getting atm (simmonds, Umaga, Atkinson, Smith etc) probably feeling a little aggrieved.

If Wasps do sign Stooke to replace Rowlands then i will be happy as great player to have within a squad.

 

[Geordie]

Mike Brown to us next season seems to be hanging around. Personally, whilst i think hes been a class player and thats a position we need to fix, i would say no and give one of our talented kids a go there.