Worcester Warriors

[EdBirch]

From post game interview saturday.

Worcester head coach Jonathan Thomas:

"That scoreline is not acceptable. Our supporters don't deserve a result like that.

"The club is in transition. There are 20 players leaving the club at the end of the season so there is a lot going on behind the scenes.

"We are not a bad team. The youngsters are working hard at the game but we are not on top of it in terms of confidence."

Interesting that we're getting rid of that many. Cutting a lot out and reducing squad size. Explains most of the signings being people not on the International scene

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

20 players is a lot.
Speaking as someone who follows a club with experience of this, if the signings you get to replacement them are not right then you will likely find that number of leavers becomes a regular thing.


Thomas reminds me a bit of Murphy, get into a losing streak dangle a game with plenty of youngsters in it they lose but hey at least they got game time.

 

[Crash Hamster]

20 players leaving is more than just transition, it's starting again. The players leaving seem to have less good replacements coming in. Hoo-ha might have slowed up a little, but I'd still rather see him than Heinz Chutney.

Awful again at the weekend; I know Eddie Jones gets the mickey taken for 'bounce time' but there's a degree of truth in it. I don't want to pick on Searle specifically, but he was spending a lot of time lying around, walking and being hopelessly out of position. He's not alone.

I'm feeling that a late-season charge to 4th in the table then winning the playoffs is unlikely...

 

[EdBirch]

Yeah that's what scares me Tigs Man. We're definitely not good enough at the moment and haven't been for a while, if it hadn't been for Sarries last season or COVID this one, we'd been in the Champ. We need an overhaul and have a big squad that is largely injured or unused.

Yeah Crash Hamster, looks like the playoff final dream is over

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Baldwin is definitely a great signing though imo

2. Baldwin
3. Schonert
4. Batley
6. Hill
Is a very good base for the pack.

 

[EdBirch]

It'll be an interesting few months ahead in the market for us.

 

[Scotty]

From post game interview saturday.

Worcester head coach Jonathan Thomas:

"That scoreline is not acceptable. Our supporters don't deserve a result like that.

"The club is in transition. There are 20 players leaving the club at the end of the season so there is a lot going on behind the scenes.

"We are not a bad team. The youngsters are working hard at the game but we are not on top of it in terms of confidence."

Interesting that we're getting rid of that many. Cutting a lot out and reducing squad size. Explains most of the signings being people not on the International scene

Any idea or a link of the 20?

 

[EdBirch]

So this is a theorized 20 from a Worcester Forum

Callum Black
Connor Carey
Rich Palframan
Isaac Miller
Graham Kitchener
Anton Bresler
George Merrick
Matti Williams
Matt Cox
Caleb Montgomery
GJ Van Velze
Cornell Du Preez
Francois Hougaard
Michael Heaney
Jono Kitto
Luke Baldwin
Duncan Weir
Scott Van Breda
Chris Pennell
Ed Fidow

 

[Crash Hamster]

So how many of those will be performing well for a different team further up the Premiership (or similar) next season and how many are deemed surplus to requirements at Worcester?

There are quite few 'really didn't work out' signings and the odd retirement.

 

[Reiser99]

Thing is a recruitment policy needs to have a purpose and structure behind it. What type of game plan are you aiming for? Who will fit into it? Worcester feel like Leicester did a few years ago. Try and get anyone in who might have a small impact regardless of the bigger picture. It doesn't work in the long run. Now Borthwick seems to be planning and selecting around an overall game plan and structure and recruitment is focused on players who fit into it. Still got work to do, but Leicester are heading in the right direction.

 

[EdBirch]

Thing is a recruitment policy needs to have a purpose and structure behind it. What type of game plan are you aiming for? Who will fit into it? Worcester feel like Leicester did a few years ago. Try and get anyone in who might have a small impact regardless of the bigger picture. It doesn't work in the long run. Now Borthwick seems to be planning and selecting around an overall game plan and structure and recruitment is focused on players who fit into it. Still got work to do, but Leicester are heading in the right direction.

At the moment only the coaches know the answer to that. I get the feeling we want to play a faster game to suit our surface and don't have the personnel to achieve that

 

[BPM]

So how many of those will be performing well for a different team further up the Premiership (or similar) next season and how many are deemed surplus to requirements at Worcester?

There are quite few 'really didn't work out' signings and the odd retirement.

I'm not sure there are too many major losses in there TBH?

Hougaard, du Preez and Weir are the only ones I'd be losing any sleep over. Pennell, Bresler, and van Velze have been great servants for Worcester over the years but are past their best.

A lot of the others don't or at least shouldn't trouble the first choice 23 so it does feel like there's a fair bit of dead wood being shifted.

The academy has been producing some good players. Lawrence and Hill are the obvious ones but Butler, David, Cutting and Owen are good too. I also liked the look of Heward when he played last season and I know Holsey is very highly rated too.

Much better to replace average squad players with home grown players with high potential.

 

[Crash Hamster]

I'm not sure there are too many major losses in there TBH?

Hougaard, du Preez and Weir are the only ones I'd be losing any sleep over. Pennell, Bresler, and van Velze have been great servants for Worcester over the years but are past their best.

A lot of the others don't or at least shouldn't trouble the first choice 23 so it does feel like there's a fair bit of dead wood being shifted.

The academy has been producing some good players. Lawrence and Hill are the obvious ones but Butler, David, Cutting and Owen are good too. I also liked the look of Heward when he played last season and I know Holsey is very highly rated too.

Much better to replace average squad players with home grown players with high potential.

Agreed, plenty of good young players coming through. Amazing how many others leave Worcester and go on to more success elsewhere in the Prem (or similar) though... he types, while watching Former Worcester Warrior Blair Cowan playing against Former Worcester Warrior Josh Adams in Europe while Warriors have a 'well deserved week off'.

It's almost as if Worcester don't get the best out of the players they have...

Interesting to see that Graham Kitchener may not even be considered the best lock in his family any more. Meanwhile Ed Fidwho on the way out? Now there's a conspicuously unsuccessful signing for one reason or another.

 

[Crash Hamster]

Oops, forgot Former Worcester Warrior Augustin Crevy too...

 

[BPM]

Accurate, but a bit harsh IMO. Creevy and Cowan were both a long time ago at very different points in their careers. Arguably, both would have been a bit of a punt at that stage, not the players they are today.

The Welsh minimum caps policy meant that Adams was always going to leave for Wales once he get capped. I wouldn't blame that on anyone at Worcester.

I think the signings so far have been fairly canny. Chudley is not at Hougaard's level, but he's still a good Premiership 9 and van der Merwe will be the best winger you've had since Heem/Adams.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I thought Creevey was great at Wuss tbf,
Think Kvesics best form was pre-Exe move as well

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Kvesic best form for me was at worcester
Josh Adams best form was easily at Worcester
Bryce Heem also


Honestly off the top of my head
Singleton
Spencer
VPR
All played their best rugby at Worcester

IMO their biggest thing like Tigers is crappy upper management.

 

[Geordie]

Is Duncan Weir heading back to Scotland? We are crying out for a quality experienced 10.

 

[Crash Hamster]

Is Duncan Weir heading back to Scotland? We are crying out for a quality experienced 10.

Yes, he's leaving Warriors for, er, Warriors...

 

[Geordie]

Ah i thought he must have been.