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#Post#: 134789--------------------------------------------------
The biggest flops in Premiership history By Ben Coles
DIR By: deadlyfrom5yardsout
Date: March 5, 2025, 3:01 am
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The biggest flops in Premiership history
By Ben Coles
It’s official: South African fly-half Handrè Pollard is leaving
Leicester Tigers at the end of the season. He may not have hit
the heights many hoped he would when he arrived from
Montpellier, but a flop? That feels like a stretch when you
compare the Springbok No 10 to these other signings who failed
to make a mark in England...
Jeremy Paul (Gloucester)
Gloucester signed the World Cup-winning hooker on a three-year
contract. Arriving late after the 2007 tournament in France,
Paul made only six appearances before leaving the following
summer, just one year into his deal. When Gloucester announced
the move, Dean Ryan, their director of rugby, described Paul as
“a major signing” who would “bring huge experience and
leadership qualities” and was “a key part of the jigsaw”. It
never worked out.
Nemani Nadolo (Exeter)
A very good player for a long part of his career with the
Crusaders, Montpellier and Leicester – plus of course Fiji –
Nadolo’s time with Exeter at the start of his career went less
well. He left the club after only four appearances by mutual
consent. A month beforehand he had been mistakenly included in
Exeter’s squad for a game against Leeds, giving Exeter too many
overseas players in their squad. That led to the club receiving
a two-point deduction and a £5,000 fine.
Nemani Nadolo in a rare appearance for Leicester in September
2022, one of only four games he played for the club
Napolioni Nalaga (London Irish)
The Exiles swung for the fences plenty of times with their
recruitment and missed – Pieter Roussouw, CJ van der Linde, Andy
Goode – but Nalaga might have been the most disappointing.
Joining the club at the age of 31, the brilliant Clermont wing
had just scored 21 tries in 32 games for Lyon when he arrived in
the Premiership. After a run of injuries he left the club having
made three appearances in two seasons.
Stephen Donald (Bath)
Fresh off his incredible cameo to help New Zealand end their
Rugby World Cup drought, famously cutting short his fishing
holiday, Donald signed for Bath and joined at the end of 2011.
He made 31 appearances and then left for Japan with a year left
on his contract, having lost his starting spot to Tom Heathcote.
Stephen Donald scaled the heights for the All Blacks but made
little impact at Bath
Richie Gray (Sale)
Signing the Scotland lock on a three-year deal was viewed as a
coup back in 2012, but after one season in Manchester he left to
join Castres in the Top 14 after exercising a break clause in
his contract.
Craig Quinnell (Saracens)
Never a good sign when a club opts to put you up for sale six
months into a four-year contract worth half a million pounds, is
it? Saracens invested heavily back in 2002 to acquire Quinnell
from Cardiff but the Wales lock was not there for long after
falling foul of coach Wayne Shelford. He joined Worcester and
then Cardiff Blues.
Sam Burgess of Bath offloads as he is tackled by Maro Itoje of
Saracens during the Aviva Premiership final at Twickenham on May
30, 2015
Rugby-league convert Sam Burgess arrived at Bath to much fanfare
but never found his feet
Sam Burgess (Bath)
This is an indictment of everyone involved, not just Burgess. He
joined on a three-year contract fresh from guiding the South
Sydney Rabbitohs to glory and was never really given enough time
to hone his game in union. Having arrived at Bath in November
2014 he was back in rugby league by the following December,
partly because he was scapegoated for England’s 2015 World Cup
exit following his rushed inclusion. It still feels like a
colossal waste of potential.
Epi Taione (Sale)
Living up to the club’s name, Taione left Sale Sharks in 2006
after receiving an 18-game ban for biting Munster’s Denis Leamy.
He made one start in three appearances during his only season at
the club.
Waisea Nayacalevu of Sale Sharks crashes into Newcastle Falcons
defence during a Premiership match on February 16
Fiji captain Waisea Nayacalevu left Sale for Ospreys after
playing just seven matches Credit: Jan Kruger/Getty Images
Waisea Nayacalevu (Sale)
The most recent addition, Nayacalevu looked like an excellent
bit of business for Sale to add to their midfield when he
arrived last summer. The Fiji captain, however, who signed a
one-year deal with an option for another season, joined Ospreys
after only seven matches.
Chris Jack (Saracens)
The All Blacks lock hardly set the world on fire during his two
seasons in the Premiership and was strangely used a lot at six
by Saracens (coached by a certain Eddie Jones). Then on his way
out, Jack claimed that “if I wanted to play easy rugby, I would
have stayed up in the northern hemisphere”. If he did find it
easy, it never looked like it.
#Post#: 134790--------------------------------------------------
Re: The biggest flops in Premiership history By Ben Coles
DIR By: deadlyfrom5yardsout
Date: March 5, 2025, 3:02 am
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I reckon you lot could add a few names to that list....
#Post#: 134792--------------------------------------------------
Re: The biggest flops in Premiership history By Ben Coles
DIR By: poorfour
Date: March 5, 2025, 3:26 am
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I seem to remember we got more good games out of Epi Taione than
most of the clubs he played for, though he was called Paddy
Power for part of that time.
I prefer to celebrate the signings that massively overperformed
expectation, though. Mike Ross, Olly Kohn, Mo Fa'asavalu...
#Post#: 134794--------------------------------------------------
Re: The biggest flops in Premiership history By Ben Coles
DIR By: DOK
Date: March 5, 2025, 3:33 am
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Zinzan.
#Post#: 134798--------------------------------------------------
Re: The biggest flops in Premiership history By Ben Coles
DIR By: thatchapcarnell
Date: March 5, 2025, 4:10 am
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Through no fault of his own, Catrakilis was a complete waste of
money.
Chris Ashton also springs to mind.
#Post#: 134801--------------------------------------------------
Re: The biggest flops in Premiership history By Ben Coles
DIR By: oakhaven
Date: March 5, 2025, 5:05 am
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2004 was our peak flop signing year, IIRC, with the
Cronje-Henjack axis of despair.
#Post#: 134802--------------------------------------------------
Re: The biggest flops in Premiership history By Ben Coles
DIR By: QuincyJones
Date: March 5, 2025, 5:10 am
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Dripping Wet Barry
#Post#: 134803--------------------------------------------------
Re: The biggest flops in Premiership history By Ben Coles
DIR By: MaidstoneQuin
Date: March 5, 2025, 5:13 am
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Lets not forget Stuart Abbott
#Post#: 134805--------------------------------------------------
Re: The biggest flops in Premiership history By Ben Coles
DIR By: Q
Date: March 5, 2025, 5:30 am
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--- Quote from: thatchapcarnell link ---
>
> Chris Ashton also springs to mind.
>
--- End Quote ---
Think there's a few wings ahead of him - Goneva, Sackey
#Post#: 134806--------------------------------------------------
Re: The biggest flops in Premiership history By Ben Coles
DIR By: thatchapcarnell
Date: March 5, 2025, 5:36 am
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Goneva was so bad I forgot we'd even had him!
Sackey goes without saying!
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