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       #Post#: 138642--------------------------------------------------
       Re: George Turner
   DIR By: KentQuin
       Date: May 23, 2025, 7:10 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: JammyGit link ---
       >
       > Els, Titi, Walker, Dombrandt, Chis, Lawday, WEv, Porter,
       Marcus, JEv, Northmore, David, Isgro, Green are all in that
       26-31 bracket, with Murley, Musk, and Kenningham all 25.
       >
       > That's a big chunk of the squad in the sweet spot, no?
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       So about a third of the squad. And no surprises that this group
       contains our most consistent players, both in terms of
       availability and quality of performance. We'd want a couple
       more, no?
       Of course you need a balance to the squad and salary cap
       dictates that you cant have every player in the squad in their
       prime, but I'm just not convinced that we've got the mix right
       and that we've enough of these core players to sustain a top
       four push. As an example, if Petti or Treadwell are out for any
       sustained period, I've no confidence in Launchbury or Lewies
       being up to it or fit and available.
       I'm not saying never sign anyone over 32, but let's face it, our
       recruitment and retention strategy over the last 24-months just
       smacks of short-termism.
       Surely better to bring in fewer players of higher quality, who
       can grow together over a few seasons.
       #Post#: 138643--------------------------------------------------
       Re: George Turner
   DIR By: Rugbycat
       Date: May 23, 2025, 7:13 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: JammyGit link ---
       >
       > Launchbury wasn't really tearing it up in his final seasons at
       Wasps. Halfpenny was awful for a few seasons in those rare
       periods when he was fit and was clearly an extremely poor
       signing if we ever expected him to play. Turner is a livewire,
       more Dave Ward than Walker.
       >
       > Japanese rugby has a lot of excellent overseas players. Just
       because we've had some poorly considered signings, doesn't mean
       everyone from there is well past it or that everyone past 30 is
       going to be a waste of money.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Very much wait and see how he performs, Japan is a big pay day
       but a soft league, perhaps we would be better looking at the
       championship and trying to find another Dave ward or Theo Dann
       than this type of signing.
       #Post#: 138644--------------------------------------------------
       Re: George Turner
   DIR By: KentQuin
       Date: May 23, 2025, 7:23 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: Rugbycat link ---
       >
       > Very much wait and see how he performs, Japan is a big pay day
       but a soft league, perhaps we would be better looking at the
       championship and trying to find another Dave ward or Theo Dann
       than this type of signing.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       I like the idea, but it's quite challenging finding diamonds in
       the rough so to speak.
       Apparatently Cam Anderson was LS's best player for a good while,
       and he's looked well short of prem standard whenever he's pulled
       on the quarters.
       #Post#: 138646--------------------------------------------------
       Re: George Turner
   DIR By: JammyGit
       Date: May 23, 2025, 7:27 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: KentQuin link ---
       >
       > So about a third of the squad. And no surprises that this
       group contains our most consistent players, both in terms of
       availability and quality of performance. We'd want a couple
       more, no?
       >
       > Of course you need a balance to the squad and salary cap
       dictates that you cant have every player in the squad in their
       prime, but I'm just not convinced that we've got the mix right
       and that we've enough of these core players to sustain a top
       four push. As an example, if Petti or Treadwell are out for any
       sustained period, I've no confidence in Launchbury or Lewies
       being up to it or fit and available.
       >
       > I'm not saying never sign anyone over 32, but let's face it,
       our recruitment and retention strategy over the last 24-months
       just smacks of short-termism.
       >
       > Surely better to bring in fewer players of higher quality, who
       can grow together over a few seasons.
       >
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       We'll have a few more when the 24-25 cohort ages, because that's
       what time does and the squad overall skews younger. But you're
       right, the core of our team is in the sweet spot you asked for -
       so what's the problem? The original complaint was that we seem
       to be missing that core, but we're obviously not.
       Both Petti and Treadwell are also in the 26-31 range, fwiw.
       At a glance, the age profile of our squad is nearly identical to
       that of Bath, the best side in the Premiership by a distance.
       #Post#: 138647--------------------------------------------------
       Re: George Turner
   DIR By: JammyGit
       Date: May 23, 2025, 8:24 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: Rugbycat link ---
       >
       > Very much wait and see how he performs, Japan is a big pay day
       but a soft league, perhaps we would be better looking at the
       championship and trying to find another Dave ward or Theo Dann
       than this type of signing.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Theo Dan is a Saracens academy product. Our version of him would
       be Jibulu, sadly. Or Riley or Musk :-)
       #Post#: 138649--------------------------------------------------
       Re: George Turner
   DIR By: Rugbycat
       Date: May 23, 2025, 9:02 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: KentQuin link ---
       >
       > I like the idea, but it's quite challenging finding diamonds
       in the rough so to speak.
       >
       > Apparatently Cam Anderson was LS's best player for a good
       while, and he's looked well short of prem standard whenever he's
       pulled on the quarters.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Agree it is a roll of the dice, but you may well end up with a
       younger better, and cheaper at first result, Northampton signed
       a young hooker from Ealing, we can only hope that this is an
       Andre Esterhuizen japan signing and not a Launchbury one.
       The other problem with Japan is the amount of games they play
       Andre played 22 times in three years in japan and 90 times for
       Quins, Turner has player 6 times this year, Launchbury played 4
       times in his year in japan.
       I suspect low match numbers and soft nature of the Japanese
       league is not a good mix for most players.
       #Post#: 138650--------------------------------------------------
       Re: George Turner
   DIR By: Rugbycat
       Date: May 23, 2025, 9:07 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: JammyGit link ---
       >
       > Theo Dan is a Saracens academy product. Our version of him
       would be Jibulu, sadly. Or Riley or Musk :-)
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Agree was blooded at Ampthill but a Saracens product, but they
       only realised his worth after him being loaned out, we could
       always try to poach this type of player rather than going for
       the Turner type of signing.
       #Post#: 138652--------------------------------------------------
       Re: George Turner
   DIR By: FatQuin
       Date: May 23, 2025, 9:49 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       A player that brings a bit of difference rather than a big
       upgrade for me.  Happy with it but not if Walker is going (I
       think people miss a lot of what he does well).  A bit like the
       other signings really - apart from Petti who could be game
       changing.
       #Post#: 138653--------------------------------------------------
       Re: George Turner
   DIR By: JammyGit
       Date: May 23, 2025, 9:58 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Japan isn't too soft, they play fast rugby in that league and
       train in the heat on hard grounds.
       #Post#: 138654--------------------------------------------------
       Re: George Turner
   DIR By: Guildford Quin
       Date: May 23, 2025, 10:03 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       A quick look at the age of other Prem club recruits (excluding
       Academy) for next year:-
       BATH -Dan Frost (28) Bernard Van Der Linde (24) Santiago
       Carreras (27) Henry Arundell (22) - Average Age 25.25
       BRISTOL - Max Pepper (24) Tom Jordan (26) - Average Age 25
       EXETER- Joseph Dweba (29) Julian Heaven (24) Andrea Zambonin
       (24) Tom Hooper (24) Charlie Chapman (26) Stephen Varney (24)
       Len Ikitau (26) - Average Age 25.28
       GlOS - Jack Innard (30) Hugh Bockenham (23) James Venter (28)
       Josh Basham (26) Jack Mann (25) Will Trenholm (23) Mike Austin
       (24) Ross Byrne (30) Will Joseph (22) Ben Loader (26) - Average
       Age 25.7
       QUINS - Harry Williams (33) George Turner (32) Guido Petti (30)
       Kieran Treadwell (29) Stu Townsend (29) - Average Age 30.6 !!
       TIGERS - Tarek Haffar (23) Jamie Blamire (27) Lewis Chessum (22)
       Joaquin Moro (22) - Average Age 23.5
       NEWCASTLE - Ethan Grayson (23)
       SAINTS - Danilo Fischetti (27) Cleopas Kundiona (26) Calum Chick
       (28) Anthony Bellau (29) - Average Age 27.5
       SALE - Jacques Vermeulen (29) Marius Lowe (29) Nathan Jibulu
       (22) Connor Doherty (24) - Average Age 26
       SARACENS - Tietie Tuimauga (31) Marcus Street (26) Vilikesa
       Nairau (23) Max Malins (28) - Average Age 27
       We are the only team with an average age above 30 and the next
       highest is Saints at 27.5
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