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#Post#: 138668--------------------------------------------------
Re: George Turner
DIR By: Quinky
Date: May 23, 2025, 12:17 pm
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--- Quote from: Neil Quinnock link ---
>
> Oh great - so not learned from the Halfpenny/Launchbury
experience that signing aging players enjoying semi-retirement
in Japan doesn't particularly strengthen the squad
>
--- End Quote ---
Would you be equally disappointed if we'd signed Sonny Bill
Williams? Or Cheslin Kolbe?
I can understand players taking a sabbatical in Japan. Great
money, great culture, great experience, and a chance to give the
body an easier year or two.
#Post#: 138671--------------------------------------------------
Re: George Turner
DIR By: connaughtquin
Date: May 23, 2025, 1:31 pm
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According to the comments here, the Scots really rate him
HTML https://www.reddit.com/r/rugbyunion/comments/1ktf16e/harlequins_sign_george_turner/
"He's hard as nails - throws himself around with absolutely no
regard for his own safety. He's mobile, but he's also like a
f...ing cannonball when he really goes for it. Class player,
really missing him at Glasgow this season"
"Man's grittier than a seagulls shit. Proper warrior. If he's
still the player he was when he left for Japan he's a good
signing. Hoping he gets straight back in the Scotland fold."
#Post#: 138672--------------------------------------------------
Re: George Turner
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: May 23, 2025, 2:22 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: KentQuin link ---
>
> Petti and Treadwell are direct replacements for Herbst and
Lamb and don't really move the needle age-wise.
>
> The problem is that we've spent the last 2 years signing or
re-signing players who are on their way or over the hill and who
have contributed little on the pitch come matchday. Launchbury,
Halfpenny, Wyn Jones, Lewies etc.
>
> Harry Williams and George Turner might do better, they might
not. But these are again signings which suggest a sticking
plaster approach, rather than a long-term plan to build a squad
which is will stay together and really challenge.
>
> My gripe is that I'd much rather see us bring in players who
are going to enhance the core, rather than temporary fixes.
>
--- End Quote ---
You're being harsh on Lewies I fear, but Launchbury has been
anonymous, Halfpenny dreadful, and Wyn Jones a crashing
disappointment.
Couldn't agree more with the last line, though. I'm just arguing
against the original assertion that we are lacking that
apparently important group of 26-31 year olds. We're obviously
not, as it's the core of the team.
Petti and Treadwell are both players in that crucial age range.
Herbst is 32 - he's aged out of the group, so good riddance ;-)
- so that's an improvement, right? Finn Russell is also 32,
fwiw. As is Ben Spencer. It's a pretty arbitrary cutoff point,
honestly.
With the hookers it's clear that we have one solid experienced
performer and some unreliable younger players. Having Turner
join is an excellent addition - he plays in a style that will
complement what we do, he's a very experienced international,
and he'd have to have nosedived in quality to be not worth at
least a matchday squad place.
We're still light in the second row, but Treadwell was good
enough to play for Ireland and is a pretty beastly player, and
Petti is a super experienced hard nut of an Argentinian
international. These are upgrades over Lamb (largely because of
availability, but IMO Treadwell is as good as him on the pitch
and Petti the superior player) and Hammond (by a mile), but not
necessarily over Herbst. They're good signings and should
improve our team overall, which is the most important thing that
you and I clearly agree on.
Harry Williams I think is a disaster waiting to happen but _IF_
the famed "Bomb will work on him" line actually bears fruit,
then we get a guy who's won plenty of trophies and is absolutely
gigantic with an excellent work ethic. I think he'll be quite a
bit better than Titi regardless, but I fear for him in the scrum
specifically. Getting a couple of good years out of him would be
very positive.
#Post#: 138673--------------------------------------------------
Re: George Turner
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: May 23, 2025, 2:30 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Neil Quinnock link ---
>
> 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
>
>
--- End Quote ---
Excellent post, thank you. Do you have the average age overall
of the squads as they stand for next season? Bath's squad this
season has more players over 30 than we do, so it makes sense
they'd want to reduce that a bit. Ditto Leicester & Glaws, etc.
Exeter have a young side.
Eyeballing it, Saints must have the smallest standard deviation
of ages in the squad, not too young and not too old.
#Post#: 138674--------------------------------------------------
Re: George Turner
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: May 23, 2025, 2:33 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Rugbycat link ---
>
> [url][/url]Less Physical Competition
> Japanese play rugby with much less intensity than how it is
played in the international leagues. The less intense pace of
the play makes it more of a mind game and less of brute
strength. Though injuries are unavoidable in rugby, they are not
as frequent compared to European leagues.
>
> Some players are worried that this way of playing might impact
their performance if they return to the big leagues.
>
> From the rugby paper.
>
--- End Quote ---
You should watch some. It's played at serious pace! Players tend
to slim down there because it's more like playing sevens. The
physicality isn't the same, of course.
#Post#: 138675--------------------------------------------------
Re: George Turner
DIR By: T-Bone
Date: May 23, 2025, 2:46 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
It's a pretty damning indictment of walker if we need turner to
mentor the younger hookers. Also, Riley and musk are hardly
novices. He should be judged on what he brings as a player, not
a mentor.
Some of our signings recently do suggest we sign whoever we can
get when the big boys have done their business, rather than
identifying decent players and persuading them to come to us
#Post#: 138676--------------------------------------------------
Re: George Turner
DIR By: Quinspirational
Date: May 23, 2025, 2:47 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Turner and Petti look great signings but I think Treadwell was
just available and cheap as was Williams. I presume Treadwell,
Launchbury and Lewies ( glass body allowing) will share the
second row rotation with Green and Browne getting experience in
the forwards. It looks to me like we are trying to strengthen
the pack and work on set plays to allow our great stable of
backs to run riot. I can’t see any signings in the backs being a
priority but would love to Menoncello or a similar player being
signed.
#Post#: 138677--------------------------------------------------
Re: George Turner
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: May 23, 2025, 2:49 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: T-Bone link ---
>
> It's a pretty damning indictment of walker if we need turner
to mentor the younger hookers. Also, Riley and musk are hardly
novices. He should be judged on what he brings as a player, not
a mentor.
>
> Some of our signings recently do suggest we sign whoever we
can get when the big boys have done their business, rather than
identifying decent players and persuading them to come to us
>
--- End Quote ---
To be clear I'm saying Turner helps bridge the gap and provides
genuine competition for the starting shirt - I absolutely do not
think we should be hiring anyone as mentors. That's what coaches
are there for.
You're right that we're not picking up the best players. I am
expecting more signings just because of the sheer number we're
losing, but it is concerning.
#Post#: 138679--------------------------------------------------
Re: George Turner
DIR By: honkytonk
Date: May 23, 2025, 5:09 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I dont share the concern about players leaving, I think its
obvious we will be bringing some players in (we dont really seem
to do incoming rumours, which I like). Today was a signing out
of the blue. Of course, the quality of the incomings remains to
be seen, but I m sure there will be a few.
Id be surprised if we did not sign a LH, LK, CEN. Potentially 2
LH (or 1 and a prop that can play both sides) and 2 LKs.
#Post#: 138680--------------------------------------------------
Re: George Turner
DIR By: Rugbycat
Date: May 23, 2025, 5:20 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: JammyGit link ---
>
> You should watch some. It's played at serious pace! Players
tend to slim down there because it's more like playing sevens.
The physicality isn't the same, of course.
>
--- End Quote ---
Have watched a couple of matches and they are played at a
frantic pace, my concerns about signing players who have played
there is around the lack of physicality and playing very few
games,I am also wondering if some people are leaving because of
the proposed Japanese blood law for 2026, which will have
serious impact on foreign players even those capped by Japan
with Japanese passports.
Signing a 32 year old who has only played 6 games in the season
in a league that has limited physicality, and whose game is
based on being a human cannonball, seems a risk.
Andre was great for us and came to us from Japan but Joe not so
good.
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