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#Post#: 142314--------------------------------------------------
Re: 25/26 Squad confirmed
DIR By: Quinky
Date: September 19, 2025, 12:32 am
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I hope/suspect that this will be a breakthrough season for a
number of the younger players.
Cleaves needs to really stake a claim, in the way that Beard has
in the past couple of seasons. Friday, if his rehab goes well,
could see himself pushing hard at 9 by the end of the season.
Waghorn will hopefully build on last season and maybe Hyde
and/or Bradley will step up. I'd hope we see more of Slevin too,
as well as Benson.
On the flip side, I wonder how much longer we'll persist with
Lewis, who seems ludicrously injury prone. Similarly, much as I
think Chris is a superb player and would always want him in the
team, he seems to get nasty injuries and long layoffs, probably
in part due to the abrasive way that he plays. Launchbury must
also be close to retirement.
We have some areas with astonishing strength - back row, fly
half - and what seems like a squad with a lot of youth. In the
same way that I'm oblivious to most other squads in the Prem, I
think we have a serious amount of talent that most others won't
know about, and I can see this group building into something
even more special than ever happened at Sarries.
#Post#: 142315--------------------------------------------------
Re: 25/26 Squad confirmed
DIR By: MaidstoneQuin
Date: September 19, 2025, 2:14 am
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Hyde and Bradley need to step up, as they are fast approaching
the age - if they arent already - of not being able to say they
are young and up and coming, considering how players of the same
age are already going.
Fitness pending I'd actually put Luke in at 13, we would be
doing a massive disservice in my view considering his recent
England performances (at 13, not 12, cough cough). Beard
featured a lot on the wing and I would put him over Cassius
currently. That also would help his England worth in its own
right
#Post#: 142321--------------------------------------------------
Re: 25/26 Squad confirmed
DIR By: MaidstoneQuin
Date: September 19, 2025, 3:48 am
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Further to the above, Waghorn is actually part of a very
extensive injury list. Maybe if any of the list are lengthy
absences so we can get someone in on injury dispensation because
I wouldn't be overly confident in having any of our 12 options
starting for the first game of the season.
#Post#: 142323--------------------------------------------------
Re: 25/26 Squad confirmed
DIR By: poorfour
Date: September 19, 2025, 3:57 am
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--- Quote from: JammyGit link ---
>
> Less worried about centre than I am about scrum half, and in
all honesty our back 3. We only have one really quality 15 and
there's a huge gulf between our best 2 wings and the other
options.
>
--- End Quote ---
Scrum half depth if everyone were fit would be excellent. Porter
fits our style of play well, and Friday looks like the natural
successor to Care. If Friday is expected to recover well, Quins
aren’t going to be able to attract another top class 9 on a long
term contract. So we have to hope that the mix of squad players
we have can see us through.
David is a good backup to Green at 15, and Slevin is a U20
England fullback who got converted to 10 to cover an injury at
the JRWC - and has since seemingly suffered from the same
problem that Marcus now faces.
On the subject of Marcus, if push comes to shove, we have an
international fullback and enough depth at 10 that we could play
him there. Benson, ironically enough, plays more like the other
Smith, and that combo has worked well for England’s attack. The
problem for Quins is that a Smith, Murley, Isgro back 3 only has
one high ball specialist.
#Post#: 142326--------------------------------------------------
Re: 25/26 Squad confirmed
DIR By: KentQuin
Date: September 19, 2025, 5:00 am
---------------------------------------------------------
We have a strong first choice twenty-three. I think our season
will be defined by how we perform during the periods when
international players are away (it's during these times when the
likes of Lewies and Chisholm are injured that it really hurts
us) and how much improvement our tight-five show front last
season.
Agree we lack a bit of bosh in the backs, whether that be at 12
or elsewhere. E.g. we don't have a Nadolo or Cokanasiga type
winger we can move into the 12 channel for set plays. I rate all
our centres, but going in to a new season with question marks
over the 12 shirt isn't ideal. I think it's Waghorn's if his
fit, but he's still young and can't be expected to play week-in,
week-out, and Kerr and Northmore at 12 means adjusting the
gameplan, which isn't ideal.
Cleaves looks dangerous. The question marks are whether the
aerial and defensive aspects of his game are good enough.
#Post#: 142329--------------------------------------------------
Re: 25/26 Squad confirmed
DIR By: Quinky
Date: September 19, 2025, 5:20 am
---------------------------------------------------------
I don't think anyone else agrees with me, but I still think
Beard could do a job at 12.
#Post#: 142330--------------------------------------------------
Re: 25/26 Squad confirmed
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: September 19, 2025, 5:38 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: poorfour link ---
>
> Scrum half depth if everyone were fit would be excellent.
Porter fits our style of play well, and Friday looks like the
natural successor to Care. If Friday is expected to recover
well, Quins aren’t going to be able to attract another top class
9 on a long term contract. So we have to hope that the mix of
squad players we have can see us through.
>
> David is a good backup to Green at 15, and Slevin is a U20
England fullback who got converted to 10 to cover an injury at
the JRWC - and has since seemingly suffered from the same
problem that Marcus now faces.
>
> On the subject of Marcus, if push comes to shove, we have an
international fullback and enough depth at 10 that we could play
him there. Benson, ironically enough, plays more like the other
Smith, and that combo has worked well for England’s attack. The
problem for Quins is that a Smith, Murley, Isgro back 3 only has
one high ball specialist.
>
--- End Quote ---
That's not just glass-half-full poorfour, you've gone and
grabbed a photo of a completely different glass and are
squinting really hard!
Scrum half - Friday is extremely, extremely raw. He's very
promising and I'm excited to see him play, but there's a reason
why he's still in the academy. He has one senior appearance off
the bench and 3 starts in the cup. He's 19 years old with barely
any rugby under his belt. He's also recovering from a very bad
injury. Let's not be silly here.
Will Porter is an excellent 9 but not top-tier, which is fine.
The trouble is he's much better than the other options. Townsend
is an unknown quantity for me, he's a real scrapper but he
struggled to make the Exeter shirt his own during a period when
they had no good 9s. Green isn't very good. So it's all on
Porter - we're much worse off than when we had Care around.
Fullback - As much as I like David, there is indeed a gulf in
quality between him and Green, who is a real asset as a
fullback. We all know that David is incredibly inconsistent.
Slevin - come on. He's only ever played for us in the
Premiership Rugby Cup, and has 4 starts at 15 for any team in
the last 3 seasons. He is not a realistic option to be
discussing as a fullback, even if we both think he might
actually be a really good one given time. That ship appears to
have sailed and if we did have to rely on him it would be a
massive gamble.
Marcus is a fabulous attacking fly half who is not a good
fullback in most of the ways you need a fullback to be good. If
the solution to the fullback problem is to move the guy who is
our best 10 by a country mile, then that solution is a terrible
one. He might be an international in that position but it hasn't
gone well.
If we compare us with a team that's had similar experiences in
the last few seasons, Northampton, then:
At 9 they have Alex Mitchell, Tom James, and Archie McParland.
One top level 9 in Mitchell, one very good Premiership level
player in James, and one very exciting U20 graduate in
McParland. They also have Pugh and Weimann making up the
numbers, and I don't know anything about those guys, but on the
face of it they have a better starting 9 and a better backup 9.
At fullback they can call on Furbank (top quality
international), Hendy (the coming man with a huge amount ofi
talent), James Ramm (experienced Aussie with a lot of time at
15), and even Freeman in a pinch. That's huge compared to what
we're relying on.
Their wing options are Freeman, Hendy, Sleightholme, Ramm, and
then some others I don't know. That's one extremely good
international wing, one voracious try scorer, one exciting young
talent, and one experienced Aussie. All of them are flexible
players. We're not a million miles off here but again we are
worse.
I think we're better off at 10 overall and I prefer our forward
options to theirs, but in the areas of concern I think they show
what we're missing. And to be clear I think there aren't many
squads that don't have areas of concern, because that's life
with the current financial situation. Even Bath!
#Post#: 142331--------------------------------------------------
Re: 25/26 Squad confirmed
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: September 19, 2025, 5:40 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: MaidstoneQuin link ---
> Fitness pending I'd actually put Luke in at 13, we would be
doing a massive disservice in my view considering his recent
England performances (at 13, not 12, cough cough). Beard
featured a lot on the wing and I would put him over Cassius
currently. That also would help his England worth in its own
right
>
--- End Quote ---
The Beard/Northmore argument is essentially whether you value
Northmore's pace and line-breaking ability or Beard's defensive
work and heavier carrying. Beard on the wing would worry me
though, he has 8 tries in 79 matches (49 starts) for us, and
there's a reason why 13 became his preferred position.
edit: tbf I'd rather have him there than Cam Anderson, but it
looks like Anderson will get plenty of opportunities this season
to prove me wrong so that's just great
#Post#: 142346--------------------------------------------------
Re: 25/26 Squad confirmed
DIR By: Quinky
Date: September 19, 2025, 12:13 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: JammyGit link ---
>
> That's not just glass-half-full poorfour, you've gone and
grabbed a photo of a completely different glass and are
squinting really hard!
>
> Scrum half - Friday is extremely, extremely raw. He's very
promising and I'm excited to see him play, but there's a reason
why he's still in the academy. He has one senior appearance off
the bench and 3 starts in the cup. He's 19 years old with barely
any rugby under his belt. He's also recovering from a very bad
injury. Let's not be silly here.
>
> Will Porter is an excellent 9 but not top-tier, which is fine.
The trouble is he's much better than the other options. Townsend
is an unknown quantity for me, he's a real scrapper but he
struggled to make the Exeter shirt his own during a period when
they had no good 9s. Green isn't very good. So it's all on
Porter - we're much worse off than when we had Care around.
>
> Fullback - As much as I like David, there is indeed a gulf in
quality between him and Green, who is a real asset as a
fullback. We all know that David is incredibly inconsistent.
>
> Slevin - come on. He's only ever played for us in the
Premiership Rugby Cup, and has 4 starts at 15 for any team in
the last 3 seasons. He is not a realistic option to be
discussing as a fullback, even if we both think he might
actually be a really good one given time. That ship appears to
have sailed and if we did have to rely on him it would be a
massive gamble.
>
> Marcus is a fabulous attacking fly half who is not a good
fullback in most of the ways you need a fullback to be good. If
the solution to the fullback problem is to move the guy who is
our best 10 by a country mile, then that solution is a terrible
one. He might be an international in that position but it hasn't
gone well.
>
>
> If we compare us with a team that's had similar experiences in
the last few seasons, Northampton, then:
>
> At 9 they have Alex Mitchell, Tom James, and Archie McParland.
One top level 9 in Mitchell, one very good Premiership level
player in James, and one very exciting U20 graduate in
McParland. They also have Pugh and Weimann making up the
numbers, and I don't know anything about those guys, but on the
face of it they have a better starting 9 and a better backup 9.
>
> At fullback they can call on Furbank (top quality
international), Hendy (the coming man with a huge amount ofi
talent), James Ramm (experienced Aussie with a lot of time at
15), and even Freeman in a pinch. That's huge compared to what
we're relying on.
>
> Their wing options are Freeman, Hendy, Sleightholme, Ramm, and
then some others I don't know. That's one extremely good
international wing, one voracious try scorer, one exciting young
talent, and one experienced Aussie. All of them are flexible
players. We're not a million miles off here but again we are
worse.
>
> I think we're better off at 10 overall and I prefer our
forward options to theirs, but in the areas of concern I think
they show what we're missing. And to be clear I think there
aren't many squads that don't have areas of concern, because
that's life with the current financial situation. Even Bath!
>
--- End Quote ---
Being optimistic, there will always be special players. Marcus -
thrown in at the deep end and swam like a dolphin. Kenningham -
given the impossible task of filling Wev's boots, and filled
them brilliantly. Marler - from game one, played like he had
many years under his belt. Going back a few years, Nick Duncombe
was raw... But within a few games he was playing for England.
A famous coach once said "if they're good enough, they're old
enough". IF... And it's a big IF ... We have to rely on young,
untested talent, then so be it. I'd back them to swim, not sink.
I genuinely feel extremely positive about our squad for this
season.
#Post#: 142349--------------------------------------------------
Re: 25/26 Squad confirmed
DIR By: Brown Bottle
Date: September 19, 2025, 1:48 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Not sure about Ken Ingham.
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