The Harlequins Thread

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

My predicted team for next year injuries permitting -
1. Marler
2. Elia
3. Sinks
4. Horwill
5. Symons
6. Robshaw
7. Clifford
8. Bothma
9. Care
10. Smith
11. Earle
12. Tapuai
13. Marchant
14. Walker
15. Brown

16. Ward
17. Auterac
18. Collier
19. Merrick
20. Chisholm
21. Lewis
22. Catrakilis
23. Alofa

 

[Giraffatitan]

I'd like to see Ibitoye or Saili in that 23 shirt over Alofa. Hopefully Waters or Mulchrone can push to replace Lewis as the 21 as well

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

I'd like to see Ibitoye or Saili in that 23 shirt over Alofa. Hopefully Waters or Mulchrone can push to replace Lewis as the 21 as well

Yeah, I'd like to see Ibitoye there as well actually, forgot about him for a moment. A lack of good scrum halves could be a problem though.
I fear that if Lang fails to get a run of games that he might go to Edinburgh or something now that he is an international. Swiel in the same situation.

There is a few reallly **** players in the squad though that I would like to see cut if they don't perform next year - Morris and Glynn being my least favourite.

We need a new scrum half with potential to actually be good, cause danny is getting old, and we need a big ball carrying back row.

Overall though, I think that the squad is far better than lots of people like to think. We can put out close to a full squad of internationals or likely internationals at this point.

Just for reference, these are all our internationally capped players or players who will be very soon:

Elia
Marler
Boyce (maybe.... Collier is capped so anything is possible)
Collier
Sinks
Horwill
Bothma
Robshaw
Clifford
Lumamanu
Care
Lang
Smith (soon)
Marchant (soon)
Saili
Tapuai
Alofa
Ibitoye (soon)
Visser
Earle (soon)
Brown

 

[Giraffatitan]

Yeah, I'd like to see Ibitoye there as well actually, forgot about him for a moment. A lack of good scrum halves could be a problem though.
I fear that if Lang fails to get a run of games that he might go to Edinburgh or something now that he is an international. Swiel in the same situation.

There is a few reallly **** players in the squad though that I would like to see cut if they don't perform next year - Morris and Glynn being my least favourite.

We need a new scrum half with potential to actually be good, cause danny is getting old, and we need a big ball carrying back row.

I'm hoping Lang can get a decent run @ 12. From what I've seen he's a handy player and would be well worth keeping around.
Swiel I could take or leave tbh, a bit too inconsistent for me and when he's at his best hes only just prem standard imo

Agree some dead weight needs to be cut, I'd add Lewis, Swainston and Alofa to the list of people I'd ideally replace.

Hopefully Bothma can not break his arm at any point this season which should give us a bit more potent carrying in the back row. Hopefully South and Dombrandt can get a bit of game time as well.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

I'm hoping Lang can get a decent run @ 12. From what I've seen he's a handy player and would be well worth keeping around.
Swiel I could take or leave tbh, a bit too inconsistent for me and when he's at his best hes only just prem standard imo

Agree some dead weight needs to be cut, I'd add Lewis, Swainston and Alofa to the list of people I'd ideally replace.

Hopefully Bothma can not break his arm at any point this season which should give us a bit more potent carrying in the back row. Hopefully South and Dombrandt can get a bit of game time as well.

Agree with all of that bar Alofa, I seem to be the only person to rate him though

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

See Rowntree’s on his way.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

See Rowntree’s on his way.

Not overly bothered by that... Our forwards havent seemed to improve under him

 

[BPM]

Agreed. He’s made no obvious improvements to our forwards at all.

 

[Giraffatitan]

Alex Codling supposedly lined up to replace Rowntree.

Pretty happy with that tbh, I saw him coach first hand at Rosslyn Park a few years back and he's done some good work at Ealing.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Yeah I would be very happy with that!

 

[RedruthRFC]

Alex Codling supposedly lined up to replace Rowntree.

Pretty happy with that tbh, I saw him coach first hand at Rosslyn Park a few years back and he's done some good work at Ealing.

Everyone seems to speak highly of him, then 6 months later, he's off to pastures new. Maybe less of a problem for Harlequins as there's less jobs out there to lure him away, but I'm always wary of what it says about players and coaches who have had more clubs than Nick Faldo.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

https://www.ruck.co.uk/next-seasons-harlequinss-kits-new-adidas-shirts-leaked-online/

Ew

 

[Giraffatitan]

and I thought we couldn't do worse than Saints neon green kit last year...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Looks like Easter has jumped before he was pushed

 

[ratsapprentice]

Looks like Easter has jumped before he was pushed

Noticed he wasn't in any of the pre-season photos released so far, the other day.
Was gonna ask whether he had been released.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Semi kunitani. Where tf did that come from

 

[BPM]

Came out of nowhere but if he settles, he could be just what we need at 7.

 

[Quel Carreleur]

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Apparently Sinckler wants to double his wages to £500K p.a. Quins are struggling to meet that and bracing themselves for losing him in the summer.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Kitchen Sinck Investments LTD?

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Kitchen Sinck Investments LTD?

Groan.

 

[BPM]

Apparently Sinckler wants to double his wages to £500K p.a. Quins are struggling to meet that and bracing themselves for losing him in the summer.

TBH, £500k isn’t spectacularly high for a top class tighthead but I guess the question is whether he brings that level of value to us. Great as he’s been for England, he hasn’t had too many stand-out games for Quins in recent times.

 

[Scotty]

TBH, £500k isn’t spectacularly high for a top class tighthead but I guess the question is whether he brings that level of value to us. Great as he’s been for England, he hasn’t had too many stand-out games for Quins in recent times.

He is a player you can base a gameplan.on. not saying entirely but im saying use in the right way. Like mako he isnt a normal prop, you dont use him as just a battering ram you use him in the transition zone when he can hit the 3rd defender or can make the pass out the back. Not alot of props than can do that to the level he does.

My point is he is worth the money if they use him in the way to get the best out of him. As you said he hasnt had so many standout games so far.

 

[BPM]

Yes of course, but you can only do that if you have other players to perform the role you’d expect from a ‘normal’ tighthead and Quins don’t really have that luxury.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Who are Quins marquee players?

 

[BPM]

I have no idea! It’s really not obvious!

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Saili is definitely one I believe. I assume one of our England contingent is the other

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Holy thread resurrection.

Ugo Monye widely reported as facing bankruptcy. Sad to read, but just the latest in a long line of players to find life not so easy in retirement.

 

[Reiser99]

Holy thread resurrection.

Ugo Monye widely reported as facing bankruptcy. Sad to read, but just the latest in a long line of players to find life not so easy in retirement.

Strange, because he's got a pretty steady gig in punditry and commentary. Wonder of if it's a case of trying to live above his means.

It is sad though.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

He’s a pretty crap pundit though. Seems to lack the technical bits in coms that Ben Kay and even Austin pick up on.

Has he got any of his own business ventures which he’s sank money into?