Transfers 2015/16

nickdnz · Jan 31, 2015

j'nuh said:
Same with Burgess. Like on ESPN: "Saxons win as Burgess makes debut", with a big picture of Burgess on the front page and the opening paragraph, "Sam Burgess made a forgettable representative union debut..." He literally stole the headlines for being forgettable. He does it in every game he plays.

Happened with Sonny Bill Williams as well. However I guarantee it'll get Burgess selected. In SBW's debut season he was selected after7 games for Canterbury (and of course Canterbury club Belfast..), when Freuan was playing much better. Only a few months ago I heard the idiot Willie Lose claims that the All Blacks wouldn't have won the RWC without their best player SBW (who had ***** all starting time in playoff matches and wa sused mainly out of position on the wing). It's the annoying thing when media hype genuinely effects selections due to marketing reasons.

ratsapprentice · Jan 31, 2015

And 33 games for Toulon, of course...

Draggs · Jan 31, 2015

Tigs Man said:
Jonathan Evans ----> Dragons.

Please include links when confirmed.
Sad to see him leave, still quite young and shown some promise.

Heading to New Toulon...
http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/11762766.Jonathan_Evans_leaving_Dragons_for_Bath/

nickdnz · Jan 31, 2015

ratsapprentice said:
And 33 games for Toulon, of course...

Dumb comment.

Top 14 counts for nothing in NZRU selection. He made 25 league appearances in the Top 14, was regularly injured, started rarely in his first season (after his 3 month injury lay off) scored only 4 league tries, and was used in various positions from the back-row to centre. Even if he was a total star in the Top 14 (which he wasn't, more of a work in progress for a star studded but under performing Toulon) - the hype surrounding SBW was based entirely off his league career. He was thought of being used at 6-8-13 and inside centre in his first NPC games. So yes, he played a bit for Toulon, nothing about that contradicts any of my points except you can use Wikipedia. Well done.

goodNumber10 · Jan 31, 2015

TRF_nickdnz said:
Dumb comment.

Top 14 counts for nothing in NZRU selection. He made 25 league appearances in the Top 14, was regularly injured, started rarely in his first season (after his 3 month injury lay off) scored only 4 league tries, and was used in various positions from the back-row to centre. Even if he was a total star in the Top 14 (which he wasn't, more of a work in progress for a star studded but under performing Toulon) - the hype surrounding SBW was based entirely off his league career. He was thought of being used at 6-8-13 and inside centre in his first NPC games. So yes, he played a bit for Toulon, nothing about that contradicts any of my points except you can use Wikipedia. Well done.

right so 33 games in top flight rugby had NO influence on him being signed back in New Zealand straight into a super rugby Franchise?

come on.

ratsapprentice · Jan 31, 2015

That has to be the single most retarded, defensive and utterly ludicrous response to any post I've ever made on here.

Pretty much all of your response could be used to describe Burgess' current position, except for the fact that SBW was only involved with the AB's after 30-40+ games in Union, however disrupted they were.
That's the difference I was pointing out.

TRF_Olyy · Jan 31, 2015

Yeah, weird response.
It's like saying if Burgess had 2 years at the Waratahs it'd mean nothing WRT his England chances.

CarferFragen · Jan 31, 2015

Argentina sign their first Super Rugby players:

In all three cases, the contract is for three years.

1 - MartÃn Landajo
2 - Guido Petti
3 - Pablo Matera

LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan) · Jan 31, 2015

Matera was obvious never arrived abck at Leicester and has been training with the Pampas XV.

ratsapprentice · Jan 31, 2015

Good.

Irishkid · Feb 1, 2015

Joe Trayfoot --> London Irish Quins fans is he any good.

Patchey · Feb 1, 2015

Irishkid said:
Joe Trayfoot --> London Irish Quins fans is he any good.

Yes but never broken through into the 1st XV consistently.

psychic duck · Feb 1, 2015

TRF_nickdnz said:
Dumb comment.

Top 14 counts for nothing in NZRU selection. He made 25 league appearances in the Top 14, was regularly injured, started rarely in his first season (after his 3 month injury lay off) scored only 4 league tries, and was used in various positions from the back-row to centre. Even if he was a total star in the Top 14 (which he wasn't, more of a work in progress for a star studded but under performing Toulon) - the hype surrounding SBW was based entirely off his league career. He was thought of being used at 6-8-13 and inside centre in his first NPC games. So yes, he played a bit for Toulon, nothing about that contradicts any of my points except you can use Wikipedia. Well done.

Not sure what Toulon you watched nick. Firstly he played exclusively as a centre for Toulon, secondly in his second season at the club he was superb and acknowledged as one of the best players in the league in his position and helped the side to finish the top of the league table.

munstermuffin · Feb 1, 2015

psychic duck said:
Not sure what Toulon you watched nick. Firstly he played exclusively as a centre for Toulon, secondly in his second season at the club he was superb and acknowledged as one of the best players in the league in his position and helped the side to finish the top of the league table.

Just to add to this. Wasn't part of his return to NZRU because he was playing so well for Toulon. Yes he was always going to return but also it shows performances in France did count toward NZRU selection.

nickdnz · Feb 2, 2015

psychic duck said:
Not sure what Toulon you watched nick. Firstly he played exclusively as a centre for Toulon, secondly in his second season at the club he was superb and acknowledged as one of the best players in the league in his position and helped the side to finish the top of the league table.

"During Super rugby he may have a crack at other positions, he had six weeks at (No) 6 for Toulon," said Smith as the squad adjusted to a frigid Edinburgh ahead of Sunday's (NZT) test with Scotland at Murrayfield.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10686388

By his second season he played much better, granted. I guess after 30 games, yes some in different positions, we can deem whether the Burgess experiment is a success or failure.

I disagree that his Top 14 form had much to do with the NZRU wanting him. He was approached pre-2008 by the NZRU. Again throughout his first NPC season, and indeed continuing into 2008, he was seen as an option as an experiment and potential option at flanker (as my Waye Smith article demonstrates). My point - which seemed to be thoroughly missed - was that media hype and speculation is probably going to get Sam Burgess selected, over merit, which is what happened in 2010 to SBW. Regardless if people think he was a great player for Toulon from 2008-2010, it was pretty clear few people within the NZRU knew how they were going to use SBW, and her 7 performances for Canterbury didn't really indicate he could do much more than offload, which he did an awful lot, and he was selected in front of other better performing players at the time.

ENZED-88 · Feb 2, 2015

munstermuffin said:
Just to add to this. Wasn't part of his return to NZRU because he was playing so well for Toulon. Yes he was always going to return but also it shows performances in France did count toward NZRU selection.

Maybe... But the likes of Benji Marshall walked straight into a super xv team and he's no SBW. But obviously his form for Toulon was looked at and seen as a plus it's pretty ignorant to think that it wasn't.

munstermuffin · Feb 2, 2015

ENZED-88 said:
Maybe... But the likes of Benji Marshall walked straight into a super xv team and he's no SBW. But obviously his form for Toulon was looked at and seen as a plus it's pretty ignorant to think that it wasn't.

True but on top of that SBW is a unique talent. But Benji was a guy that got his break because teams were more open to the break due to SBW success.

nickdnz · Feb 2, 2015

munstermuffin said:
True but on top of that SBW is a unique talent. But Benji was a guy that got his break because teams were more open to the break due to SBW success.

What are you basing this one? Plenty of league players were playing Super Rugby before Sonny Bill Williams. He was picked because the Blues needed more options at 10, Benji was one of the highest profile athletes in New Zealand, who was looking at moving from the Tigers.

munstermuffin · Feb 2, 2015

TRF_nickdnz said:
What are you basing this one? Plenty of league players were playing Super Rugby before Sonny Bill Williams. He was picked because the Blues needed more options at 10, Benji was one of the highest profile athletes in New Zealand, who was looking at moving from the Tigers.

Just think since the SBW move its been more open.

goodNumber10 · Feb 2, 2015

TRF_nickdnz said:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10686388

By his second season he played much better, granted. I guess after 30 games, yes some in different positions, we can deem whether the Burgess experiment is a success or failure.

I disagree that his Top 14 form had much to do with the NZRU wanting him. He was approached pre-2008 by the NZRU. Again throughout his first NPC season, and indeed continuing into 2008, he was seen as an option as an experiment and potential option at flanker (as my Waye Smith article demonstrates). My point - which seemed to be thoroughly missed - was that media hype and speculation is probably going to get Sam Burgess selected, over merit, which is what happened in 2010 to SBW. Regardless if people think he was a great player for Toulon from 2008-2010, it was pretty clear few people within the NZRU knew how they were going to use SBW, and her 7 performances for Canterbury didn't really indicate he could do much more than offload, which he did an awful lot, and he was selected in front of other better performing players at the time.

Did you even read the article you posted?

Williams' trial on the side of the scrum in France was not considered a success and he reverted to his preferred role in midfield - the ideal setting for his inevitable tackle-busts and freakish offloads.

He played 6 games at 6 - hardly continuously moving position until he got back to NZ (who then developed him into a centre apparently)?

The talk about playing him elsewhere was just that, talk - it never came to pass so it's clearly irrelevant.

It was clear to everyone that he was a centre/outside back.

Transfers 2015/16

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