Exodus
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London Irish land All Black Naholo in shock coup for club
Fresh after officially confirming the signing of British and Irish Lions backrow Sean O'Brien</a>, and London Irish have landed another huge name.
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@Machpants absolute rockstar at rugby under international level, only seen glimpses of his class in Black.
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@taniwharugby said in Exodus 2019:
@Machpants absolute rockstar at rugby under international level, only seen glimpses of his class in Black.
Good on him. We have plenty of depth and always players coming through at wing. Excellent work signing on while his stock is highest
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@Billy-Tell said in Exodus 2019:
Miss the early days of super rugby when all the best players from SANZAR played rugby in the SH.
Certainly true for South Africa, but not so sure for New Zealand. The Europe option IMO is a net positive for the NZ competition and keeps the franchises stocked with players who are keenly motivated and want to be there (not unlike early Super Rugby). You can count on one hand the amount of good players that we have watched wither away at Super level because the second the body or motivation is waning they are on the plane to the south of France.
Also depending on how you slice it UK & Aus Super League had depleted NZ/Aus stocks plenty in the lead up to Super Rugby too. At least a dozen then-leaguies would have featured in those 1996-2000 seasons.
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@Bones said in Exodus 2019:
@mariner4life said in Exodus 2019:
SBW is one of, if not the most, physically gifted players I have ever seen in either rugby code. By all reports he is an absolute model pro off the field.
It's a bit shit his NZ rugby time has been limited by injuries (and Ma'a) but what we have seen has been something no one else could provide.
But for all the press, good and bad, where ever he has played I have watched, and loved. He is professional football personified.
Good luck to him and I hope he has a massive 2019
Apart from those that provided it of course.
Yes I do recall seeing offloads and shoulder charges even before SBW started playing.
I'm not sure his much vaunted athleticism is any better than others either to be honest.
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Sort of.
Traditionally they are not one of the richer clubs and have had the smallest playing budget (well below the salary cap the big boys are spending to) when they've ended up relegated on their last two seasons in the premiership after previously being in the top flight for 20 odd years.
They are currently highly likely to be promoted back into the top flight and recruiting for that season. All Premiership shareholders (12 GP clubs + London Irish) received a big windfall recently following the sale of a share of the league to a private equity firm. LI are also rumoured to have received additional private investment recently so are as flush as they probably ever have been cash wise for the moment.
The prem salary cap isn't moving for the moment (and hopefully won't in the medium term), so they have a huge amount of cap space to play with in addition to two marquee player slots. Looks like they are going all out to build a far more competitive squad than they have had on the last two occasions to avoid a third successive relegation at all costs. There's growing talk of ringfencing the league, but obviously nothing is being left to chance.
Signing wise already, Rona, O'Brien, and Phipps have been confirmed, with Naholo, Paddy Jackson and Adam Coleman also strongly rumoured. LI traditionally produce a lot of talent, but tend to lose it to bigger fish so talent retention is a constant struggle. Joe Cokanasiga and Johnny Williams both left last season when they went down.
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In other news, Owen Franks to Northampton confirmed today
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@Margin_Walker said in Exodus 2019:
In other news, Owen Franks to Northampton confirmed today
The good old 'hang around in Europe on business after the EOYT' eh?
(He was the only one of the ABs in Rome I spotted flying to London)
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@Crucial said in Exodus 2019:
@Margin_Walker said in Exodus 2019:
In other news, Owen Franks to Northampton confirmed today
The good old 'hang around in Europe on business after the EOYT' eh?
(He was the only one of the ABs in Rome I spotted flying to London)
Yep. And Northampton were obviously playing the long game signing Ben last summer, who struggles to hold his own these days.
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Time to invest in shares in companies that export weights to the Northampton area:
Double World Cup winner Owen Franks to join Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints can today announce that New Zealand’s Owen Franks will join the Club from the Canterbury-based Crusaders.
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@MajorRage Imagine him doing a Tony Woodcock in the 2019 World Cup final and scoring with his last touch of the ball.
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@Canes4life said in Exodus 2019:
@MajorRage Imagine him doing a Tony Woodcock in the 2019 World Cup final and scoring with his last touch of the ball.
I'd fear he'd chuck it in the air so as to not ruin his record.
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Razor's not joining the Exodus:
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