Squad 2025/26

[The Feral Goat]

Clips on social media of the hookers working with a throwing coach....

Will see if it makes a difference!

[dolf_lundgren]

Great news. If Ashman could sort his throwing he will be a fantastic player.

[dolf_lundgren]

Our injury list is already looking like a car crash. Only 2 fit centres and 1 fit 10.

If it wasnt for bad luck we would have no luck at all...

[andthefoxsays]

Really awful luck for two new signings to be out for the full season after the first friendly!

Litterick especially will be a loss. As the direct Sebastian replacement, he'd have been pencilled in for quote a bit of pitch time. Hopefully this means we see OBL pick up some of those minutes now. That would be the best outcome long term.

[dolf_lundgren]

Yes, it sometimes takes something like that to give a youngster a chance, hopefully OBL will be as ready as he looks. Injuries should also mean we see a bit more of Jack Brown and Lewis Wells.

Real shame for Matt Currie, but sounds like he will be out for a while and they dont really know the cause.

[dolf_lundgren]

it may just be bad luck, but we seem to continually have an awful time with injury. I know its an attritional sport and there is a stat that something like 25% of the squad will be injured at one time, but the season has barely started we are almost at crisis point in some positions, we dont have a 10 on the bench!

Before the season really started we managed to lose 2 of our summer singings for a whole season. 2 of our 3 stand offs are out injured, our 2 arguably best centres are out, and not just short term Obvisouly Darcy is just coming back too.

[The Feral Goat]

Boan Venter off to Lions at end of season.

Not a suprise, should make his 100caps for ER this season.

Top player, we need someone else to come in and push Schoeman...assuming he remains as well

[dolf_lundgren]

Is it too early to talk about squad changes for next year?

Obviously we need a change of coaching staff, it is probably the most important change as we havent looked like a well coached team for a long time. At least under Blair it was clear what we were trying to do even i the execution wasnt quite right.

Assuming we have a new coaching team and potentially a change in style, from what to what Im not quite sure. What I think we really need is a rebalancing of the squad. We are hopelessly lopsided in many areas. I am a hug fan of all of our hookers, but we have 4 top notch (or potentially top notch) hookers and the cupboard is pretty bare at half back and centre.

Given we are losing Venter, I woudl hope if we are going to invest in a NSQ player then we need to look at a really good option, dont want to be harsh, but Piers O'Connor is not really adding anything to the squad.

Ive no idea what the contract situation is with any players, but we need to have a more strategic approach. It currently feels like we are a parking lot for SQ players who we want to bring back or Glasgow dont rate, regardless of whether they fit or are needed. Thomson & Richardson are prime examples, but there are many others.

We have good young players, but it feels like they need some hard nosed players around them to give them an edge. Harking back a long way, but Todd Blackadder types, even Coman when he came to us gave us a bit of an harder edge when we needed it.

All in all, I just think we need to be more strateguc in our recruitment, not just taking who is available and SQ. It may well mean we lose some of our "big names", but it is needed to get that balance back.

[doedin]

We desperately need some new faces at 9, 10, 12 and 13. I honestly don't care of they are SQ or not but as long as they bring some strength, skills and tactical nous then they would add some badly needed depth and experience to the squad. Another player to cover back three would be good as well, assuming Darcy stays next season which given his demeanor recently cant be a given?

The pack needs a few tweaks but is still pretty strong even with Venter going, as soon as the Saffies came knocking we were never going to keep him. We will see the likes of Watson retiring but otherwise lots of good, young guys as well as a core of experienced players in the forwards.

The squad needs a bit better balance in it between pack and backs and of course we need to allow a new coach/coaching team to lead on shaping the squad for next season, otherwise we end up with new coach inheriting someone else's squad selection!

[joe soap]

@doedin
pretty much every team including Edinburgh already have 90% of their squad settled for net season, even if they don't say so in public. So unless Everitt has made some secret signings, its pretty much as you were for next season

@ dolf_lundgren
fair summary, but SRU policy is now to sign Scots qualified who are available, and that will mean I'm afraid signing mostly players who are available for the wrong reason. It will take a very strong case to get a Blackadder type (would be great of course) bit I think there is a lot more competition these days for such a player, even if he could be afforded would the SRU agree

the intent of the SRU policy was to give more opportunities to young homegrown players. Everitt is clearly the wrong coach for that

[The Chiel]

Putting on my "probably not but it would be great if it did happen" hat, there are rumours down here of Faf De Klerk returning to Sale. Which if it happens means Gus Warr would be battling with Raffi Quirke for the bench spot in the big games. Quirke is an English international prospect so you'd expect Sale to want him to stay. Warr would walk into our first team, and become far more visible to Toony. Not saying he's currently better than the three current incumbents mind.
My New Year optimism / wishful thinking levels are obviously still reasonably high !

[The Feral Goat]

@doedin
pretty much every team including Edinburgh already have 90% of their squad settled for next season, even if they don't say so in public. So unless Everitt has made some secret signings, its pretty much as you were for next season

@ dolf_lundgren
fair summary, but SRU policy is now to sign Scots qualified who are available, and that will mean I'm afraid signing mostly players who are available for the wrong reason. It will take a very strong case to get a Blackadder type (would be great of course) bit I think there is a lot more competition these days for such a player, even if he could be afforded would the SRU agree

the intent of the SRU policy was to give more opportunities to young homegrown players. Everitt is clearly the wrong coach for that

A relatively inflexible squad and SRU policy means that the coach is even more important and has to get the maximum out of the players available. Everitt has demonstrated repeatedly that is not him. I don't think our half backs naturally suit the style of play he wants but both should be able to adapt.

Skinner and Hunter-Hill i think are the only players in the squad to have won anything meaningful but i think trying to attract quality players to ER under the current regime is a challenge, Ben White we reportedly tried and failed to sign, Gus Warr good player, but don't know if Everitt gets the best out of him.

At present the only priority for me is a quality coach.

[liveinhope]

With Tuipolotu back in training -and presumably match fit before too long we actually will have three good centres ( add Lang and Currie). Just need them to stay injuru free now!
Scott is coming along well at 10 with more game time.Just need to settle on back up.With Thomson and Healy also being in the first year of two year renewal contracts its unlikely we',ll be looking for another 10 anytime soon.

[joe soap]

Putting on my "probably not but it would be great if it did happen" hat, there are rumours down here of Faf De Klerk returning to Sale. Which if it happens means Gus Warr would be battling with Raffi Quirke for the bench spot in the big games. Quirke is an English international prospect so you'd expect Sale to want him to stay. Warr would walk into our first team, and become far more visible to Toony. Not saying he's currently better than the three current incumbents mind.
My New Year optimism / wishful thinking levels are obviously still reasonably high !

Warr would be a huge upgrade on any current Edinburgh scrum half. If the price is right he might take a move here, but we do need to remember to discount everything a player says when they sign. Players primarily move for one of 4 reason - more money, a chance to win something, to be nearer family, or because they have been deemed surplus in their last job.
The likes of Warr has only lived in scotland for one year at Dollar Academy, and I doubt he will be surplus at Sale. So can edinburgh promise hm more money or silverware?
Big challenge to sign proven quality players. Not impossible, but a big challenge

[joe soap]

With Tuipolotu back in training -and presumably match fit before too long we actually will have three good centres ( add Lang and Currie).

I hope there will be 3 good centres, hopefully better than "good". But am I alone in thinking that there is little actual evidence that Mosese is in fact a good player?? Potential and genes yes, but actual sustained game time evidence? Not IMHO