Cameron Neild has become the fifth player this offseason to commit his long-term future to Sale Sharks, the club announced Tuesday morning. Neild, 21, joined Sale in 2013 immediately after graduating from Manchester Grammar School and burst into the first-team last season, compiling 23 appearances and offering valuable relief with Dan Braid ruled out for the entirety of the season's second half. He follows Josh Beaumont, Mike Haley, Bryn Evans and TJ Ioane in penning a new long-term deal with the Sharks. And whilst Sam James (not undeservedly) garnered most of the national headlines for his own breakthrough campaign last year, Neild quickly became as influential a figure in the Sale first-team; his industrious performances alongside TJ Ioane in the Sale backrow being rewarded with a joint Young Player of the Season honour. Neild has clarified, including in an recent interview with the BBC's Nathan Middleton which I urge all to listen to, his long-term ambition of remaining as a hooker despite his recent utilisation at blindside flanker. Yet with new signing Rob Webber and Neil Briggs offering ample cover at the position for the coming season, the expectation is for Neild to once again see the majority of his playing-time at flanker. The somewhat unprecedented length of Neild's new deal (four years!) however clearly suggests that the Sale brass likewise share Neild's vision of his positional future. Rob Webber is 30 and will be 32 when his contract with Sale expires. Likewise Neil Briggs will turn 32 at the end of the current season. By committing himself to remain as a Sale player until 2020 at least, one can infer that Steve Diamond has outlined his vision for Neild to gradually assume the starting hooker shirt, which, depending on how Rob Webber fares in his first season in Manchester, could be as early as next season. Regardless of where Neild ultimately plays, this is a fantastic signing for Sale on two fronts. First, Neild's versatility, his ferocity at both the tackle and the breakdown, and his ability to spin out of contact makes him an ideal fit in Sale's hard-nosed-but-mobile pack whether he starts at hooker or flanker. Second, Sale have once again flexed their new-found financial muscle and ambitious outline for the future in signing Neild up to such a lengthy deal; having one of their star performers from last season - and a player with genuine international aspirations to boot - instantly commit his long-term future to the Sharks speaks enormously of where Sale are as a club and what they are now able to offer their plethora of budding stars. Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, analysis, and opinions on all things Sale Sharks.
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Sale marked the official start of their 2016-17 campaign with a nervy 81-0 victory over National League One side Fylde at Heywood Road on Saturday afternoon. With two completely different Sale XVs playing a half apiece, the Sharks ran in thirteen tries (Harrison, Scott, Ingall, Leota, Briggs x2, McGuigan x2, Phillips, Webber, MacGinty, Addison, Edwards ) in a comfortable blowout victory to kickstart preparations for the curtain opener against Newcastle Falcons in three weeks. Sale next play Edinburgh on Friday night, again at Heywood Road. ThoughtsIn truth, with such a lopsided game and result, it is hard to get an accurate sense of the level of player performances. However, forever one to struggle on, here are a couple of observations I made in attendance at Heywood Road.
Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, analysis, and opinions on all things Sale Sharks. ED. This is the final edition of Matt Ferguson's excellent five-part series detailing the members of last season's Sale Jets side. This week I’ll be taking a look at the final cohort of players to have appeared for the Jets last season. I’ve focused less on each individual player this week, mainly because there really isn’t that much information out there about these guys. Rugby outside the top four leagues is very poorly recorded and reported, and as such it’s hard to make accurate assessments of the players without turning up to every regional league game! JAMES BAILEY – WING/CENTRE – 20 Bailey is a recent signing at Fylde, having been part of their set-up last season. He made his first-team debut in their 2015 pre-season, but didn’t appear again for the first team. He combined his second-team commitments with his university studies, and as he has now graduated he has signed full-time for Fylde’s first team. Bailey was previously the top try-scorer for Southport, winning that honour in two consecutive seasons with a staggering number of tries (60+ over two seasons), leading to Fylde snapping him up. He has appeared for Sale Sharks’ Jets side against Northampton Wanderers last season, and also represented Lancashire under 20s. CIARAN CONNOLLY – WING/FULLBACK – 23 Connolly is a Sale FC stalwart, having played at the club since 2011, and playing throughout their 2015/16 National League 3 (North) promotion campaign. Comfortable at wing or fullback, last season he made 17 starts and 5 appearances off the bench, scoring 4 tries over the season. He also played for the Jets against Northampton Wanderers. RALPH DOWDS – CENTRE – 22 Another Fylde back, Dowds had a stop-start 2015/16 season, making 13 appearances and 6 bench appearances. Making all his starts at outside centre, he was unfortunately unable to cement his place in the first team as Fylde finished in mid-table in National League One. Previously with Myerscough College and Loughborough University, he played for the Jets against Leicester A last season. HENRY HADFIELD – WING – 20(ish) Hadfield is an experienced operator within the county set-up, having played for England Colleges while at Myerscough and having turned out for both Lancashire and North under 20s last season. He also made 6 appearances (4 starts) for National League Two (North) outfit Tynedale as they finished in mid-table. He was previously in the Salford Rugby League academy, having been talent spotted while playing union at age grade level. He appeared for the Jets against Newcastle A. RORY HARDMAN – FULLBACK/WING – 20 The first of the players in this report to be competing in BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) level rugby, Hardman plays for Durham University. He was a BUCS Sevens finalist with Durham last season, scoring in the final as Cardiff Met took the title. For the Jets, he made a bench appearance against Newcastle A. LUKE HARRIS – SECOND ROW – 21(ish) A former number 8 for Wirral Grammar, Harris has been captain of the Leeds University rugby team in his newer role as a second row. I can’t find much information about Harris’ playing career aside from these titbits, but he did appear for the Jets against Newcastle A, also popping up on the bench. JOHNNY MATTHEWS – HOOKER – 23 Of all the players in this report, Matthews has almost certainly played at the highest level. After having represented England Counties in 2014, following a stunning season for Sedgley Park (17 tries in 25 games), he signed for Championship side Rotherham Titans. Unfortunately for Matthews, he was unable to break into the first-team picture, and re-signed for Sedgley Park for the 2015/16 season having made 6 appearances for the Titans over his 2 years there. He went straight back into his old starting spot at Sedgley Park, scoring 10 tries from 23 starts, and making 3 appearances off the bench. For the Jets, he started their final game against Northampton Wanderers, worthy reward for a great season back at National League Two (North) level. JAKE SQUIRRELL – SCRUMHALF – 20 Squirrell is the second Durham University player to be mentioned in this report, and the third in total (Diogo Ferreira appearing back in Week 1). Another product of the Myerscough Academy, he is another to have represented Lancashire under 20s last season. Also turning out occasionally for Vale of Lune in the National League Three (North), he started on the bench for the Jets’ fixture against Northampton Wanderers. KYLE THOMAS – BACK ROW – 20(ish) Thomas, being the final player in the report, is the one who I have had most difficulty finding information about. The only things I can find is that he is a back row, he played for Northumbria under 20s last season, and he was another to appear for the Jets against Newcastle A. For both of our sakes I hope he’ll receive more attention for his rugby performances in seasons to come. I’m fairly sure I haven’t missed anyone out, and therefore those are all the Jets representatives from the last season who are not currently in the first-team squad. I’ll continue to keep an eye out for Jets on loan next season, and hopefully return with another set of reports next summer! Thanks for reading. The ages shown are the players’ ages on the 1st September 2016, normally the start of the Premiership season, and all statistics are compiled from rugby.statbunker.com and the relevant organising bodies (ERC, PRL, etc). The Shark Tank would like to thank Matt Ferguson for all his diligent work over the last six weeks. His Twitter can be found here. Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, analysis and opinions on all things Sale Sharks. Whether it be 'A New Era', #JoinTheHunt or #CarryThemHome I am largely uninterested in the cacophony of slogans, hashtags and other marketing spiel that is currently enjoying its run of salad days as modern rugby tightens its link with social media and the digital world. And yet having attended Sale Sharks' open training day for the club's supporters last Thursday, I couldn't help but concede that the 'New Era' moniker the club is currently trying to attach to the nascent ownership group led by Simon Orange and Ged Mason, is now oddly fitting. The chasmic gap between Sale supporters and the previous ownership group on certain issues in recent years has been well-documented, as have concerns that as rugby continues to professionalise, the intimacy between player/club and paying fan has continued to erode. So perhaps the wonderfully accessible, and inclusive open training session hosted by Sale Sharks at Carrington last week is indicative that the summer of 2016 will serve as the beginning of a genuine 'New Era' for both club and supporter. After all, a club-hosted event that, for possibly the first time ever, offered complete transparency regarding the playing and coaching staff, and the club's facilities, was a resounding success amongst the 500 or so Sale-following attendees, myself included. Affording supporters the opportunity to 'peek behind the curtain' onto the training pitch and have direct access to the players - even just for a single afternoon in early August - has undeniably helped perpetuate the palpable excitement and positivity that has engulfed Sale Sharks in recent weeks. Thursday was a day unimaginable for Sale fans that have long suffered from a piecemeal, if not apathetic, top-down approach to supporter interaction (despite the best efforts of the club's social media department who were often left to bear the brunt of supporters' animosity). Should Sale maintain this newfound ethos of pellucidity towards its fans (and with similar events planned for later in the season the outlook in this regard is extremely positive), we will be able to disregard talk of a 'New Era' as being exclusively a marketing buzzword. Lost in my ramblings was my desire to express my gratitude to all involved at Sale for putting on such a wonderful afternoon. Additional ThoughtsThe following is a compilation of disparate bits of news, rumour-mongering and observations made during my time at Carrington:
Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, analysis and opinions on all things Sale Sharks. Following on from last week, I continue to look at those players who did not appear on Sale Sharks’ official Jets team page, but appeared for the Jets last season, with a particular focus on how they got on in the 2015/16 campaign. TOM SANDERS – LOCK – 22 Sanders is a long-time Jet, representing the Sale Sharks second XV since at least 2013. Dominant for his club side Caldy, he regularly appears in despatches on the club’s website and is a frequent Man of the Match winner. Indeed, this last season he was selected alongside Jets colleague Forbes Edwards in the Cheshire squad which made it to the 2016 final of the County Championship as well as being picked in The Rugby Paper’s Dream XV for the division. This represents the latest milestone a remarkable recovery from an extremely serious injury: after 20 minutes against Luctonians in January 2014, Sanders suffered a freak neck injury and was rushed to hospital, leading to the cancellation of the game. In total, for Caldy this last season he started every single one of their 30 league games this season, broaching the 100 cap mark for the Wirral side on his way to doing so. He also managed three league tries, against Macclesfield, Huddersfield and Harrogate. The Caldy vice-captain made 5 appearances for the Jets in 2015/16, starting in the victory against Newcastle A and the loss to Gloucester United. He appeared off the bench against Worcester Cavaliers, Leicester A and Northampton Wanderers. It’s tough to see a place opening up for Sanders in Sale Sharks’ squad, as Sale have excellent depth in that area of the pitch. Bryn Evans, Andrei Ostrikov, Jonathan Mills, Lou Reed, George Nott and Josh Beaumont are all first-team squad players with experience in the second row, and short of a miracle it would appear that another productive season with Caldy is on the cards for Sanders. His best chance of making it into the top flight, in my opinion, is to be picked up by a Championship side and being scouted from there, following the same path as former Shark Hendre Fourie. BEN MARTIN – HOOKER – 19 Ben Martin represents something of an anomaly amongst players in these reports, in that he is yet to make his senior debut for any team. Last season he was listed as a member of the Sharks’ under 18s squad, and his club side is Chester. Indeed, he appeared on the bench twice for Chester last season, against Sale FC and Preston Grasshoppers, without being called upon on either occasion. For Sale Sharks, Martin has regularly turned out for the under 18 side, as well as featuring as a Jet last season. He was the replacement hooker in the first Jets game of the season, against Worcester Cavaliers, before dropping down to the under 18s. It will be interesting to see how Martin develops next season, whether he stays at Chester and fights there for the hooking slot, or whether he has a better chance of development at a different club at this level. TED STAGG – HOOKER – 26 The man replacing Ben Martin on the Jets’ bench was well-travelled hooker Ted Stagg, who probably has the most experience in professional rugby of all the Jets from last season, having been a regular in various Championship sides since the 2011/12 season. Stagg, who started his career down south with Bath and Taunton, found a starting place at Rotherham Titans before moving onto Doncaster Knights via Richmond, London Scottish, and Plymouth Albion. For a player who has appeared for so many clubs, Stagg is no cast-off. He has represented England under 16 and under 18, and was part of a Championship select XV that took on a touring New Zealand Maori side in 2012. Last season, Stagg was unable to nail down a starting spot for the Knights, appearing in 9 league games, making a solitary start against Yorkshire Carnegie back in October. In the British and Irish Cup, he had more success, starting 2 of the Knights’ 4 games, against Newport Gwent Dragons and Cornish Pirates. Stagg also made 3 appearances for Sale Jets in 2015/16, each time coming off the bench against Newcastle A, Gloucester United, and Northampton Wanderers. Another season at Championship level beckons for Stagg, who will look to build on a promising first season in Yorkshire and push on for a starting spot. CONNOR WILKINSON – FLYHALF – 19 A flyhalf called Wilkinson, eh? This Wilkinson is a recent graduate of Kirkham Grammar, a solid production line for rugby talent, finishing his schooling there in 2015 after captaining their first XV. He also appeared for North under 16s, leading to a trial for the England under 16 team. Since then, he has been playing for National League One outfit Fylde, alongside the previously-mentioned Jets Sam Bedlow, Tim Jeffers and Tom Morton. Last season Wilkinson was called up to a Lancashire under 20 squad, and toured Russia in June with the England Counties under 20 squad. I don’t have a definite date of birth for Wilkinson, but he appeared for an under 18s side last year, and an under 20s side this year, so it’s fair to assume that he will be roughly 19 at the start of the coming season. Making his Fylde debut off the bench in February against Ampthill, Wilkinson has since made two starts, against Darlington Mowden Park and Blackheath, before coming off the bench late on against Wharfedale. Not yet trusted with kicking duties, Wilkinson did manage a try against Blackheath, capping off a good debut season for the rookie. For the Jets, Wilkinson appeared as the replacement fly-half in the first two games of the season, against Worcester Cavaliers and Leicester A, after which Sale played pacier backs on the bench and used Macleod as a backup 10 from his starting position at inside centre. Next season Wilkinson should see more game time with Fylde and the Jets side, although he is still definitely behind Tom Morton in the selection for the second string XV. PAOLO ODOGWU – WINGER – 19 Although England under 20 cap Paolo Odogwu didn’t make any appearances for the Jets last season (as he only arrived this summer from Leicester Tigers), and is unlikely to make huge waves in the first team next season. Since he played at a similar level to much of last season’s Jets, at Leicester instead of down at Heywood Road, I feel it is entirely appropriate to include him in these reports. For Leicester’s “A” side, he played in 4 of the 5 A League fixtures, missing out in the final game against Worcester Cavaliers. He was unable to cross the whitewash in any of the second string games, but had a rather more productive season for Loughborough Students. For the National League One side, he made 9 appearances, of which 8 were starts, and scored a remarkable 8 tries. Braces early in the season against Richmond and Wharfedale were followed by a single effort in the Wharfedale reverse fixture, before a hat-trick against Fylde lowered the curtain on an extremely impressive first season at this level. Odogwu was one of Sale Sharks’ stand-out players in the pre-season Singha Sevens tournament, scoring a record-breaking eight tries in three games. He wasn’t running them in from 80 metres, but his composure close to the line and the Christian Wade-esque ability to break past the outside shoulder of the covering defender were noticeable, and should serve him very well in XVs. I find comparisons to Wade, aside from that specific talent, slightly off-focus as he is much more of an abrasive runner with a shimmying stride pattern that is more reminiscent of Rugby League’s sharpest, Tim Simona and Sam Tomkins coming quickly to mind. His most impressive attribute, by far, is his extremely fast feet, which when coupled with a decent fend and a willingness to attempt to break through contact instead of avoid it, make him a serious challenge for defenders. Still 19, another season with the England Under 20s surely beckons, and hopefully he can improve on the two bench appearances he made in last year’s Six Nations. For Sale Sharks, I would be very surprised if he didn’t get some game time in the LV Cup, and his second year at Loughborough University will provide him with a full season at a good level developmentally. There are areas of his game he needs to work on, but he doesn’t shy away from putting in hits against bigger men, or competing in aerial contests, both of which will help him immensely as he develops as a Premiership-standard winger. An excellent highlights compilation of Odogwu is available below: Next week, I will wrap up the Jets reports, covering the remaining handful of players who turned out for the Jets last season. Since these players generally have very limited experience at senior level, usually due to age, I can’t discuss them in as much detail as the players in previous weeks. The ages shown are the players’ ages on the 1st September 2016, normally the start of the Premiership season, and all statistics are compiled from rugby.statbunker.com and the relevant organising bodies (ERC, PRL, etc). Matt Ferguson is looking forward to seeing Odogwu run in another eight tries at the Singha Sevens finals on Saturday. His Twitter can be found here. Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, analysis, and opinions on all things Sale Sharks. Ed. A big thank you to Matt Ferguson who has compiled reports from yesterday's Singha 7s tournament at Kingston Park that saw Sale progress as Pool D runners-up behind Newcastle. I have added some additional thoughts at the end. Newcastle Falcons 31-12 Sale Sharks Sale started very brightly against a Newcastle team that before today hadn’t lost a Premiership Sevens group game. Nick Scott (on trial this summer) was impressive going forward and Matt Rogerson displayed great strength to tie up a couple of Newcastle defenders before he was able to barrel over after a period of sustained pressure. Player of the Round Paolo Odogwu scored his first try of the day after a nice offload from Scott, slipping the tackle on the outside and finishing in the corner. Tom Morton dully converted with an excellent touchline conversion. The rest of the half was fairly scrappy, with Sale’s defence working well as a unit, strangling the potent Newcastle attack, but with Sale unable to keep from making offensive mistakes themselves. Half Time 12-0 (Rogerson, Odogwu, conv. Morton) The second half started badly, and got progressively worse, as Sale shipped five unanswered tries in the half to ultimately lose in decisive fashion. Tom Curry and Rogerson were both slow to close a defensive gap, and Joel Hodgson darted through for the Falcons’ first try. Newcastle then started to dominate the aerial game, keeping possession on the restart, and two more tries were conceded after poor one-on-one missed tackles from James Mitchell and later, Morton. For Newcastle’s fourth, their attacking pressure told after several good half-breaks, and no individual Sale player was really to blame when the Falcons eventually breached the line. The final try was the worst of the lot, George Nott slapping a restart backwards, straight into the arms of an onrushing Falcon who dotted down to end the game. Full Time 31-12 Leicester Tigers 7-55 Sale Sharks Sale’s second game against Leicester could hardly have started more ominously, a Leicester player claiming the high ball from the kick-off to score within the first ten seconds. Odogwu brought back parity after a good charge from Rogerson, the former Tiger finishing well after slipping the defender’s outside arm on the touchline. Sale’s next try was a throwback to last year, a scrum shove winning the ball against the head, and Mitchell dancing over from the resulting defensive disarray. Nick Scott again showed his class at this level, bursting around an outside shoulder off first phase ball and delivering out to Odogwu who continued his fine scoring record. It was Odogwu who would score Sale’s last of the half, ensuring the bonus point after some smart heads-up rugby from each of the Curry twins and after exhibiting his own fancy footwork, slicing inside the outside man in the Leicester defensive line to dot down and secure a first-half hat-trick. Half Time 24-7 (Odogwu x3, Mitchell, conv. Mitchell x2) Leicester had played with five men in the previous game due to yellow cards, and their collective fatigue showed as Sale put the hammer down emphatically in the second half, scoring a further five tries to banish memories of their dismal second half showing against Falcons. A Curry-to-Curry cross-field kick was an early highlight of the half, leading to a short-range try for Rogerson, his second of the day. Sam Bedlow was the next to crash over, after some lovely balanced running through a gap created by the footwork of Mitchell. A second Tom Curry assist allowed Odogwu to bag another, before Ben Curry scored the archetypal sevens try, Sale pulling the Leicester defence from side to side until the necessary gap was manufactured. Ben Curry scored his second to finish affairs cutting inside of an errant tackle to go over and ensure that Sale would finish the second game having completely overwhelmed an understandably shattered Leicester. Full Time 55-7 (Rogerson, Bedlow, Odogwu, B Curry x2, conv. Mitchell, Morton) Sale Sharks 31-0 Worcester Warriors Worcester were also unfortunate enough to have to play back-to-back games and from the start the lack of pace in the Worcester team was evident. After a smart steal by Ben Curry at ruck-time, Nick Scott surged over, showing both dramatic acceleration and good strength to burst through a half-gap having taken a step back with the ball before propelling himself through two defenders. Odogwu scored his sixth of the day after an exquisite blind offload from Rogerson, who seemed wrapped up but was able to flip the ball to the elusive winger. The rest of the half was very scrappy, Sale forcing Worcester to play from their own 22. For five of the six halves played (the exception being the 2nd half against Newcastle), Sale’s defensive looked very cohesive and co-ordinated, several times able to alleviate pressure by forcing attacking players up into a maul, a hallmark of the senior XVs side in recent years. Half Time 12-0 (Scott, Odogwu, conv. Mitchell) Sale would go on to score three more tries against a tiring Worcester side, who were unable to play out of their own half and seriously threaten Sale territorially. Odogwu slid around the outside man to score in the corner yet again, before Mitchell danced and weaved his way through the middle, Worcester’s defence hesitant to commit because of the outside threat posed by Odogwu. Indeed it was Odogwu who would finish Sale’s scoring for the day, working the space nicely by stepping inside the wide defender, who had no choice but to commit on the outside, to run in his eight try of the afternoon. The game was finished as a contest fairly early, and neither side went hell-for-leather in the second half, understandably. Full Time 31-0 (Odogwu x2, Mitchell, conv. Mitchell x2) So Sale go through to the final weekend after an excellent day’s work. The group was very competitive, and the fact that Sale were able to avoid back-to-back games was key, as they were noticeable better rested than their opponents in the latter two games. Importantly , they were also able to keep their fitness levels at an optimum level due to their exemplary discipline on the day (no yellow cards across the three games). Fixture luck aside, to keep Leicester and Worcester virtually scoreless across the final two games is testament to Sale’s professional execution of their defensive system, and the use of Odogwu as both a try scorer and as a threat that keeps defenders occupied showed an excellent level of game intelligence. Player RatingsA note: Sale rotated their squad a lot less than in previous years, sticking with a fairly well-defined starting 7, so I am unable to give ratings or comments for some of the squad members. 1. Tom Curry – 6/10 Good day for the youngster, showing a rounded skillset in attack, and enough pace and physicality to cover the defensive line. 2. Ben Curry – 7/10 Similar to his brother, a good tournament, bagging a brace of tries. Also showed good hands for a forward, and both look easily big enough for this level of competition. The question now is how quickly and how successfully they can move up to the top level of XVs. Their rugby intelligence shows very clearly, neither are caught panicking on the ball. 3. Matt Rogerson – 8/10 Unsung hero for the day. A couple of defensive lapses where his lack of pace was exploited, but his bruising ball-carrying was crucial in generating momentum. Stunning offload in the Leicester game was my personal highlight of the day. Promisingly, he runs very smart attacking lines when coming onto the ball, an uncommon trait for a backrower of his experience. 4. Andy Hughes – n/a Didn’t play, as far as I saw. 5. George Nott – n/a Not enough game time to properly judge, but looked dependable enough when called upon. 6. James Mitchell – 7/10 Mitchell looks a very classy sevens player when given time and space, and although he wasn’t able to score at the same rate as last year (when he finished second in the scoring charts behind only Christian Wade), he had a very productive day in attack. However, he was shunted aside for one of Newcastle’s tries, and caught cold from the kick-off for Leicester’s, which put a bit of a cloud on an otherwise strong performance. 7. Curtis Langdon – n/a Didn’t play, as far as I saw. 8. Sam Bedlow – 6/10 Fine. Lovely balance when running and able to change direction at pace, both of which are enviable traits for up-and-coming centres. A bit quieter than other players going forwards, although his distribution was secure, and no noticeable blemishes defensively. 9. Paolo Odogwu – 9/10 My MVP, and the weekend’s top scorer (so far) with an eight-try haul. Sale have stolen an absolute gem from Leicester. Faster feet than anyone else playing today, on any team, and a very composed presence out wide. Defensively excellent, looked sharp in the air, and a finisher’s touch out wide. Extremely slippery. Like a normal winger, but covered in Vaseline. 10. Nick Scott – 7/10 No pyrotechnics of the Nev Edwards sort from this year’s trialist, but he’s clearly better than this level of rugby, showcasing a very reliable offload and genuine pace, as well as a good rugby brain. Still young enough at 26, he will have done his chances of getting a full contract no harm today. Will be champing at the bit at the finals next weekend. 11. Tom Morton – 5/10 Not a great day for Sale’s third-choice 10, beaten badly one-on-one against Newcastle, and not able to show much in attack across the rest of the games. Dependable enough when distributing, his touchline conversion after Sale’s first try was his only real highlight. 12. Charlie Venables – n/a Hardly played, but showed a lovely jinking step in the only real time he had on the ball. Confident player, expect him to be used more next weekend as the intensity is ramped up. Thoughts
Matt Ferguson's Twitter can be found here. Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, analysis and opinions on all things Sale Sharks. This report is slightly different from previous weeks, as I begin to cover players who do not appear on the official squad list for the Sale Jets. However, as these players turned out for the Jets last season, I think it is worthwhile to cover their progress. These players tend to be the top talents in the North-West playing below Championship level, generally under the age of 25. SHAUN STRUDWICK – PROP/HOOKER – 25 Starting his career in the Wasps academy, Strudwick is already well-travelled for a prop despite being relatively young for the position. He spent time in Edinburgh, New Zealand and Chicago before settling in the North-West for Chester in the National League Two (North) last season. Strudwick started his career as a hooker, but in recent seasons has been played more regularly as a tight-head prop. Indeed, he has been in possession of the starting 3 jersey for Chester over much of the last season, as they finished 11th out of 16. This represents good progress, as he had previously suffered a bad back injury leading him to miss the 2014/15 season for Edinburgh. For Chester, he made 26 appearances, of which 25 were starts, reflecting the immediate impact he made as the incumbent tight-head. With the Jets last season, Strudwick appeared in the Jets’ first two games of the season against Worcester Cavaliers and Leicester A. In both games he came off the bench as a replacement tight-head, replacing young first-teamer Ciaran Parker. The replacement tight-head spot was covered in the following Jets games by Diogo Ferreira, already covered in this series, and reflects the fact that Strudwick is very unlikely to break into Sale Sharks’ first team. For the upcoming season, I expect Strudwick to continue to build experience at lower-league level, in either England or one of the Celtic leagues below the PRO12. From what I can find online, Strudwick seems committed to coaching, particularly on the conditioning and fitness side, so perhaps he sees his future as part of the backroom team rather than a high-level representative on the field. BRENDAN BERRY – HOOKER – 20 Brendan Berry is a hooker who came through the Myerscough Academy, representing the England Colleges and Schools team in 2014 and Lancashire under-20 in late 2015. In contrast to Strudwick, Brendan Berry has already made 20 senior appearances at the tender age of 20, playing last season for Macclesfield and the season before for Sedgley Park, both times in the National League Two (North). Primarily a bench option (1 start in 10 appearances last season, and the exact same the season before), Berry was nevertheless trusted to do a job at the end of games for Macclesfield who emerged victors of the division. He finished the season without scoring, but with a yellow card against his old club Sedgley Park, which led to their fourth try in a narrow loss against Berry’s new side Macclesfield. Last season Berry made three appearances for Sale’s Jets side, starting in the games against Worcester Cavaliers and Newcastle A, and coming off the bench against Leicester A. Next season, Berry may well find himself behind Ben Martin if he continues to appear for the Jets, Martin being a regular fixture for Sale’s under-18 over the last season and having already made an appearance for the Jets at age 18. The number 2 spot looks very competitive below first-team level for Sale Sharks, with Berry and Martin joining Johnny Matthews and Ted Stagg as non-first-teamers who hooked for Sale’s second string last season. FORBES EDWARDS – CENTRE/WINGER This week’s final player who isn’t formally listed as a Jet is Caldy’s Forbes Edwards. No relation to first-teamer Nev Edwards (as far as I’m aware!), Edwards is described as a “powerful centre/wing” who has recently represented Cheshire alongside his club duties. Originally from Cardiff RFC, he made one appearance for their first team, against Dinas Powys in an early-season game in the 2007/08 season. I cannot find an exact date of birth for Edwards online, but that date would suggest that he is roughly 28. He joined Caldy for the 2015/16 season after a storming campaign for Sandbach the year before, in the National League Three (Midlands), a season in which he finished 3rd in the league’s try-scoring charts. Perhaps there is a comparison with Nev Edwards to be made after all – a high-flying outside back being picked up by Sale Sharks for a couple of trial games. Edwards made three starts for the Jets last season, once at inside centre against Leicester A, and twice at outside centre against Newcastle A and Northampton Wanderers. He also came on off the bench against Gloucester United. I can’t see anything more than another season at National League Two or One level for Edwards, despite his excellent record of 8 tries from 29 starts for Caldy last season. MATT ROGERSON – BACK ROW – 22 Matt Rogerson was listed as a Jet for the 2015/16 season, and is listed again for the upcoming season. Rogerson has followed a similar path to Josh Beaumont, opting to complete his university education before considering rugby full-time. Fortunately, Rogerson studied at Loughborough University (2011-2015), whose team is considered the best university side in the country, and play in the third-tier National League One league. Despite graduating in 2015, Rogerson made eight consecutive appearances for the Midlands side from March onwards, playing 80 minutes in each. This is a measure of the extent to which he is rated as a prospect, and he showed his ability with three tries across those eight starts. Again, I can’t find a fixed date of birth for Rogerson, but assuming that he entered university straight from sixth form, he would be 22 at the start of next season. For the Jets, Rogerson started all five games, across the back row: at number 8 against Worcester Cavaliers, Leicester A and Newcastle A, and blindside flanker against Gloucester United and Northampton Wanderers. He also turned out for Sale Sharks in the 2015 Premiership Sevens tournament, showcasing his athleticism and powerful ball-carrying as Sale made the Plate final. He has been selected again for this weekend’s iteration of the annual pre-season event. It’s really tough to say whether Rogerson will make the grade and break into the first-team picture. He was clearly very highly-rated at Loughborough, and his appearances in sevens and for the Jets suggest that the Sharks rate him as well. However, unless there are some serious injuries, it’s difficult to see him making any first-team appearances next season. With at least two players in each position for the back row slots, Sale appear well-stocked in that area of the field, and unless Rogerson is picked to train with the first team for the upcoming season as cover, I think a loan move to a National League One or Championship side would suit all parties. JAKE POPE – LOOSE-HEAD PROP – 19 Continuing last week’s theme, I have saved this week’s best prospect until last. Giant prop Pope is probably the third-best under-20 player in the Sale Sharks set-up, behind George Nott and Ciaran Parker. He has already represented England under-20s, making two appearances in the under-20 Six Nations at the age of just 18. It is extremely unusual for props to play a year “up” in age grade rugby (even propping phenom Paul Hill made his first appearance at the same level at age 19), so this early promotion indicates how highly he is valued in the national set-up. Alongside his international endeavours, Pope benefitted from Sale Sharks’ improved links with Sale FC last season, making 18 appearances on loan for the National League Two (North) side. Of these, 7 were starts, and he even managed 3 tries over the campaign, against Stourbridge, Preston Grasshoppers, and Broadstreet. Pope, who is yet another to come through the Myerscough Academy, began all five Jets games last season on the bench, as a replacement loose-head prop. He was named on the bench for Sale Sharks’ senior side in the Challenge Cup fixture against Newport Gwent Dragons, as you’ll remember several youngsters were, but he was an unused substitute as fellow novice James Flynn was trusted to see out the 80 minutes. Indeed, Flynn is the player I expect Pope to be competing with for first-team chances, as Ross Harrison and Eifion Lewis-Roberts will look to rotate the majority of the minutes for another season. As this is likely to be Lewis-Roberts’ last season as a starting option (his starts in the Premiership have already fallen from 14 in 2014/15 to 8 in 2015/16) and given that he will be out-of-contract and 36 by the end of the season, it is Flynn’s best chance to prove that he is ready to take on a rotation role supporting Harrison. If Flynn fails to convince Diamond, Pope may find himself thrust into action in a similar way to that which Harrison, Henry Thomas and Lee Imiolek have been in previous years. Diamond has shown that even with props, he is willing to trust players as young as 20 at Premiership level. In pre-season videos posted by the club, Pope looks massive; definitely big enough for top level rugby, dwarfing James Flynn and Diogo Ferreira. This could be what is generously called “pre-season bulk” to be shed over the next few weeks’ training, but nevertheless Pope is carrying a very impressive frame for an 18 year old. The other development option for Pope is that is that he continues his progress out on loan for another season, letting him experience regular game-time, and gaining the benefits (particularly in scrummaging) that come from that. However, the way that Sale Sharks have held back Flynn and Parker instead of loaning them out in previous seasons would suggest that Pope will more likely be kept training with the first-team squad as cover. Next week, I will continue to mix in Jets who are not listed on the official club page, casting an eye over the seasons had by Tom Sanders, Ben Martin, Ted Stagg, Connor Wilkinson, and new signing Paolo Odogwu (a team-mate of Rogerson’s at Loughborough University). The ages shown are the players’ ages on the 1st September 2016, normally the start of the Premiership season, and all statistics are compiled from rugby.statbunker.com and the relevant organising bodies (ERC, PRL, etc). Also, the term “loan” is used where “dual-registration” may be more accurate, for the sake of brevity. Matt Ferguson doesn’t think Jake Pope will be playing sevens for Sale Sharks any time soon. His Twitter can be found here. Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, opinions, and analysis on all things Sale Sharks. Concluding possibly the busiest week in The Shark Tank's history, Friday morning saw the announcement that Samoan flanker TJ Ioane has signed a new three-year-deal with Sale Sharks. Ioane joins Byron McGuigan, Josh Beaumont, Mike Haley, and Bryn Evans in committing their long-term future to the club, a huge boost for the Sharks given that all four are integral members of Sale's first-choice lineup - first names on the teamsheet if you will. Ioane, 27, joined Sale from Otago in January 2015 and instantly became a cult figure at the club with his combination of abrasive ball-carrying, ferocity in tackles, incredible motor and distinctive dreadlocks. He also happens to be my favourite player. But my personal biases shouldn't detract from the notion that this is once again a huge move for the club both on and off the field. Ioane is what I like to call a 'toolkit' player as his versatility in position and plethora of talents allow him to fill any number of roles within the Sale first team. Ioane can slot in anywhere along the backrow (he played all three last season) but he is as comfortable functioning in the 'super-sub' role where his tireless energy wreaks havoc against tiring defences. Off the pitch, this once again builds on the aura of positivity and excitement revolving around the club. Sale are clearly laying the groundwork for future seasons by locking up and building around the spine of their first-choice XV , so refreshing after years of having said spine ripped out at the end of each season. Sale fans finally have the luxury of knowing that four of their most prominent players have been retained with aplomb and that further deals are in the off. Interestingly, Steve Diamond implied that Ioane had already been scouted by rival clubs looking to potentially lure the Samoan international away from Manchester at the end of the season. If true, it only reinforces that players are buying into the notion of a new era at the club and that they believe their long-term future is best settled with the Sharks. Again, a huge boon after years of players citing international ambitions and opportunities to win trophies as motives for leaving Sale. Ioane will probably start the season as Sale's first-choice openside flanker, although that could change depending on how frequently Cameron Neild is deployed at hooker as the season progresses. Should Neild be moved, either Ioane-Seymour or Pearce-Ioane will likely assume the role of the go-to pairing at flanker. Regardless, Ioane will be a ubiquitous presence in the Sale first-team next year, and, pleasingly, for three seasons after! Lewis Hughes can now feel reasonably confident in investing in a 'Ioane 7' shirt. Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, analysis, and opinions on all things Sale Sharks. Continuing the spate of good news emanating from Sale Sharks this week was the announcement that last season's standout performer Bryn Evans has signed a new three-year-deal with the club. Evans was a relatively low-key acquisition by Steve Diamond last season, brought in from a relegated Biarritz in France to bolster Sale's second row depth hit by the losses of Michael Paterson and Nathan Hines. However Evans immediately entrenched himself as one of the Sharks' most integral players, turning in a magnanimous season that saw him earn plaudits as one of the most effective locks in the entire Premiership. Winning the Players' Player of the Season award was a testament to the impact the twice-capped All Black had in his first season in Manchester but particular attention must be placed on his ability in the lineout. With Evans operating as the main receiver (and lineout captain after Josh Beaumont's season was ended prematurely), Sale's set-piece was the Premiership's most efficient in 2015-16, winning an outstanding 92% of their own throws with Evans the jumper for 33% of the Sharks' 258 total lineout wins.* Furthermore Evans also proved myself as the league's most disruptive players - his 16 lineout steals comfortably lead the Premiership last season. His turnover on the Sale try-line against Northampton to kill the game back in October also proved a particular highlight in a superb season marked by exceptional consistency. As I wrote about on Monday pertaining to Josh Beaumont and Mike Haley's new deals, this is once again a testament to the progress Sale are beginning to make under their new ownership. Evans was, at times, irreplaceable for Sale last season and will continue to be so next season as Sale's undisputed first-choice lock. Ensuring, therefore, such an important player with a multi-faceted impact on the entire Sale stratagem has been locked-up long-term (before the season has begun!) is another clear indicator that the Sharks are intent on doing whatever it takes to keep the 'core' of the squad intact and now have the means to take the initiative early in the season and prevent an exodus akin to in previous seasons. Now attention turns to either Will Addison or TJ Ioane. If Steve Diamond is able to lock those two up on similar long-term deals, the most important retentions Sale have to make for the sake of competitiveness will have been completed well before the new season has even begun. An exciting time indeed. *Statistics courtesy of UK Rugby Stats (http://ukrugbystats.co.uk/AVIVA-PREMIERSHIP-STATS-2015-16) Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, opinions and analysis on all things Sale Sharks. Sale Sharks announced their tenth signing ahead of the 2016-17 season with the capture of Byron McGuigan from Exeter Chiefs on a two-year-deal. McGuigan, 26, is a Namibian-Scottish fullback with the ability to cover outside centre and wing. He featured 18 times for Exeter over the past two seasons and has also had spells with Glasgow Warriors (Pro 12), Bay of Plenty (ITM Cup), Border Bulldogs (Currie Cup) and Scotland 7's. In all honesty this isn't going to be a signing to set the world alight, especially after weeks of rumoured arrivals of Kyle Eastmond or even Ben Ransom. But I still really like this acquisition. Why? Squad depth. With incumbent fullback Mike Haley likely to miss the opening rounds of the new season having suffered a disclosed shoulder on tour with the Saxons in South Africa, Sale were faced with the prospect of having either Dan Mugford (a fly-half) or Tim Jeffers (untested at Premiership level) start the season in the Sharks' no.15 jersey. McGuigan solves that conundrum nicely. This is how this signing has to be viewed - McGuigan isn't exactly the marquee name many fans are hoping will still materialise before the season, but he does represent a more mature and balanced approach to managing the first team that will come under considerable strain this season, especially with participation in the European Champions Cup. Most importantly, signing McGuigan now gives Sale the luxury of having a genuine backup to Mike Haley who played an averaged 72 minutes in the 27 appearances he made last season. For a scale of how heavily Haley was depended on last season, Sale only played 29 competitive fixtures. Such a usage rate is clearly unsustainable, especially if Sale expect to see Haley repeat the form that won him a callup to the England Saxons this summer. And whilst there is likely to be a drop-off between Haley and McGuigan in terms of on-field impact, having somebody else who can step in at the position in a pinch and alleviate the burden on Haley will ensure he remains at his most impactful all season long. It also means Tom Arscott can remain on the left wing opposite Will Addison until Josh Charnley has settled into the 15-man code. McGuigan's arrival also provides cover should Haley be called up for international duty during the season (an increasingly likely possibility following his starring turn in South Africa) and, of course, in the case of injuries along the backline; McGuigan's versatility could prove extremely important should Tom Arscott's and Josh Charnley's starts to the new season be delayed further or if Sam James has to spend time on the treatment table. Long-term this is probably a stopgap signing until Tim Jeffers is ready to step up and compete with Haley for the no.15 jersey, but until then McGuigan should be a handy squad player that gives Steve Diamond and Paul Deacon the flexibility they need to manage the squad in order to maximise fitness and form over the course of a nine-month season. Interestingly, a two-year deal suggests Diamond and Deacon have hopes that McGuigan can perhaps kick on from his Exeter days and solidify himself an important place in the Sharks' rotation, rather than just using him as a year-long plug-in option until additional signings can be made next year. Overall this is a low-risk, medium-reward move that if nothing else slightly eases the burden on Sale's star backline players. And after years of bemoaning Sale's paper-thin squad depth, this is a welcome sign that the Sharks are intent on having a multitude of options in every position to better prepare themselves for participation in three separate competitions this year. Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, analysis and opinions on all things Sale Sharks. |
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June 2017
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