Where do we stand with our Centre options for next season?

[coddy]

With more rumours of Gopps leaving for Tigers coming over the weekend, Mills (very) rarely fit enough to lace up his boots and MLB clearly not one of the two quality players we and all top clubs endeavour to have in each position Inside Centre must be a key area for recruitment.

Looks like Fekitoa is off too, I like the look of Spink and feel he will very shortly be good enough to deputise Odogwu so not sure if we need to replace Malakai with a top drawer 13 as long as we have a Academy lad ready to step up. If we don't I think we should recruit a journeyman Centre for Spink to compete with.

Thoughts?

[Shugs]

My thoughts are that if Fekitoa goes I’m pretty happy with Odogwu and Spink as our first up two for 13. If Mills stays I’d say we then need another “oven ready” 12. If he goes we need 2. You’d then have cover at either 12 or 13 from Le Bourgeois and I think (hope) we’ll see a bit more of Hartley next year as well. Obviously the difficult bit in that is finding 12’s.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

As I just posted in a different thread, BB discussed this in a livestream a few minutes ago.

It rather depends who is off.

Mills (BB doesn't know)
Fekitoa (BB doesn't know, but suspects he will be off)
Gopperth (almost certainly off to Tigers)
Le Bourgeois (not discussed, but I do wonder)

Balanced by Spink, and obviously Odogwu.

BB did say Wasps were disappointed not to get Esterhuizen, so they may be after another like him (is there one like him in existence?).

But, that was the sum of what BB thinks Wasps are looking for.

I wondered about Kibirige, Watson (M) and Miller.

[hopwood]

It's quite tough unearthing new talent, but I think Quins have done quite a good job over the past few seasons.
Lynagh looking good.
Luke Northmore too.
Tyrone Green and Estherhuizen have been great additions.
And also impressed with Nick David on his first appearance for Quins on Friday night. He was previously at Worcester and looks quick and nimble as a wing or fullback.

There is talent out there, it's just finding the right players to add to the mix.
I would love to see some clever acquisitions. I think Dan Frost has been an unbelievable find and I'm hoping we can be as effective in unearthing some backs.
I do think we have a lot of young and inexperienced players in the backs....and if Jimmy goes, we need to recruit a wise, calm soul to provide leadership under pressure.
Effectively another Jimmy, just 4-5 years younger.

[hopwood]

As I just posted in a different thread, BB discussed this in a livestream a few minutes ago.

It rather depends who is off.

Mills (BB doesn't know)
Fekitoa (BB doesn't know, but suspects he will be off)
Gopperth (almost certainly off to Tigers)
Le Bourgeois (not discussed, but I do wonder)

Balanced by Spink, and obviously Odogwu.

BB did say Wasps were disappointed not to get Esterhuizen, so they may be after another like him (is there one like him in existence?).

But, that was the sum of what BB thinks Wasps are looking for.

I wondered about Kibirige, Watson (M) and Miller.

Just seen your post. Exactly, we need an Esterhuizen style player and personality.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

What I do find odd is the relative quiet in the Prem as a whole on movement, especially considering that the talk to player window was moved much earlier in the season.

To me, it seems like there will be a few players without a contract next year, who would have otherwise announced moves to other clubs who had some wriggle room in their budgets. By that I mean that the flurry of moves announcements we are used to seeing was being driven by players and their new clubs. Existing clubs have nothing to gain by announcing that xxx is leaving with nowhere to go to. Hence the relative silence.

The Championship has only a few weeks to go, and am I right there is no playoff this year? I would guess that a few Championship players will sign with Premiership clubs, but may want to announce this quite late into their season, maybe? Mid March then.

SH players are likely to be stitching up their deals with SH clubs pretty soon, so I am guessing we will not hear of SH signings until March/April.

My guess is we may have one or two Championship players lined up, and two or three SH players, as our squad is mainly EQP, so we have that room that some other teams do not.

Let the long wait continue ...

[Steve from Cov]

Wasn't Piers O'Connor linked with a return to Wasps?

I suspect there are a few Esterhuizen type players out there in the southern hemisphere attracted by premiership salaries.   

[Raggs]

Bath were rumoured to be going for Damian De Allende, and Ojomoh was also rumoured to being courted by others. I'd not mind Ojomoh.

[mike909]

We've liked to play with two distributors, so if that is correct and we want to carry on having that as our preference then we need to decide where the second one plays. Options are usually 12 or 15. As Crossdale is prob our 15 going forwards, he'd probably need to develop for that to work. So if Paulo is fit and Spink provides cover we're probably in need of a distributor 12, Mills if fit and perhaps someone like Pier O' Connor who does both the distribution and some muscle too.

I do think that we need another winger/15. One of the many reasons Wade was so valuable was that he tied up lots of players and that meant gaps elsewhere, land he still scored loads.

We have had that distributor at 13 when Daly was owning the shirt - seems less common in terms of available players.

So if they are fit....Mills and Odogwu as first choice works for me..(bit if...) and then it's choice linked to how we prefer to play. Of course if Ollie Lawrence fancies a new start to coincide with "post Eddie" then that would be nice.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

We've liked to play with two distributors, so if that is correct and we want to carry on having that as our preference then we need to decide where the second one plays. Options are usually 12 or 15. As Crossdale is prob our 15 going forwards, he'd probably need to develop for that to work. So if Paulo is fit and Spink provides cover we're probably in need of a distributor 12, Mills if fit and perhaps someone like Pier O' Connor who does both the distribution and some muscle too.

I do think that we need another winger/15. One of the many reasons Wade was so valuable was that he tied up lots of players and that meant gaps elsewhere, land he still scored loads.

We have had that distributor at 13 when Daly was owning the shirt - seems less common in terms of available players.

So if they are fit....Mills and Odogwu as first choice works for me..(bit if...) and then it's choice linked to how we prefer to play. Of course if Ollie Lawrence fancies a new start to coincide with "post Eddie" then that would be nice.

Unless Mills is not here next year.

[HDAWG]

Bath were rumoured to be going for Damian De Allende, and Ojomoh was also rumoured to being courted by others. I'd not mind Ojomoh.

De Allende I expect to go to Japan, Ojomoh fits our style of player though. Young and ignored by Bath, so potentially a signing in the future.

And actually that's something I'd emphasize here, I'd love an experienced centre, but based on recruitment don't be surprised if we sign a young up and comer like Crossdale or Frost. Here's hoping recruitment work their magic again...

[mike909]

Unless Mills is not here next year.

Well - I felt I had to make some assumptions! If he's not then I think we're probably in need

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Unless Mills is not here next year.

Well - I felt I had to make some assumptions! If he's not then I think we're probably in need

I think it is quite an assumption. He signed a 2 year contract, which expires this season. Re-signings and extensions were announced months ago by Wasps, there would be no reason to delay his for so long after the others. The same applies to others whose contract expires. If Wasps wanted a player to stay, an offer will have been made at the start of the season (ish). Those who were not wanted past this season were not offered a contract at that time. Those who were offered a contract (I suspect Jimmy as an example here), but did not want to accept it (maybe too little money, or too short), will have been looking around. As soon as Wasps had replacements lined up, their offers would have been withdrawn. That's pretty much how it works. There are a few who we can guess pretty accurately have expiring contracts who have not been announced as re-signing.

Wasps are unlikely to say anything to give those leaving the greatest chance to get signed elsewhere, but by now other clubs know the reality of that silence, so offers will be sparse and with little money, such as happened with Haskell.

[Rifleman Harris]

It depends though. He has hardly played, but was / is a class 12.  It would be reasonable to delay any decision on contracts until he has had a chance to have a run of games to see a, if he still has it, and b, if he can avoid more injuries.  I could see him getting a new contract if he strings some good games together by the end of the year, especially as he fits the bill of what we are looking for at 12.

[Rossm]

It depends though. He has hardly played, but was / is a class 12.  It would be reasonable to delay any decision on contracts until he has had a chance to have a run of games to see a, if he still has it, and b, if he can avoid more injuries.  I could see him getting a new contract if he strings some good games together by the end of the year, especially as he fits the bill of what we are looking for at 12.

I agree. He has had very bad luck with injuries. I certainly think he should be offered a contract. He is a very talented player and shouldn't be discarded simply because of ill fortune.