New Thread - What Do We Need?

[Neils]

Yesterday was dire. To my mind the players leaving all failed to show up - even Hughes who continues to give penalties away.
We know who is coming in to dates and I actually cannot see where we will improve. Fekitoa should be an upgrade but will he?
The NZ prop is usually a bench sitter this season and looks slow. Our international Italian hasn't played this season and reports say he won't. Not a great bunch really.
Yes we have a lot of re-signings but some of those are injured too.
My worry is IF we get a string of injuries like this year we will not get out of this rut. I can see a small number of promotions from the A team squad which is welcome. However where else are we getting anyone from?
First we need an improvement to the coaching team - the Edwards show was, I think, just agent speakand confused simple people. We really have to have names in the frame for announcement after season end. If not we are in deep cack.
Player wise we are light in a few areas.
I agree with some that we need a big nasty lock and I must admit I am baffled by Matthew's continued omission.
We need a winger despite Marcus seeming to finally step up (Leyds would be superb but that has gone beyond quiet). I would like a good 12 backup to Jimmy. These might all come from within!
If Dan is ruled out we need a very good scrum half.
If we have fit and available YY and Willis  x2 plus Carr, Shields and Morris we should be ok but this lot get injured a lot!

Sorry it is a ramble but looking at the EAs yesterday with their multitude of internationals looking fit and ready to go we looked weak and small before even the kick off. Sad really..

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Let me bounce the question back to you. Where we and other teams are now (most squads are now 90+% done and dusted, each with just their academy prospects to be promoted), and given the dual constraints of EQP and the salary cap (which exclude estate agents of course), who do you suggest that Dai signs?

My guess is that he is up against it on the cap and EQP limits, so, at this point, all he can afford is English youngsters and maybe some Championship signings. I don't see either addressing the issues that Wasps face. Buying in SH talent is a stop gap that more often than not does not work.

The problem is, our academy is not producing enough first team potential talent. The training ground still isn't sorted, with absolutely no visible meaningful progress. Grumbles from players about Broadstreet are still happening (live locally, meet the guys and chat to them and you get their feelings loud and clear, and yes, I am talking about the ones staying next year, not those leaving). The message I get is that Broadstreet is barely OK, but a long shout from where Wasps needed to be by now.

We will have seen many of the current stars (those in next year's squad) leave before we turn the corner. So, no, next year is not going to be much better, nor the year after, but after that it should start to pick up. By that time, pretty much the entire squad will have been up for contract renewal, and some will leave. This is a long term problem, and there are no short term fixes. It's OK for us fans to ask for them, but it simply is not realistic. Our U18 squad is the first squad in years to have almost an entire team of talent. For now we can but knuckle down and bear what comes our way.

[Tervueren]

With fewer headless moments we would be heading for top 4, so we are not that bad, IMO we don't have lot's of sub-standard players, playing a bit more like a team for 80 minutes and the season would be far better. There will be a lot of turnover for next season, but this season's new players will be a year in and more settled. Next season will probably be hit and miss again, hopefully more hit than this year.

Until we have the long term squad stability of Sarries and Exeter our main hope is to try to be best of the rest.

Yesterday was painful, mainly because we handed it to them, but it is never boring supporting Wasps.

[Jac A]

I'm not sure that most squads are 90% sorted for next season.

Tigers announced three signings only last week, Sale announced de Jager only a few days ago. Both those clubs are expecting more signings. Looking at when clubs announced signings last year there were quite a few big signings announced at the end of May or even later - Mostert, Grobbler, Symons, Williams, Hask, Cips, Eastmond, Ashton, van Rensberg, Carr, Brookes etc

So I still think that there will be more big moves.

I think sometimes it's easy to get fixated on how good Saracen's squad is as I don't think it is a fair comparison. Obviously the salary cap questions are there but they are also a team that has had a consistently good academy and a very good rotation policy. Nelly is totally right about our academy not producing as many and that has meant not as many academy credits but that is changing.

I have to disagree about yesterday too, I don't think it was dire, I think it was disappointing and we were outplayed by a better team. They put out a very strong team and they wanted to win. When comparing the team sheets the only area where we are equal or better was the front row and that showed with us having a decent time in the scrum. Their team had 5 (6 with Billy) B&I Lions. Yes, we made a lot of mistakes and we lacked compose and they didn't really need to break stride but they still didn't get a bonus point. We all wanted more after the Exeter game but like almost every other team this year, we lacked consistency.

I think we do need another centre (either Gaby staying or a new signing) and I think we need a good back 3 player (a la Leyds). I think that we may lack a little bit of quality next year compared to this but I would hope that we would have a bit more consistency - not losing so many players to internationals will help. What is good is so many players have signed new deals that I think there will be a lot less churn at the ned of next season. We can look at the team for next year as one to really build on for the first time in a while (I hope).

Next year will be very interesting. Saracens for example will be short of loads of players for the RWC and 6 Nations and other teams have recruited well so I expect it to be even tighter than this year.

[Vespula Vulgaris]

First we need an improvement to the coaching team - the Edwards show was, I think, just agent speakand confused simple people. We really have to have names in the frame for announcement after season end. If not we are in deep cack.

It wasn't agent speak.  Derek spoke to Shaun on a number of ocassions and there was a genuinely high chance he was coming to us.  It didn't work out that way, but I am under the impression there are other discussions going on with other people.
 

Sorry it is a ramble but looking at the EAs yesterday with their multitude of internationals looking fit and ready to go we looked weak and small before even the kick off. Sad really..

I tend to agree, but I see the difference being the relative academies of the two sides.  Ours is only just starting to bear fruit, and I expect we'll see a few of them in the senior squad next season.

[Witblad]

I think we need:

- A new coach who can bring the team together - real teamwork not there right now - and improve execution
- A decent No3 Scrum Half who can move the ball quickly
- Two new powerful locks to replace Garrett (who should if he's not fit enough) and possibly Myall
- A left winger who has real finishing power. Preferably one who can be a back up full-back
- Promotion of Willis, Umaga, and Oghre from the academy. Assuming they are ready and good enough.  And Cardall too if he's ready. 
- Thomas Young to stay with us, or we need another jackling 7. 
- Willis and Robson and Searle to fully recover and be fit for the new season

I could go on.  But that would do for starters.

[westwaleswasp]

Realistically second row close to Lauch quality, wing/centre option or back three option of quality. After that some luck and a couple of academy players to push the established ones.

[mike909]

 (live locally, meet the guys and chat to them and you get their feelings loud and clear, and yes, I am talking about the ones staying next year, not those leaving). The message I get is that Broadstreet is barely OK, but a long shout from where Wasps needed to be by now.

Watching the games, NWW, is there an issue that would indicate why too often, we seem to be less than the sum of the parts?  Or has it been circumstance?

I know this season, like last Nov, we barely had a fit 23 from the main squad, and we've had to play too many players, new to the team, in too many games (like Booj) and we've really missed Willis and Rieder and especially Jimmy and losing Wade wasn't a help in terms of making team worry about facing us.

I think I'm probably just a tad downcast comparing the Exeter game and yesterday. I do think we'll get better service out of Booj and others next season, but after their first try yesterday - I couldn't see it going well!

[JonnyD]

De jäger signs for Sale, Snyman still being rumoured to going to Quins, how I would love them at wasps and what an improvement they would bring.
One of them, Launchers and Gaskell rotate, Rowlands and Matthews fight it out for fourth choice and Cardall comes up.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Watching the games, NWW, is there an issue that would indicate why too often, we seem to be less than the sum of the parts?  Or has it been circumstance?

The individuals have not gelled as a team. They lack on field leadership. They look as though they are a 'bring yer boots' team, who have not played or practiced together. Much as I like the guy, Joe is not a thinking leader. He is more of one of those guys leading men out of the trenches; first over the top and lead by example. But we need the thinkers. People like Haskell, Beale and Gopperth. Instead we have arm wavers like Le Roux and Daly. The few minutes of Gopperth on the pitch showed what a difference he makes. He changed the plays as they were happening, making our attack unpredictable.

[mike909]

Watching the games, NWW, is there an issue that would indicate why too often, we seem to be less than the sum of the parts?  Or has it been circumstance?

The individuals have not gelled as a team. They lack on field leadership. They look as though they are a 'bring yer boots' team, who have not played or practiced together. Much as I like the guy, Joe is not a thinking leader. He is more of one of those guys leading men out of the trenches; first over the top and lead by example. But we need the thinkers. People like Haskell, Beale and Gopperth. Instead we have arm wavers like Le Roux and Daly. The few minutes of Gopperth on the pitch showed what a difference he makes. He changed the plays as they were happening, making our attack unpredictable.

Thanks NWW, that's the sort of impression you get watching - its not far off the problem with England (that's for another day) but that leadership has been missing. It was stark, the difference, when Jimmy came on...

[Heathen]

We need some beasts.

[westwaleswasp]

I misread this as "breasts". 

[Wiltshire Wasp]

Cheerleaders.

Oops, wrong thread.

[Raggs]

Watching the games, NWW, is there an issue that would indicate why too often, we seem to be less than the sum of the parts?  Or has it been circumstance?

The individuals have not gelled as a team. They lack on field leadership. They look as though they are a 'bring yer boots' team, who have not played or practiced together. Much as I like the guy, Joe is not a thinking leader. He is more of one of those guys leading men out of the trenches; first over the top and lead by example. But we need the thinkers. People like Haskell, Beale and Gopperth. Instead we have arm wavers like Le Roux and Daly. The few minutes of Gopperth on the pitch showed what a difference he makes. He changed the plays as they were happening, making our attack unpredictable.

Haskell as a thinking leader?