FKAS wrote: ↑Mon Aug 18, 2025 7:08 pmI'm hoping it's Bailey because at his age a breakthrough season would be very useful and hopefully provide a long term answer to questions over the Tigers 10 shirt.
Is that "breakthrough season" in the same way that Will Evans had his "breakthrough season" at Quins, despite 40 appearances for Leicester?
You'd have to think that Landi's breakthrough season was 2021-2 or 2022-3 - both seasons with a couple of dozen appearances, and 15+ starts (not to mention an Eddie-special England "appearance").
I'm very unsure that anyone at all can have a "breakthrough" season when they've already got 100+ appearances for their club.
Beyond that, Bailey was better than Searle 3 years ago - he's since had 2 years learning from Russell (albeit with consequently limited game time)
I was thinking more like Evans breakout season with Quins. A breakout for a new club following a move from being the backup to the starter.
I'm expecting/hoping to see Bailey take the opportunity by the scruff of the neck and really ink his name onto the team sheet at 10. He's got enough about him and the regular game time should suit his further development. He'll have some nice options in the Tigers midfield to support him with a secondary playmaker in Woodward and then one of two bosh options at 13. Some pacey wingers that can finish with an almost third centre at 15 who can also be used as a clearance option. It's a solid set up for him to come into with, for once at Tigers, a good attack coach who's coming into his second season.
Puja wrote: ↑Sat Aug 16, 2025 7:43 pm
Australia achieved the incredible feat today of the largest possible transfer of points possible outside of tbe RWC in the rankings system. The system caps out at 2.00 ranking points for a non RWC win, with a 50% bonus for winning by more than 15 points to bring a maximum of 3.00. SA lucky that there's a cap - by my reckoning, they'd've lost 3.55 points for that thumping.
Drops SA to third, behind NZ and Ireland, and brings Australia up to 6th - still a distance behind us, but they'd overtake if they beat us at Twickenham now.
Puja
That last try by Cowan-Dickie yesterday to take the margin of victory over 15 points was especially useful then.
Puja wrote: ↑Sat Aug 16, 2025 7:43 pm
Australia achieved the incredible feat today of the largest possible transfer of points possible outside of tbe RWC in the rankings system. The system caps out at 2.00 ranking points for a non RWC win, with a 50% bonus for winning by more than 15 points to bring a maximum of 3.00. SA lucky that there's a cap - by my reckoning, they'd've lost 3.55 points for that thumping.
Drops SA to third, behind NZ and Ireland, and brings Australia up to 6th - still a distance behind us, but they'd overtake if they beat us at Twickenham now.
Puja
That last try by Cowan-Dickie yesterday to take the margin of victory over 15 points was especially useful then.
Indeed - we took some of Australia's winnings from them and gave the Scots hope of making it up to 6th before the RWC draw. The NZ win over Ireland means that, if we win all of our AIs, we should end up ranked at least 3rd by the end of the year (interestingly enough, that's regardless of if Scotland pull off an upset next weekend - if they win, it'll give us fewer points for beating New Zealand and mean that Ireland would likely stay ahead, but it would strip NZ of enough points that they'd go behind us).
However, that does require us to win the matches first. I think it's what we should be expecting to do, given the weakened state of the ABs, but it's hardly guaranteed.
Although the ABs have been up and down in terms of performance, there is a consistent (but potentially coincidental) pattern. When Roigard plays, they almost always win. When he doesn't, they don't.
I'd never wish injury on any player, but maybe just a little tummy bug or something?!
