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The 'ironic' reaction when Steve Diamond contacted agents this week

(Photo by Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty Images)

Worcester boss Steve Diamond has claimed that the suggestion there were upwards of 80 players from last season left uncontracted heading into the new 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership season was a fabrication going by his experience with agents this past week.

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With midweek matches in the Premiership Rugby Cup on the horizon, Warriors’ director of rugby made a series of enquiries about bringing in some extra players so that the squad at Sixways could manage the additional workload.

It had been reported at the end of the last season that numerous players had been released across the English league and were now free agents, and a June 7 tweet from England prop Kyle Sinckler brought the issue to the attention of numerous rugby fans.

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“Nearly 100 Premiership rugby players will now be without a club for the 22/23 season. Nothing to do with their rugby ability just finances. Worrying times ahead,” he wrote on social media.

Three months later, though, Worcester coach Diamond has now questioned the validity of this claim that multiple players were left clubless, explaining he had contacted numerous agencies looking to source out-of-contract talent only to be told they had no clients that were unemployed.

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Reading between the lines, you could suggest that the reason no players were said to be available was because of the ongoing financial situation affecting Worcester which resulted in Diamond’s squad getting their August wages late while some staff are still waiting. But the DoR insisted that this financial uncertainty wasn’t the issue, it was that there were no players unemployed on the books at these agencies he contacted.

“I’ll tell you what is ironic about this. We have got some Prem Cup games coming up on Wednesdays and in the press, you lot would have put 80 players unemployed in the competition,” he volunteered at his media briefing ahead of this Saturday’s league opener at London Irish.

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“As of Wednesday, I had gone through seven of the main agents in the country asking could I speak to players they had on their books who were unemployed and none of those agencies had anybody unemployed.

“I’m struggling to find where these 80 players are at the minute. I don’t know whether that was just a fabrication of numbers but at this moment of time I’m looking to bring in three or four players and we can’t find them at the moment. It’s not the case of it’s Worcester and potentially they have got no money. Agents are telling me we have got nobody out of contract at the minute.”

As it stands, just Kyle Hatherell has informed Diamond that he wants to quit Worcester due to their current cash crisis. “Only one, Kyle Hatherell. I have run these businesses for people and if an offer comes in for a player we will always look at it.

“I don’t need to name them here but I can name ten or 15 that I have sold in the past and that has happened with Kyle. At this moment nothing has been agreed. If the right offer comes in and I think it is right and the owners think it is right then we will do a negotiation on that, but there is only one that has happened with [who said he wants to leave].”

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1 Comment
K
Kevin 787 days ago

So... A) Nobody wants to go to Worcester, or B) Nobody wants to play for Diamond, or C) a little bit of, A and a lot of B....

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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