Falcons season ender on BT Sport
By Aidanb
June 1 2022
Newcastle Falcons' final game of the 2021-22 season will be shown live on BT Sport. The Falcons travel to Northampton Saints on Saturday as the curtain comes down on the Gallagher Premiership's regular-season.
The full article can be found here.
https://www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk/news/story/falcons-season-ender-live-on-bt-sport
And for those of you not travelling to the match or who don't have BT sport you can always use the official pay per view process
here https://www.premiershiprugby.com/prtvlive/
now then - last game of the season and we've all just been paid.
get your season tickets here https://www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk/Pages/Tickets/season-ticket-membership
and don't forget if you buy your season ticket now you get into the game on match day for free -:)
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.
Quote:GeordieFalcon
And im at a flipping wedding...how inconsiderate having a wedding on this day!
Watch it via the bt sport app on your phone ?
Or audio via the BBC Rugby website or BBC Sport app.
Or Falcons club twitter, of course!
Quote:aidanbQuote:GeordieFalcon
And im at a flipping wedding...how inconsiderate having a wedding on this day!
Watch it via the bt sport app on your phone ?
Yes thats what i was actually thinking...ways and means...

here [www.premiershiprugby.com])
Unfortunately matches live on BT are not shown on PRTV, due to the terms of the contract with BT.
Quote:markismith50
Saturday's officials [www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk]
Oh well. I was looking forward to our routine win down there, not so much now.
This post has been shortened by the moderators for legal reasons.
Quote:markismith50
Saturday's officials [www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk]
Ha, you only posted the link because you know what was coming, right? Haha

Quote:Falconsfan93
Pathetic first 10 minutes
It seems our kick return strategy is aimlessly hammer it down the middle of the field or aimlessly run away from support.
This is absolutely dire.
It’s utterly, utterly pathetic.
Do we watch other teams? Do we see them play and think “nah that will never work”?
Absolute screamer from Chick
Also what the hell was Graham doing?
It’s almost tragic how BT Sport are so comfortably pointing out everything wrong with our attack and defence and yet a team of paid players and coaches can’t do it.
Saints attacking lineout: Quick attack, different lines, never clear where the ball is going, great hands, try.
How does our coaching staff think what they’re putting on the field is acceptable? Next season is looking seriously dark.
Quote:Andy Mac
Nah it’s all the refs fault…
Inevitably.
Quote:pityacker
Pathetic and appalling havnt wona league game since November and will be lucky to win one next season , the worst team in the league absolutely embarrassing to watch makes me wonder why I keep buying my season ticket.
We beat Wuss away in April.
The butchering of a potential try by Graham was, well...words fail.
Agree with some comments above about some players appearing as if the season is already done. Or maybe they just look a little bit lost.
God, what must Radwan and Carreras be thinking.
Quote:olly99
Hmm.
The butchering of a potential try by Graham was, well...words fail.
Agree with some comments above about some players appearing as if the season is already done. Or maybe they just look a little bit lost.
God, what must Radwan and Carreras be thinking.
I imagine Radwan is waiting for the end of his contract and the large amount of money a team with an actual direction and professional standard coaches will offer. And so yet another talented player will leave.
Quote:SouthFalcon27
I know what is said about players always caring, but to be perfectly honest about 10 of the starting 15 look like they’re on their holidays. Absolutely zero intensity.
Be careful suggesting anything of the sort...
Luckily I chose not to go today, instead I've just got back from a trip from a pub on the Northamptonshire canal, just in time for our last half of very poor season (it was this or the England cricket collapse)
I’ll believe it when I see it. He’s been in charge of the attack for 7 years, is he trying to make us believe he’s just been not allowed to do what he wants and has been fine with it?
Bar a brief period when Saints switched off, it was mostly pathetic.
And why take McGuigan off? Just cost him the top try scorer award.
Anyone want to give some positives for next season? It’s hard to see.
Quote:Andy MacQuote:pityacker
Pathetic and appalling havnt wona league game since November and will be lucky to win one next season , the worst team in the league absolutely embarrassing to watch makes me wonder why I keep buying my season ticket.
We beat Wuss away in April.
After Worcester had a very interrupted preparation. If two teams played next week I wouldn't put any money on the Falcons. Worst team in the league for the last six months.
Next year..Mark Wilson will put some steel in them!!
Word on Dickson and his TMO...shambolic.
Quote:Knock_On_7
What do they do during the week?
That's what I've said for years .....what do they actually do in training.....
But then we conceded a penalty and then they scored and well...
But how many times did we do some great work (passing/ handling) and get right into their 22 only to turn it over and then they (Saints) went the length of the field?? Or that brilliant break from Blamire that should have led to a try only for Tait to mess up the pass and then Freeman scored from it??
Walder will need some help next year. Yes, Wilson will be a good addition. But we probably need an old head Kiwi or someone hungry for a challenge to breathe some new life into our defence.
Fresh ideas in a few areas are needed.
I know we had a red and yellow card and a ref who likes to put us to the sword but that was terrible / awful / shambolic / whatever.
Good try by Chick and a 5 minute spell but some terrible decisions in attack and defence tactics are none existent.
When Eddie Howe arrived at the wendy ball training ground he told the players that standing still wasn't an option - the same applies to rugby.
We've agreed that the players are committed and give their all but somethings wrong (edited from what I was going to say)
What have they done in training the last 10 months?
What do they do in their pre match tactical briefs?
What the hell has Easter done this year? Radwan/Carreras must have had to defend at least 5 3 on 1s.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:06:04:19:16:04 by WilkosLeftPeg.
I prefer the latter and believe that if we keep trying it will come.
Recruitment wise I believe that there are certain issues that need addressing.
1. A ball carrying 8.
2. A top class 9.
3. A ball carrying 12.
I fear that we will sign any one who might have been good once upon a time in any position that is cheap and available. I want us to target solving our weaknesses.
I do not want to see any new bits and pieces 8,9,12 type players, or outside centres, or wingers or full backs.
We also need some inspiration from the top.
1. Quicker ruck speed
2. An 8,9 and 10 with a clear plan to be decisive with the fast ball
3. Radwan, Carreras and Stephens as a back 3 getting the ball often
4. Ben stevenson (please)
Thing is, despite the bad result, and performance yesterday (I didn't see the game), we got a bonus point. The bizarre thing is if they had won 6-3 we wouldn't have got anything at all.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:06:05:08:49:44 by Marco19819.
We HAVE some good players...they look like they've never trained together and have no plan at all...
I only pray this has been down to Dean and not to Walder the current head coach taking over the head coach role.
And Easter should give back the salary he's been collecting as Defence Coach
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:06:05:09:25:37 by GeordieFalcon.
Not one person was attacking the gain line off 9.
Every time in the first half we looked for contact rather than popping before getting hit. That changed slightly in the second half.
Quote:WilkosLeftPeg
The amount of times we were stood still around the ruck when attacking yesterday had me tearing my hair out.
Not one person was attacking the gain line off 9.
Every time in the first half we looked for contact rather than popping before getting hit. That changed slightly in the second half.
This is what I mean when I say do we not watch what other teams do?
The highlight of this was 5m out from their line when we would pop the ball to a static player 2m back who would be instantly tackled by several players. What was the strategy? Big Trev to break 7 tackles?
The problems with our attack the way I see it are
1) Poor basic skills --> The amount of time passes between 9-13 are off the mark, slow or dropped is baffling in a professional rugby team.
2) Poor ruck speed --> Every single ruck is 9 gets to the ruck, stops, waits, then passes. It's maddening. This is then exacerbated by slow decision making in the backs
3) Playing too deep --> There was one moment where Hodgson was stood so deep that in the space of 2 phases we went back 30 metres. The only time this has been different was when WHW was playing 10.
4) Lack of deception in attack --> I played a game yesterday. I watched the match with my Dad. Before the ball went out, we called who the ball was going to go to/be taken into contact by. I'd say 90% of the time we were right. If we can manage that, then so can the opposition. It's painfully obvious. And when you compare it to teams using deception, running lines, playing at pace, we're in a different world.
5) Not using strike runners --> This is the one thing that baffles all of us. If any of us were Falcons attack coaches, priority 1 on the board would be "get the ball to Radwan and Carreras in space". And yet there seems to be zero effort to do this.
6) Passive carrying --> "Oh here's some contact, I'm just going to gently fall into it" is the attitude of half our team.
And on defence, it's really bloody simple. Our work rate, which a few years ago was outstanding, is pathetic. So many times overlaps and breaks happened simply because players weren't coming round fast enough, or not getting into position. Burrell getting stepped and then just giving up on the play. Players walking round into position. It just leads to very simple overlaps on the wings, which has happened all season.
Solutions as I see it:
1) Walder has talked about changing the attack next season, playing a more dynamic, fast paced style. Great, lovely, wonderful. Will believe it when I see it. If it doesn't exist after next season, bye, move on.
2) Fitness/S&C. I don't think it's a stretch to say we're the least fit team in the league. We constantly fade in the last 20. We just look a bit slower, weaker than the other teams. That has to change immediately. Pre season needs to be brutal. And the players should want to do it if they are professional rugby players. They should be sick of days like today.
3) Zero tolerance for lazy play in defence. Simple. You don't work as hard as possible in D? You do fitness until you do. You cannot let the team down like that. Saracens for years have had one of the best D's in the Prem. And it's nearly all built on epic work rate
4) Zero tolerance for stupidity. Dumb penalties. Not rolling away. offside. Chucking the ball away without a clear target. Punches, trips, blocks. Every week there's a collection of stupid, unacceptable things we do.
The key thing about all of these above? None of it required new players, a massive cash injection or anything. All it requires is the coaches to admit they haven't been getting it right, really sit down, watch an arseload of other teams play and develop a new style. It requires the players to buy in, work their f***ing @#$%& off and have a higher standard. If they do, we will compete in every match. We will get wins, we will play more attractive rugby, more people will attend, TV will pay attention, players will want to come. We may not win as often as we'd like, but mid table should be wide open for us. And simply put, days like yesterday need to become unacceptable.
Cracking post!! Every single point you make was bang on!!
The only addition I would make to your excellent summary, however, is that we probably do need at least one new coaching face to help Walder.
And I don't just mean Wilson - who will be great at installing pride and fight - I mean someone who hasn't been 'tainted' with the Falcons.
There must be some experienced old heads down in New Zealand? One of whom would fancy assisting Walder for a couple of years?
He must have made connections with a few of them in Japan.
They would certainly help with reinforcing the 4 solutions you identify.
But other than that I couldn't fault a word.
I will leave that to the coaches - actual and armchair - to sort that out.
I’m just an old prop who keeps saying you should give it to the backs cos they drop it.
Quote:GeordieFalcon
Suffering a red wine hangover...I still ask the question (which ive asked for several years now)..what do the falcons actually do in training?
We HAVE some good players...they look like they've never trained together and have no plan at all...
I only pray this has been down to Dean and not to Walder the current head coach taking over the head coach role.
And Easter should give back the salary he's been collecting as Defence Coach
I'm more worried about our attack than defence Geordie, there are 3 or 4 teams with worse tries conceded than us which admittedly is no reason to celebrate. However no-one has a worse trying scoring record than us, yet our attack coach is the new head coach. Figure that one out.
That's not to say I'm not worried about our defence also, and would say the same if Easter became head coach.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:06:05:13:41:09 by Exiled Falcon.
So much wrong with yesterday there’ s no point in dwelling, one of the tv bits that remains with me is Walder and Richards falling about laughing from their vantage point..it was’nt funny!
A few talk about a Heavyweight 12…..but are those days gone?. Man of the Match yesterday was Hutchinson, all5ft 11 and 15st of him.
I d Ike to see a team of athletes, who can catch and pass the ball
, and can tackle, well coached and who can make the right decisions.Sounds simple, come in SF your time has come.
Quote:Exiled FalconQuote:GeordieFalcon
Suffering a red wine hangover...I still ask the question (which ive asked for several years now)..what do the falcons actually do in training?
We HAVE some good players...they look like they've never trained together and have no plan at all...
I only pray this has been down to Dean and not to Walder the current head coach taking over the head coach role.
And Easter should give back the salary he's been collecting as Defence Coach
I'm more worried about our attack than defence Geordie, there are 3 or 4 teams with worse tries conceded than us which admittedly is no reason to celebrate. However no-one has a worse trying scoring record than us, yet our attack coach is the new head coach. Figure that one out.
That's not to say I'm not worried about our defence also, and would say the same if Easter became head coach.
Your right about the attack...and one of my concerns is that Walder was responsible for the attack.
SF above is right...give him a season to see if he xan make it work..if not move on. Hopefully the defence will have a bit more fight and steel about it.
Quote:GeordieFalconQuote:Exiled FalconQuote:GeordieFalcon
Suffering a red wine hangover...I still ask the question (which ive asked for several years now)..what do the falcons actually do in training?
We HAVE some good players...they look like they've never trained together and have no plan at all...
I only pray this has been down to Dean and not to Walder the current head coach taking over the head coach role.
And Easter should give back the salary he's been collecting as Defence Coach
I'm more worried about our attack than defence Geordie, there are 3 or 4 teams with worse tries conceded than us which admittedly is no reason to celebrate. However no-one has a worse trying scoring record than us, yet our attack coach is the new head coach. Figure that one out.
That's not to say I'm not worried about our defence also, and would say the same if Easter became head coach.
Your right about the attack...and one of my concerns is that Walder was responsible for the attack.
SF above is right...give him a season to see if he xan make it work..if not move on. Hopefully the defence will have a bit more fight and steel about it.
Here's hoping. Thing is at the beginning of this season I think it's fair to say the vast majority of supporters felt we had the strongest squad we have had for ages yet the table doesn't lie. Results wise a huge letdown. Let's hope he can indeed make it work.
