Pirate, I don't know too many of the players named in the Pirates new squad, so I can not say if the squad is better this year. What I do know is that most clubs have a period of optimism before the season starts. For most this evaporates fairly rapidly. Pirates must again be one of the top five, but will the parachute payment to Leeds give, again, the demoted club too big an advantage? I don't see them though being as likely as Northampton last season to win the league at a bit of a canter.

There is of course still Coventry to sort out, and Pertemps Bees may let keep their place. Not that I expect either of them to be in the top five mix.

Dave H,
To be honest most clubs will start,a new season with a certain amount of optimism but I really believe that for this coming season,the Pirates fans certainly have a lot to look forward too,as we have retained most of last years squad,something we haven't done for a number of seasons,we have recruited well and IF we can add to the squad,with the players mentioned in my earlier post,I think we will have a real strength in depth,particulary in the pack,where on occasions this cost us points last season.
Add that to a new coaching team under Mark Hewitt and the added incentive of our near neighbours Exeter being one of the favourites,along with Leeds but who won't be as strong as Saints last year,so I think you can see why overall we can certainly feel good about the start of another season.

Pirate, at least you have some justification for optimism. Poor Coventry are in a bit of a state of limbo, until such time as the RFU finally make a decision on them. I, and I am sure 'most everyone else wants them to come through their problems - in spite of what tom snr (of Coventry) seems to think. I just wish for them that their Mr. Green could be eased out; he does not appear to be doing them any favours with his approach to the business of rugby.

I think this season the parachute payment to Leeds will have a much reduced effect, as I understand it the amount a team receives is based on the number of seasons in the Premiership,  and Leeds have only been back up for 2 or 3? I think.

PZ01,
      They managed one season but there is a minimum payment thought to be about £1.5M,so you can see how difficult it is for any other Nat One side to compete on level terms with the relegated Premiership side.

I think there will be a couple of teams challenging next year. Not the Pirates though. Exeter and Nottingham.

I think this coming season could be one of the most "open" seasons in a long time.Top three? There or thereabouts.

"In the mix" next season...Exeter,Nottingham,London Welsh and Esher.I still need convincing that the Pirates will be a threat,only time will tell!.

My prediction is Pirates will finish 6th.

My prediction is mid table with no Cornishmen on the field.

Agree with you there Newlyn Boy. They have released Heard and with Hobson off to Bath that leaves Betty and the young  hooker ,cant remember his name. It will be unlikely that they are in the starting xv.

Heard is staying with the Pirates and you have forgotten Winnan.  But not very many all the same.

Still the same old argument guys,how many born and bred Bath players in the Bath squad,likewise Leicester/Gloucester etc.
The main thing is that we are competing at the highest level possible,which is keeping Cornwall on the rugby map.
Hopefully IF we can reach premiership status,the likes of Vickary,Barclay etc,will no longer have to leave the County to play at the highest level.
At present in the County,there is not enough Cornishmen with the talent to play at Nat One to make a full xv.
At the end of the day,does it really matter,where a player comes from,surely its more important,that he wants to be here and he plays his heart out for the shirt.

Quote :

Pirate Pig wrote : At the end of the day,does it really matter,where a player comes from,surely its more important,that he wants to be here and he plays his heart out for the shirt.

More like how much dosh is on the table!.

If the premiership is reached then it is probable that even less local players would be in the side.

The comparison with Bath, Glous etc is not valid as they have not named themselves after a group of people.  ie. they do not say they are Bathish.

A new name perhaps 'The not very Cornish Pirates'.  The Pirates are not the only thing keeping Cornwall on the rugby map.  

--Last edited by PASTY on 2008-05-12 17:14:06 --

So I suppose Mounts Bay are full of players born in and around Penzance then.

And Merlin there are plenty of people out in the rugby world  who think that Bay's success is down to "dosh" as you put it. So why single out the Pirates. Have you forgotten that it was "dosh" that Dicky Evans put in that enabled the formation of a Pirates 2nd XV which was named Mounts Bay.

This continual sniping at the Pirates on this forum does you no credit at all.

I wouldn't say that expressing a point of view equates to sniping, arfur, but there you go...

I'm not after credit, it's cash cash cash all the way, thank you.

Ancient history, arfur. Nothing that Bay have achieved in the last few seasons is anything to do with the CPs.  The success and credit is all their own.

Pirate, I don't disagree with what you say, but I don't think it is a great shame that rugby is following the path set by football; those with the most cash become the most successful.

Players, whether paid or not, vary in their commitment to the cause. Football has that silly thing of players kissing their badge. I bet Frank Lampard used to kiss the West Ham badge before he became a Chelsea player. Mind the extra 50 grand a week probably makes it worthwhile to have this 'Chelsea' show of emotion.

Money is the root of all evil. Well not quite, but it does bring its problems. Rugby might not be as bad as football in many respects, but money has, and will continue, to damage the fabric of the game. Many clubs have already succumbed to the money men. When those men are steeped in rugby union, there is half a chance of being used wisely. Beware the green-backed dollar, especially if you are Coventry RFC.

arfur, I don't find merlin's post as being as much anti-Pirates as you seem to. To me it just comes over as a comment on professional sport generally.

One can read your last paragraph in two ways. Firstly, that there  is general sniping on the forum at the Pirates. Secondly that it is merlin who is continually sniping. Following on, as it does, from your second paragraph, I read it first that you meant the latter. In which case I would quote your words back to you; your sniping at merlin does you no credit at all.  

--Last edited by DaveH on 2008-05-12 22:54:18 --

I didn't say it wasn't TDH but many of you seem to have forgotten that without the Pirates there wouldn't be a Mounts Bay. Even your best ever Bay team on another thread contains SEVEN ex Pirates players.

And expressing a point of view can take many forms BoP, you can harshly criticise, you can praise, you can be sarcastic, you can snipe, you can say Esher will finish above the Pirates, they are all points of view. Doesn't necessarily mean they all have validity though.

Dave H, I was not having a go at Merlin per se but there is a lot of anti-Pirates talk on here, just read Pasty's post for an example. The Pirates have always encouraged Cornish players and given plenty their chance to play at a higher level, other than the GP, in Cornwall. The likes of Jess, Parsons, Betty, Hobson, Heard, Winnan, Vinnecombe, Westren, Hambly, Thirlby, to name but a few have all featured for the Pirates in NL1. If they are good enough the Pirates will play them so the jibes about the non Cornish Pirates can be treated with the contempt they deserve.  

--Last edited by arfur on 2008-05-12 23:16:29 --