Club: Newcastle
Last season: 9th
Odds for the title: 25/1
Season opener: home v Sale, 16 September
Ins
Carl Hayman (Otago), Steve Jones, Ross Beattie (both Borders)
Outs
Mike McCarthy, Robbie Morris (both Connacht), Cory Harris (retired), Loki Crichton (Worcester)
The player preview
Newcastle skipper Phil Dowson reckons the days of a weak Falcons’ pack are long gone
Good pre-season?
John Fletcher’s been excellent. Last year when he took over there was a bit of disruption and it was tough for him to start off with to pull things together and put his spin on things. But this year he’s had us from the start and it’s been excellent and very exciting.
Not many signings overall, but one very big one?
Yeah, big Carl Hayman. All the New Zealand boys we’ve spoke to have had nothing but good things to say about him and he’s obviously a good player. Apparently he’s a good guy off the pitch and a bit of a prankster too so we’ll have to watch out for him. It’ll be interesting to see how he goes during the World cup but one thing the Falcons did need was a big guy up front who could really take us forward.
The Newcastle pack does get a bit of stick?
There’s been a perception that we’ve got a weaker pack
than other teams and the only way to get around that is to become a dominant pack and that’s we’re towards and going to try and put in place at the start of the season.
We’re not just relying on Carl to do that – from the off we want to be a different side to the one that you’ve seen for the last couple of years.
You kind of started the ball rolling when it came to the big names joining the Premiership…
There’s a lot of guys knocking around in the Premiership post World Cup but that’s exciting for the game, I’ve got no problem with that. I can understand the thoughts of the South African and New Zealand unions about losing players but I think it makes the Premiership a lot more exciting – particularly if you’ve got someone like Rico Gear to defend against.
How important is it to get some silverware?
We’ve been stuck mid-table for the last couple of season and that’s no way to be in a professional sport. No one says, oh right, that’s great we’re seventh, eighth or ninth! We want to push for silverware and inject some excitement for rugby back into the north east.
Supporters’ prediction: 6th. “We’ve always had the backs and I think this year the pack will front up. Hayman is a huge signing for us, but I reckon Fletcher will have got sorted the forwards anyhow.” Richard Tomlinson, Newcastle
Rucked prediction: 11th. One signing doesn’t make a pack and as they’ve only captured a handful players it’s hard to see them progressing from last season.