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Ex Jersey players find homes in Premiership after 'incredibly strange' 2 weeks

12 Oct 2023

Staff from Jersey Reds celebrate a try during the Premiership Rugby Cup game between Bath Rugby and Jersey Reds at The Recreation Ground on September 16, 2023 in Bath, England. (Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)

Former Jersey Reds scrum-half James Elliott and prop Sam Grahamslaw have been snapped up by Gallagher Premiership outfits Newcastle Falcons and Bristol Bears just weeks after their former outfit went bust.

The 25-year-old No9 hails from County Durham and came through the Falcons’ academy before playing for Yorkshire Carnegie and Jersey, while the 24-year-old loosehead had spells at Leicester Tigers and Edinburgh Rugby before playing for last season’s Championship winners.

The pair both started for the Reds in their 34-10 Premiership Rugby Cup win over Bath last month.

WATCH as South Africa’s Director of Rugby reveals the surprising reason behind their highly unusual step to delay their team announcement till Friday

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WATCH as South Africa’s Director of Rugby reveals the surprising reason behind their highly unusual step to delay their team announcement till Friday

Ahead of his move to the Falcons, Elliott described what the past few weeks have been like.

“It’s been a crazy week or so with everything that’s happened at Jersey,” he said. “But I’m grateful to be back with Newcastle Falcons and I’m keen to get amongst it.

“I still don’t think I’ve fully got my head round what’s happened, to be honest.

“To have more than three years at a club and for it all to stop with zero notice – it was just incredibly strange. That’s the only word I can really use, but everyone here has been really welcoming. It could have been a lot harder, and I know for a lot of the Jersey players it will have been.

“Jersey was great for me but I’d been there for three seasons, and it’s probably good for me to see another environment and keep pushing myself. I’m really happy that it’s back at a club I love, and that I’ve got the chance to work with the players and coaches we have here at the Falcons.”

Elliott’s new Newcastle head coach Alex Codling said: “James is a local lad who came through our academy, and sometimes in rugby the journey isn’t always a straight line.

“He’s had a really tough situation with Jersey folding, but it’s a positive thing for us to be able to give an opportunity to a talented young player who loves this club.”

Grahamslaw’s new Bristol coach Pat Lam said: “With the current injury to Yann Thomas, we’re pleased to bring in a player of Sam’s ability and potential to give us extra cover at loosehead ahead of the new season.

“Jersey had a fantastic season in 2022/23, winning the Championship title under the leadership of Harvey Biljon, and their forward pack was a key part of that.

“We saw the development of by James Dun during his time on the island, so we’re excited to see how Sam progresses with the Bears.”

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JW 12 minutes ago

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Required consistency for what? Isn’t this topic about being able to put in the effort to back up a win with another one? Do you think they’re playing well enough to go all the way if they can just be consistent or something?

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McMillan has consistency used 2-4 All Blacks as second half impact players in every game this season as well. I think Simon Parker is a very good player as well. Big, abrasive and a worker. Reminds me of Liam Squire.

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Canes wider squad last year. I’d expect two or three Chiefs props to leave at end of season, hopefully he will replace one on a FT contract. Last years NZU20 prop Will Martin should be another.

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JW 20 minutes ago

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Yeah would have to be a Lunch game for NZR to accept Perth as a destination. Would be best for Perth’s Dawn brigade though anyway so thats fine.

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Andrew Nichols 24 minutes ago

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Thought he was a Canes signing

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JW 36 minutes ago

Rugby down under could have hit high gear with Anzac Tests

Oh, OK. Nice, some pretty detailed numbers. 3 mil to put on a test aye.

Yeah I wasn’t saying NZR threw away that much for themselves, just meant in general, for the game. So two million, 1 to NZR and 1 to it’s clubs (sure private business/companies), yeah, I can see where Horan’s coming from now, that’s about 50/50. I can also understand how 1mil might not be enough to make all the other bits worth it, and the clubs might have flat out rejected it (didn’t want 200k).

Thanks for enlightening me.

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Cantab 37 minutes ago

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I was actually querying if they had the required consistency despite recent better form. They may have but still need to continue. At the crossroads really.

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JW 46 minutes ago

Rugby down under could have hit high gear with Anzac Tests

Yeah but if the 12million is not actually money, but say Perth saying they’ll put the money into facilities for the Force, and youth programs and fields around the State, along with plenty of other ways they can help RA, and in actually fact were saying the offer to NZR is a very equal one, for a few years, what then would be flawed about the concept?

Spew has given some very straight forward solutions to possible sticking points (raised by posters anyway), those aren’t changing your mind? A fun break to SR where players can express themselves after a few months of preseason and all the anxiety of the first month of competitive games, in say a match similar to NBA’s All Star games, would be a great idea imo.

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JW 51 minutes ago

Rugby down under could have hit high gear with Anzac Tests

Oh right, makes sense. So what is the 12 million for then, and why should NZR get a share of it, seen as you’d been saying not getting some of that was why the deal didn’t get over the line right?

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Crowning an “overall SVNS “Series” Champion based on ONE tourney seriously undermines the efforts of NZL & ARG who have already won the “series” (for some reason now called “leagues”).

It’s ridiculous. I mean for e.g. the AB7s can win the “overall SVNS Series Championship” after qualifying 7th. Merely by winning the LA tourney. In fact any of the men’s teams on their day, can become the SVNS Series Champion. If the AB7s did win LA, I’m sure they’d be the first to admit embarrassment in calling themselves SVNS “Series” Champions.

An unbelievably stupid format which must be changed stat.

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SC 1 hour ago

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Yet McMillan has consistently started Parker over Finau at the Chiefs

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SC 1 hour ago

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If an ANZAC test isn’t viable with all of it’s incentives why do you think one some other time would be?

Yeah sea, that’s right, even a ANZAC test could be doable. Right? Just not with the specifics Australia came up with for instance. Remember, were talking about having the test for the right reasons, the only reason RA want it is for the money. You probably remove that one problem, and it can be accomplished.

But I get what you’re trying to tell me, if NZR didn’t think a third test works at that time in the calendar, then way can’t they find another “time”? I was just telling you that the can, and do. But you already know that you’re saying now? Well then I’ll reply then why the bloody hell did you ask the question? To which you should probably reply “Yeah OK I worded it wrong, I should have said “NZR should have countered that a better time for a third test would be before blah blah, instead of just saying “it doesn’t work out”””.

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