Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

Relegated Falcons' recruitment is continuing without the handbrake on

By Online Editors
Toby Salmon is leaving Exeter for relegated Newcastle (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

Exeter Chiefs lock Toby Salmon will join relegated Newcastle Falcons in the summer on a two-year deal. The 26-year-old Norfolk native, who stands at 6ft 5ins and weighs 120kg, made 16 appearances in his two seasons with the Chiefs after joining from Rotherham.

ADVERTISEMENT

His stint with Exeter included a start in their victorious 2018 Anglo-Welsh Cup final where he scored a try.

Salmon said: “I’ve benefited hugely from being in the Chiefs environment. I’ve always viewed Newcastle as being a great team and a great set-up, and when I’ve spoken to people who have experienced it up there that’s exactly what they have said.

“The Falcons have a really good team culture which is evident whenever you watch them play. It’s an exciting move for me and I’m looking forward to getting up there.”

A scorer of four tries during his time with the Chiefs, the lock added: “I’ve really enjoyed my two years with Exeter and developed a huge amount during that time, but the opportunities for game time were difficult to come by.

“I’m looking forward to hopefully getting some more minutes under my belt with Newcastle. I realise that won’t be easy because they have a very competitive squad, but I’ve played up there a few times previously and I’m just keen to get started.

“The coaches and the senior players down at Exeter have really brought me on. It has been a great environment to be part of and it’s made me ready for this next challenge up at Newcastle.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I’ve been up there as an opposition player and it’s a really tough place to go, so it will be nice to be on the home side!”

Falcons director of rugby Dean Richards welcomed Salmon to the soon-to-be Championship club, saying: “Toby is a useful player who has really benefited from his time down at Exeter.

“He is a solid operator who will fit in very well with the team ethic we have up here, and we look forward to him joining us for pre-season.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Salmon becomes the Falcons’ latest confirmed signing for next season second tier campaign following USA lock Greg Peterson (Bordeaux-Begles), lock Darren Barry (Worcester Warriors) and Welsh centre Gareth Owen (Leicester Tigers) and England under-20s back row Josh Basham into the set-up.

WATCH: Part five of The Academy, the RugbyPass documentary on Leicester Tigers

Video Spacer

 

ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

44 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING 'I didn't think it would happen this early': Carbery on Munster exit 'I didn't think it would happen this early': Carbery on Munster exit
Search