The online reaction to Leicester losing the services of Jonny May - 'The shambles continues...'
Jonny May’s Easter Saturday confirmation that he is to move back to Gloucester from Leicester at the end of the 2019/20 season lit up social media. Ever since the coronavirus pandemic suspended the Gallagher Premiership season, recruitment had slowed to a trickle as hard-pressed top-flight clubs were worried about their cash-flow.
However, Gloucester’s successful bid to lure the England winger back to Kingsholm has illustrated how rugby will eventually make its return and that ambitious plans continue to be made despite the current stoppage.
Leicester fans en masse wished May well following his decision to leave Welford Road, but some hit out at the club for allowing one of their more productive players to leave following yet another season of struggle at the wrong end of the table.
One fan tweeted: “Jonny May the only player that has shown up for Leicester every week the last few years. So many star players have gone missing for us, he was the one I’d have hoped we’d do anything to keep. The shambles continues.”
Another tweet stated: “First of all, thanks Jonny May. You and one or two others have at least made some games bearable this season. Secondly, Tigers you should be moving heaven and hell to retain players of this calibre. They should feel like there’s no other club in the Premiership they want to go to.”
Jonny may the only player that has showed up for @LeicesterTigers every week the last few years. So many star players have gone missing for us, he was the one I'd have hoped we'd do anything to keep. The shambles continues
— dan (@dsvyner_) April 11, 2020
First of all thanks Jonny May you and one or two others have at least made some games bearable this season. Secondly Tigers you should be moving heaven and he'll to retain players of this calibre they should feel like there's no other club in the premiership they want to go to
— Norman Farndon (@NormanFarndon) April 11, 2020
It was 2017 when May first pitched up at Welford Road, joining the Tigers in a deal that saw Ed Slater head in the opposite direction to Kingsholm.
News that May is now heading back to link up with Gloucester left their fans thrilled, none more so than club CEO Lance Bradley who selected his favourite tweet about the transfer from a fan who wrote: “Really not fair that you get Ed AND Jonny. Any chance we can have that dodgy transfer fee back?”
This may be my favourite tweet so far about Jonny May #ComingHolm https://t.co/bV4mvo1H5i
— Lance Bradley (@Lance_Bradley_) April 11, 2020
The belief is that the May who will be back at Kingsholm for the 2020/21 season is a far better player than the one who left.
His signing also leaves Gloucester in the enviable position of having some of the best wingers in the game at their disposal as the likes of Ollie Thorley and Louis-Rees Zammit emerged during May’s spell away from the club.
Man alive.
Gloucester have got a mental set of wings with Jonny May returning.
Enough gas to run @davidflatman BBQ for 12 months.
— Paul Williams (@thepaulwilliams) April 11, 2020
Huge news. Gloucester are getting an even better Jonny May than the one that left 3 years ago – he's now one of the best in the world. Talk about an array of riches on the wing #glawsfamily https://t.co/1Eq8FhpIjE
— Rob Iles (@RobSportsTwit) April 11, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Should've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to comments