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'This is my home': Brett Connon commits to Newcastle Falcons
Newcastle Falcons fly-half Brett Connon has signed a new two-year deal with the club.
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The 27-year-old Falcons academy product has made 106 appearances for his boyhood club, scoring 523 points, after making his debut in 2016.
The new deal comes a week after the Falcons announced the signing of Leicester Tigers fly-half Kieran Wilkinson ahead of next season, which will provide consultant director of rugby Steve Diamond with options.
Diamond will see some of his brightest prospects leave Kingston Park at the end of the season though, with current fly-half Louie Johnson set to join Saracens.
While it has been a tough season for the Falcons, who are yet to win a Gallagher Premiership match this season with one round remaining, the former Ireland U20 international is relishing having a full pre-season under Diamond.
“First things first, this is my home,” Connon said.
“It’s the team I used to come and watch as a kid and the club I’ve been involved with as a player for more than a decade.
“I came here as a real youngster but I’ll be one of the older heads next season, so hopefully I’ll be able to bring some leadership and experience as well as pushing on with developing my own game.
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“We’ve got a good core group of boys who have been here for a long time and want this club to change for the better, and it’s brilliant to be a part of that.
“It’s been good so far under Dimes, even though results haven’t gone our way. Obviously it’s tough for him coming in mid-season, and we’ll benefit massively from having a full summer under his guidance. There’s a core group here who really care about the place and want to push things forward, and it’s clear that Dimes is in full alignment with that.”
Diamond added: “I’m really glad that Brett has decided to stay with us because he did have some other options.
“I think he’s a good player, he knows how to control a game and he has played a century of matches for the Falcons, scoring a load of points.
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“He’s not far off coming into that bracket of being a really good Premiership player if he carries on with the progress he’s showing. His work ethic is great, he’s really communicative on the field and around the training environment, and he’s working hard with his goal kicking.
“You want all of those things from a fly-half, and he’s a local lad who has been here since the age of 13 or 14. I want people like Brett to stay with us because that’s how you properly build a club, and it’s great that he’s committed to the Falcons for another two seasons.”
Comments on RugbyPass
We dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
1 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
7 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to commentsOne tough SOB!
16 Go to commentsI’ve put on 4/5 kilos since the beginning of the season too. Not good kilos. Bad kilos.
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