Director of rugby Diamond has funds available because his playing budget this season is only half the salary cap limit of £6.4m and the Falcons last month received a fee from Leicester for wing Adam Radwan while lock Pedro Rubiolo has been loaned to Bristol ahead of his move there next season.
The Rugby Football Union has yet to announce whether any of the Championship clubs who have gone through the Premiership's entry criteria been successful.
"It may be the case that nothing is announced until March," said Diamond whose side went process have Premiership into the break at the bottom of the table after Exeter picked up their second victory of the campaign against Saracens.
"It would be late but you have to give due process its time. I have always though that a play-off is healthy and jeopardy is good. I will leave it to the powers that be.
"My job is not to finish bottom of the league and we have some juicy home games to come along with Exeter away. I am looking at surviving on our own volition and not thinking of the play-offs just yet.
"We have a war chest if we need to invest in players. Adam and Pedro have left and we have the savings from their salaries.
"It was better for Pedro to go to Bristol early and he may be fit for them before the end of the season (after foot surgery). It was a lonely existence for him here as he rehabbed on his own with no family and he has three or four Argentinian mates at Bristol."
Newcastle qualified for the knock-out stage of the Premiership Rugby Cup with a round to go and they may need nothing from their final group match at Sale this afternoon to land a home draw in the quarter-finals.
"The Prem Cup gives you the chance to develop momentum ahead of the Premiership returning and if you are not involved in the knockout stage you go a month without a game," said Diamond.
"It will be elevated in the next couple of seasons with probably more fixtures. There will be only one break week during next year's Six Nations and I think people will start taking it seriously. It can be like the Carabao Cup in football which is widely mocked but everyone wants to get into the final. Rugby cannot survive without fixtures and I can only see the reputation of the Pr...
The Rugby Football Union has yet to announce whether any of the Championship clubs who have gone through the Premiership's entry criteria been successful.
"It may be the case that nothing is announced until March," said Diamond whose side went process have Premiership into the break at the bottom of the table after Exeter picked up their second victory of the campaign against Saracens.
"It would be late but you have to give due process its time. I have always though that a play-off is healthy and jeopardy is good. I will leave it to the powers that be.
"My job is not to finish bottom of the league and we have some juicy home games to come along with Exeter away. I am looking at surviving on our own volition and not thinking of the play-offs just yet.
"We have a war chest if we need to invest in players. Adam and Pedro have left and we have the savings from their salaries.
"It was better for Pedro to go to Bristol early and he may be fit for them before the end of the season (after foot surgery). It was a lonely existence for him here as he rehabbed on his own with no family and he has three or four Argentinian mates at Bristol."
Newcastle qualified for the knock-out stage of the Premiership Rugby Cup with a round to go and they may need nothing from their final group match at Sale this afternoon to land a home draw in the quarter-finals.
"The Prem Cup gives you the chance to develop momentum ahead of the Premiership returning and if you are not involved in the knockout stage you go a month without a game," said Diamond.
"It will be elevated in the next couple of seasons with probably more fixtures. There will be only one break week during next year's Six Nations and I think people will start taking it seriously. It can be like the Carabao Cup in football which is widely mocked but everyone wants to get into the final. Rugby cannot survive without fixtures and I can only see the reputation of the Pr...
You're reading a preview of
The Rugby Paper (Digital) - 1 Issue, February 16, 2025