MLR 2022 Preview – Dallas Jackals

The Dallas Jackals are ready to take the field for real in 2022. A team has been assembled, the field is lined and posts are up, and they have even played a little opposed rugby – albeit for only about 15 minutes against Houston on the weekend. Unfortunately we’ll now have to wait until the regular season opener in Austin to get our first good look at them, but after such a long wait the last few days should fly by.

In our first team preview for the 2022 season we take a look at Major League Rugby’s newest team and the 31-plus players enlisted to wear the teal jerseys on their maiden voyage. Though they didn’t end up taking the field in 2021 there was a roster ready to go and we will also compare how they might have looked then to how they are now.

A detailed squad list can be seen here.

 

TEAM HISTORY

Though they are only now graduating from fantasy to reality, Dallas have been in the MLR conversation since the start. They were one of nine teams initially committed to the inaugural season and even hired Mike Ford as Director of Rugby, but somewhere between mid-2017 and the 2018 launch opted to put the team on the shelf.

By late 2019 word was spreading that Dallas were back in the mix and a proposal for a new stadium was submitted to Dallas City Council. In December a formal announcement came from MLR – the expansion team would begin play in 2021 along with a team from Los Angeles.

Fast forward six months and the Jackals branding was unveiled with Allen Clarke the new Head Coach, but the pandemic would soon wreak havoc on Dallas’ plans. The Reverchon Park plans were binned and then the team itself was put on hold until the 2022 season with 30 players left to look for new homes.

There have been changes to ownership, management, and coaching staff along a bumpy road but Dallas is finally set to take its first steps in professional rugby. The Texas Cup now has three challengers and the repurposed Choctaw Stadium is ready to welcome its new tenants.

 

COACHING STAFF

Just when we thought things were settled, Dallas are again scrambling for a Head Coach. Extreme visa delays have led to the team parting ways with Michael Hodge. Add that to Ford and Clarke, and the team has now hired three Head Coaches who didn’t preside over a single game.

Elaine Vassie is the only coach tapped to run the team in 2021 that remains in Dallas. She is technically the General Manager but is currently standing in for Hodge while they source a new Head Coach. Clarke and Nese Malifa have moved to Seattle, while Lee Radford returned to England with Castleford Tigers.

On a more positive note, newly-retired Wales international prop Aaron Jarvis has arrived to work with the forwards, and the venerable Brian Ashton – of England fame – remains on the books as a consultant. This will be the first senior coaching position for Jarvis.

Other support staff include Darren Lewis, who arrives from Gloucester as Performance and Recruitment analyst. Matoko Noudehou heads up Strength & Conditioning, having previously been part of the New York Mets organization.

 

FRONT ROW

MLR 2021	POS	MLR 2022
Skyler Adams Kelepi Fifita	LH Prop	Rory O’Connor Alex Tucci
Mike Brown Chad Gough James Malcolm	Hooker	Matt Frings Todd Gleave Dewald Kotze
Will Burke Marco Fepulea’i Kareem Odeh	TH Prop	Ryan Bower Tommy Madaras Liam Murray

None of the eight front rowers signed up by the Jackals last season have returned. Five are now with other teams while three (Skyler Adams, Kelepi Fifita, and Kareem Odeh) did not play at all in 2021.

On paper there is more experience at prop with Rory O’Connor and Ryan Bower brought in to start. Bower will play tighthead having played the bulk of his professional career at loosehead. Alex Tucci and Liam Murray have some MLR experience on both sides of the scrum, with Tucci training recently at loosehead. Tommy Madaras has switched from football to tighthead prop with the American Raptors.

It’s less convincing at hooker. Todd Gleave has Premiership experience while Kotze is new to professionalism. Matt Frings is technically on a development contract but it’s hard to imagine Dallas getting through an entire season using only two hookers.

There are also three props on development contracts. At loosehead there is Timmy Ohlwein and Ryheem Powell, and at tighthead Tayé Olagunju. Expect at least one of those to see game time in such an attritional position.

 

SECOND ROW

MLR 2021	POS	MLR 2022
Theo McFarland Kody O’Neil Hank Stevenson	Lock	Shawn Clark Jérémy Lenaerts Mike Matarazzo Sam Phillips

Second row options looked thin for the Jackals last year and do so again heading into 2022. Jérémy Lenaerts is the only one of the four with any real professional experience. Mike Matarazzo played for the USA Selects but only has 40 minutes of MLR playing time on his resume.

Lenaerts and Matarazzo seem the likely starting pair with Shawn Clark and Sam Phillips both completely new this level. Both Clark and Phillips are good athletes, with the latter perhaps ideally suited for the blindside flank. Clark stands 6’8″ (2.04m) but is on the lighter side of the second row spectrum.

 

BACK ROW

MLR 2021	POS	MLR 2022
Tommy Clark Wian Conradie Bronson Teles	Flanker	Moe Abdelmonem Calvin Gentry Charlie McKill Ayemere Oiyemhonlan Bronson Teles
Conrado Roura Pikkie de Villiers	No8	DeCor Davis Conrado Roura

Bronson Teles and Conrado Roura return as original club signings. Roura would likely have featured as a flanker a year ago but is nailed on as the No8 this time around. The Argentina XV representative should be joined by Scotland 7s select Charlie McKill and turnover specialist Moe Abdelmonem in the most experienced loose forward combination.

Teles covered both lock and blindside for Houston last season. Ayemere Oiyemhonlan played for Old Glory in their 2019 exhibition campaign but has yet to taste MLR action. Calvin Gentry was selected in the backs for the Collegiate All-Americans but will start his professional life as an openside flanker.

DeCor Davis was the team’s top draft pick and there seemed to be a discussion about switching him to the front row, but he is most at home as a No8. Development player Daryl Bagley played prop for the USA u20s and still has the size to do so but is also listed as a No8 for the time being.

This year’s group is greater in numbers but any of Tommy Clark, Wian Conradie, or Pikkie de Villiers would have been welcome additions. Clark is now in Seattle, Conradie with Gloucester in the English Premiership, and de Villiers with Griquas in South Africa.

 

HALFBACKS

MLR 2021	POS	MLR 2022
Carlo de Nysschen Jinho Mun Cristian Rodriguez	Scrumhalf	Tom Brusati Carlo de Nysschen Dylan James
Tim O’Malley Tuidraki Samusamuvodre	Flyhalf	Adriaan Carelse Alejandro Torres

Carlo de Nysschen was the presumptive starter a year ago and is so again being the most experienced of the three young scrumhalves. He played for San Diego last season, with Tom Brusati arriving from New England and Dylan James from Los Angeles. None were first choice players in 2021.

Tim O’Malley opted not to return to MLR after Dallas dropped out, and Tuidraki Samusamuvodre played with New England but has since signed for the Fijian Drua. Adriaan Carelse was acquired from ATL and the electric runner will be center of attention on attack at flyhalf. Former Argentina u20 select Alejandro Torres was grabbed in the Collegiate Draft, and Nate Lyon returns on a development deal.

 

MIDFIELD

MLR 2021	POS	MLR 2022
Chad London Robbie Petzer Levi van Lanen Jonetani Vasurakuta	Center	Oliver Feagin Ned Hodson Chad London Henry Trinder

Few expected Chad London to return after spending the past year seemingly retired and content to focus on his career as a chiropractor. The USA international gives the team two experienced heads in the midfield alongside long-time Gloucester star Henry Trinder.

Ned Hodson is a versatile back who joins from Austin, while Oliver Feagin is a powerful runner initially signed on a development deal but likely to feature in the senior squad at some point this season. Romain Gadeaux is an experienced local player also signed on a development contract.

Robbie Petzer has returned to South Africa after spending last season with ATL, while Jonetani Vasurakuta signed a short-term deal with LA and has now returned to Fiji. Levi van Lanen is in Austin’s academy group and is making a positional switch to hooker.

 

OUTSIDE BACKS

MLR 2021	POS	MLR 2022
Ryan James Conner Mooneyham Peni Tagive	Wing	Christian Adams Aaron Gray Eric Naposki
Josateki Degei Campbell Johnstone	Fullback	Campbell Johnstone Chris Pennell

The finishers were a position of strength for Dallas a year ago with Ryan James and Conner Mooneyham both named in Eagles squads this past year. They are of now with LA and Austin respectively. Josateki Degei is back in Fiji after a brief stay in New England, and Peni Tagive opted to retire from professional rugby. Kelly Kolberg was technically with the team in 2021 and is so again, but at 36 years old the title of ‘development player’ is rather dubious.

This year’s group is otherwise very inexperienced with the exception of 34-year-old Chris Pennell, a former England international who looks set to captain the side. Campbell Johnstone re-signed with the team after spending the year with the American Raptors. He has two previous MLR appearances with the Glendale Raptors and covers across the backline.

None of the wingers have seen game time in MLR. Christian Adams has appeared in exhibition games for the Free Jacks, while Aaron Gray and Eric Naposki were both picked in the Collegiate Draft. Naposki went first overall in 2021 and has since played for the USA Select in the Americas Pacific Challenge.

 

2022 OUTLOOK

There’s no other way to frame it. On paper this is the weakest team in the Western Conference. It’s not a surprise with most of the top domestic talent already snapped up by other teams, and Dallas evidently do not have the resources to recruit star names like LA did a year ago.

Pennell along with Bower and Trinder will be heavily relied upon to guide the team on the pitch, and the Jackals will be crossing their fingers the trio stays healthy. Add in the coaching challenges and this will be a difficult season for the newcomers.

On a more positive note the team’s jerseys and their new home at Choctaw Stadium could make them one of the best-looking teams in MLR on-screen. If a few young guns put their hands up this season and fans enjoy the match day experience, that should be considered a success for Year One.