Brad Thorn coming to Leinster?

[DartVader]

Reported on Newstalk this morning that Leinster are trying to bring in Brad Thorn as cover for Leo and Sykes. Need approval from IRFU though! Currently playing in Japan but their season finishes in a week or two. Here's hoping!

[totalrandomer]

Reported on Newstalk this morning that Leinster are trying to bring in Brad Thorn as cover for Leo and Sykes. Need approval from IRFU though! Currently playing in Japan but their season finishes in a week or two. Here's hoping!

Reported on here yesterday on the Steven Sykes thread.

[DartVader]

Reported on Newstalk this morning that Leinster are trying to bring in Brad Thorn as cover for Leo and Sykes. Need approval from IRFU though! Currently playing in Japan but their season finishes in a week or two. Here's hoping!

Reported on here yesterday on the Steven Sykes thread.

Sorry. Didn't see that. Already given up on Syjes, including his thread!

[Muriel]

Leinster are playing down reports linking them to All Blacks second-row Brad Thorn.

Thorn, who will be 37 next month, is currently in the middle of a six-month deal with Japanese club Fukuoka Sanix Blues.

After being rocked by an injury to captain Leo Cullen, which will rule him out for up to two months, and the departure of South African Steven Sykes, coach Joe Schmidt is desperate for second-row cover.

Any short-term deal to cover the latter stages of the Heinken Cup would have to be approved by the IRFU.

"It's purely speculation," said a Leinster spokesperson. "We are looking at players in that position at the moment, but we do not comment on specific targets."

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/b ... 01856.html

[slum]

Leinster are playing down reports linking them to All Blacks second-row Brad Thorn.

Thorn, who will be 37 next month, is currently in the middle of a six-month deal with Japanese club Fukuoka Sanix Blues.

After being rocked by an injury to captain Leo Cullen, which will rule him out for up to two months, and the departure of South African Steven Sykes, coach Joe Schmidt is desperate for second-row cover.

Any short-term deal to cover the latter stages of the Heinken Cup would have to be approved by the IRFU.

"It's purely speculation," said a Leinster spokesperson. "We are looking at players in that position at the moment, but we do not comment on specific targets."

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/b ... 01856.html

aha - it must be true so if they're denying it! brilliant.

[Darce]

A fairly waifer thin denial there.

[Leezer]

Brad Thorn is a legend.

could be our new Ollie Le Roux

[Frederico]

A magnificent player...Wouldn't be over just for the money...would put everything into it...is a marvellous tight-head side scrummager with great off loading skills....Bring it on. An absolute legend.

[Frederico]

A magnificent player...Wouldn't be over just for the money...would put everything into it...is a marvellous tight-head side scrummager with great off loading skills....Bring it on. An absolute legend. Thorn and McCaw are the only reasons the All Blacks survived the last fifteen minutes of the World Cup final. They tackled everything that moved and were the wise old heads that lifted the younger guys when their heads were dropping.

[deco]

Any short-term deal to cover the latter stages of the Heinken Cup would have to be approved by the IRFU.

They won't approve it á la Matt Giteau in the 2010 season when Sexton & Berne were both injured.

We're not Munster (thank God).

[Exley]

I can see very little down-side to this if it did happen (not that I expect it will)

[bluemagic]

I can see very little down-side to this if it did happen (not that I expect it will)

The only down side would be it would most likely be to the end of the season only as Thorn is pushing on 37 so wouldnt be a long-term solution

[Mickado]

I can see very little down-side to this if it did happen (not that I expect it will)

The only down side would be it would most likely be to the end of the season only as Thorn is pushing on 37 so wouldnt be a long-term solution

That’s all the more reason for the PAG to allow it.

With Giteu we were looking to sign someone because of injuries, but in this case we’ve already lost Sykes.

[Apocrypha]

Given the new IRFU dictats on NIEs and especially those over 30, it does seem rather odd that Ulster (Terblanche) and now Leinster (Thorn) are been given dispensation to go out and dig up late 30 relics...

Munster currently have only 3 viable NIEs (WDP, BJB and Mafi) - Dougie, Chambers and Borlase effectively going, gone or not available - and are incredibily understaffed in the backrow and centre, yet we haven't resorted to or perhaps been allowed to similarly indulge in archaeology...

I don't know whether I should... ...or...

[wixfjord]

Given the new IRFU dictats on NIEs and especially those over 30, it does seem rather odd that Ulster (Terblanche) and now Leinster (Thorn) are been given dispensation to go out and dig up late 30 relics...

Munster currently have only 3 viable NIEs (WDP, BJB and Mafi) - Dougie, Chambers and Borlase effectively going, gone or not available - and are incredibily understaffed in the backrow and centre, yet we haven't resorted to or perhaps been allowed to similarly indulge in archaeology...

I don't know whether I should... ...or...

What a load of me hoop.
Firstly, neither backrow or centre are as specialised as second row.
Secondly, eh, no Munster are not incredibly understaffed in either position!!
Wallace is back training, meaning he is added to Ryan, POM, Coughlan, Butler, Holland, TOD, DOC 2.0 etc.
As for the centre?! Barnes, Mafi, Earls (supposedly), Gleeson, Keatley, Hurley etc etc.

Leinster have TWO senior locks available currently, one of which may be called up for Ireland, and are looking to sign an experienced lock for a three month or so period.

Trolls be trollin'.

[Darce]

Haters gonna hate...potatoes gonna potate

I give you:

[deco]

Given the new IRFU dictats on NIEs and especially those over 30, it does seem rather odd that Ulster (Terblanche) and now Leinster (Thorn) are been given dispensation to go out and dig up late 30 relics...

Munster currently have only 3 viable NIEs (WDP, BJB and Mafi) - Dougie, Chambers and Borlase effectively going, gone or not available - and are incredibily understaffed in the backrow and centre, yet we haven't resorted to or perhaps been allowed to similarly indulge in archaeology...

I don't know whether I should... ...or...

As I understand these players are approved by the IRFU and funded by the branch, perhaps Munster just don't have the €€€?

[bluemagic]

Given the new IRFU dictats on NIEs and especially those over 30, it does seem rather odd that Ulster (Terblanche) and now Leinster (Thorn) are been given dispensation to go out and dig up late 30 relics...

Munster currently have only 3 viable NIEs (WDP, BJB and Mafi) - Dougie, Chambers and Borlase effectively going, gone or not available - and are incredibily understaffed in the backrow and centre, yet we haven't resorted to or perhaps been allowed to similarly indulge in archaeology...

I don't know whether I should... ...or...

As I understand these players are approved by the IRFU and funded by the branch, perhaps Munster just don't have the €€€?

Or maybe the IRFU don't want Munster having an even larger foreign contingent then they already do.....

[Edna Kenny]

Thorn would also presumably be able to pass on a lot of great advice to the likes of Toner and Flanagan so the benefit would be twofold.

[hugonaut]

Thorn would also presumably be able to pass on a lot of great advice to the likes of Toner and Flanagan so the benefit would be twofold.

Brad Thorn would be able to pass on great advice to Leo, never mind Dev or Flanagan.

The guy has had one of the greatest careers you could imagine.