Rumour Mill

[simonokeeffe]

David Kelly linking us with James Lowe this morning.
Sounds very much like he's making it up though, no real concreteness about anything in the article:
http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/g ... 97842.html

Would be a super signing, but I just can't see us being allowed to sign a young outside back to replace Zane, nor do I think we should be tbh.

Just read same thing, seems predicated on Lowe wanting to move and assumption we get an NIQ to replace Zane

Also adds Nagle to list of potentially departing locks which would be somewhat of a surprise

[Golf Man]

David Kelly linking us with James Lowe this morning.
Sounds very much like he's making it up though, no real concreteness about anything in the article:
http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/g ... 97842.html

Would be a super signing, but I just can't see us being allowed to sign a young outside back to replace Zane, nor do I think we should be tbh.

I can completely understand why Leinster would want him, but surely very very hard to make a case that he wouldn't be blocking Irish players especially with Nacewa there? You have 5 Irish wingers as it is (McFadden/Kearney/ROL/Byrne/Daly) - is Mcfadden signed up for next year - maybe if he is going then you could make a case. A jack of all trades NIE whop could cover centre and back 3 - ie do the Kirchner role is probably ok- not sure Lowe is that

Note the reference also to Conan/Ryan moving north in the same article

[goreyguy]

David Kelly linking us with James Lowe this morning.
Sounds very much like he's making it up though, no real concreteness about anything in the article:
http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/g ... 97842.html

Would be a super signing, but I just can't see us being allowed to sign a young outside back to replace Zane, nor do I think we should be tbh.

Just read same thing, seems predicated on Lowe wanting to move and assumption we get an NIQ to replace Zane

Also adds Nagle to list of potentially departing locks which would be somewhat of a surprise

no it's not.

[goreyguy]

David Kelly linking us with James Lowe this morning.
Sounds very much like he's making it up though, no real concreteness about anything in the article:
http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/g ... 97842.html

Would be a super signing, but I just can't see us being allowed to sign a young outside back to replace Zane, nor do I think we should be tbh.

I can completely understand why Leinster would want him, but surely very very hard to make a case that he wouldn't be blocking Irish players especially with Nacewa there? You have 5 Irish wingers as it is (McFadden/Kearney/ROL/Byrne/Daly) - is Mcfadden signed up for next year - maybe if he is going then you could make a case. A jack of all trades NIE whop could cover centre and back 3 - ie do the Kirchner role is probably ok- not sure Lowe is that

Note the reference also to Conan/Ryan moving north in the same article

Conan isn't heading north.

[johng]

On the other hand he has JVF making his comeback in the Arms Park in Cardiff a place I visited back on the first of October and I'm fairly sure the return fixture is in the RDS.

[johng]

Conan isn't heading north.

Rumored to be heading to Leicester also which I hope and suspect is equally BS.

[Golf Man]

Louis Ludik - IQ in May 2017 - signed until 2020
Piutau - signed until 2018
Nacewa - signed until 2018
Stacey Ili -?

Bundee Aki - IQ in October 2017

Tyler Bleyendaal - IQ in Jan 2018 - signed until 2020
Maurtiz Boshoff - signed until 2018

Gibson Park - IQ in 2019 signed until 2019

Marcell Coetzee - signed to 2019
Arno Botha - signed to 2019
Fox - Matamua - presume gone?
Dawai - signed until 2018

Jean Kleyn - IQ in Aug 2019 - signed until 2019
Fardy - signed until 2019

Herbst - IQ in March 2017 - signed until 2019
Rhys Marshall - IQ in June 2019 - signed until 2019
Tom McCarteney - IQ in October 2017

start of next season confirmed

Leinster - 3
Munster - 3
Ulster - 3
Connacht - 4 (with two IQ by October)

Seems like a reasonable balance

You could see Munster and Leinster making the case that they need an extra one (Taute I'm sure in Munsters case). Would have thought that Leinster might be able to argue the need for a centre - but a winger? (Likewise I don't think that Munster shoudl have been allowed sign Marshall - good and all as he has been - we have had horrible injuries there but a medical joker at most should have been allowed when O Byrne, Casey and Sherry were all long term injured)

[Dexter]

On the other hand he has JVF making his comeback in the Arms Park in Cardiff a place I visited back on the first of October and I'm fairly sure the return fixture is in the RDS.

Haha. I read the article and never even copped that, but yeah that's pretty poor.

[neiliog93]

Conan isn't heading north.

Rumored to be heading to Leicester also which I hope and suspect is equally BS.

Let's hope.

[goreyguy]

Not leinster related but apparently donnacha ryan is leaving munster.

Also i find it remarkable leinster havent announced who is staying/leaving yet... or that there has been very little talk in the papers about it too

[johng]

Indeed. With 7 promotions from the Academy and 2 new signings there are only 2 announced leaving so far afaik. Triggs and McCarthy. Edit: Sorry Kirchner too.

There have to be more.

Either we have 9 senior back rowers next year or some of Ryan, Murphy, Conan, Leavy have to be off.

We could feasibly keep Nagle, M Kearney, Moloney as we are losing 2 second rows already.

Tom Daly could lose out to younger academy models? Reid has to stay as we would be very light in the centre without him. (Might save Daly too)

Haven't seen Dardis play yet? Supposed to be the next big thing before injury.

McFadden Barry Daly Adam Byrne. Could see Daly losing out to James Lowe

Will Rossy go another year? Can we hold on to Porter, Ed Byrne AND Peter Dooley.

Surely Cronin will/has sign(ed). Room for Bryan Byrne and Strauss? Probably.

Will the Byrne twins either stay or go as a package? A bit funny to keep one and not the other.

[Grumpy Old Man]

Indeed. With 7 promotions from the Academy and 2 new signings there are only 2 announced leaving so far afaik. Triggs and McCarthy.

There have to be more.

Either we have 9 senior back rowers next year or some of Ryan, Murphy, Conan, Leavy have to be off.

We could feasibly keep Nagle, M Kearney, Moloney as we are losing 2 second rows already.

Tom Daly could lose out to younger academy models? Reid has to stay as we would be very light in the centre without him. (Might save Daly too)

Haven't seen Dardis play yet? Supposed to be the next big thing before injury.

McFadden Barry Daly Adam Byrne. Could see Daly losing out to James Lowe

Will Rossy go another year? Can we hold on to Porter, Ed Byrne AND Peter Dooley.

Surely Cronin will/has sign(ed). Room for Bryan Byrne and Strauss? Probably.

Will the Byrne twins either stay or go as a package? A bit funny to keep one and not the other.

Kircher going has been announced. Has anything been said on Triggs?

[goreyguy]

Triggs is leaving, he said as much during the week during a press conference.

[goreyguy]

Indeed. With 7 promotions from the Academy and 2 new signings there are only 2 announced leaving so far afaik. Triggs and McCarthy.

There have to be more.

Either we have 9 senior back rowers next year or some of Ryan, Murphy, Conan, Leavy have to be off.

Ryan is surely off.

We could feasibly keep Nagle, M Kearney, Moloney as we are losing 2 second rows already.

Molony has a contract, other two it's unclear. Has either really earned more than a 1 year deal?

Tom Daly could lose out to younger academy models? Reid has to stay as we would be very light in the centre without him. (Might save Daly too)

Hard to call

Haven't seen Dardis play yet? Supposed to be the next big thing before injury.

Been a long time since Dardis was the next big thing.

McFadden Barry Daly Adam Byrne. Could see Daly losing out to James Lowe

Will Rossy go another year? Can we hold on to Porter, Ed Byrne AND Peter Dooley.

Porter is confirmed staying and his move to TH, makes keeping Dooley seem more feasible in the short term.

Surely Cronin will/has sign(ed). Room for Bryan Byrne and Strauss? Probably.

Will the Byrne twins either stay or go as a package? A bit funny to keep one and not the other.

Some added thoughts.

[johng]

9 in 3 out. (Inc Kirchner)

So D Ryan, B Daly, B Dardis Likely going with Tom Daly and the Byrne twins uncertain?

Either.

1/ They all go.

2/ 2 or 3 of them stay and we have a big squad

3/ We lose some higher profile players that we want to keep.

[simonokeeffe]

I saw one of the squad smoking last night

Leo out

[riocard911]

I saw one of the squad smoking last night

Leo out

A cigarette, a cigar, a pipe, a spliff or one of those new-fangled vaping yokes?

[simonokeeffe]

I saw one of the squad smoking last night

Leo out

A cigarette, a cigar, a pipe, a spliff or one of those new-fangled vaping yokes?

Definitely wasnt a pipe or vape
Dont think it was a cigar but a cheroot cant be ruled out
Going to assume it wasnt a spliff as half the squad was there

[Blue not red blood]

theres no smoke without fire

[odyboody]

I saw one of the squad smoking last night

Leo out

Hope to see us smoke everyone next season