Leinster & Hookers

[goreyguy]

In the squad
Aaron Dundon[32] - this season
Richardt Strauss[28] - 2015
Sean Cronin[28] - 2015

Academy
James Tracy[23] - final year in the academy
Bryan Byrne[20] - second year in the academy

Elsewhere
Jason Harris Wright[25] - 2015 Connacht
Tom Sexton[24] - 2015 Rebels

Under-20s
Shane Delahunt[u20] - Kilkenny College/Landsdowne
Dylan Donnellan[u20] - Clongowes/UCD

Former
Brian Blaney[32] - retired
Cain Culleton[27] - AIL with Clontarf
Richard Sweeney[26] - AIL with St. Marys
Risteard Byrne[23] - AIL with UCD
David Doyle[22] - retired due to injury

Strong top 3, obviously with Strauss done for the rest of the season Dundon will be relied upon more.
Tracy appears to be moving to hooker and it's hard to know how that transition will go, behind him Byrne is a good prospect.
Elsewhere Harris Wright is going well at Connacht and Sexton is set to miss the season with a knee injury.
Would appear UCD and Landsdowne have a monopoly on hookers at u20 level and clongowes are doing a pretty good job producing them too.

[neiliog93]

Weird to think that Brian Blaney, Leinster's starting hooker from what seems ages ago, it still only 32. And he's been retired for quite some time too. If ever there was an early bloomer who subsequently tailed off, it's him. That's probably around the peak age for a hooker as well. Although I do have distinct memories of drunken Leinster fans sarcastically chanting his name when he was definitely within earshot at a quiet Donnybrook. I'll never forget him for his shift against Toulouse in '06 anyway. Whatever happened to Dave Blaney though? Last I heard he was toiling away with Bristol.

I think we're pretty well set for hookers, obviously Strauss is out for some time but from what I've heard it's likely he'll be back for the 2014-15 season. Cronin is coming along nicely and Dundon is a very reliable third choice. Once Dundon moves on, we can always take back an improved Harris-Wright from Connacht, especially likely if Strauss can't recapture his old form. I can understand Connacht's frustration, but the reality is that if we need him we have a very good chance of getting him back.

Bryan Byrne hasn't been playing well over the last year or so from what I've seen (think he was dropped from the Ireland u-20's) but he was brilliant in school and is still very young, so can turn it around.

[Peg Leg]

Weird to think that Brian Blaney, Leinster's starting hooker from what seems ages ago, it still only 32. And he's been retired for quite some time too. If ever there was an early bloomer who subsequently tailed off, it's him. That's probably around the peak age for a hooker as well. Although I do have distinct memories of drunken Leinster fans sarcastically chanting his name when he was definitely within earshot at a quiet Donnybrook. I'll never forget him for his shift against Toulouse in '06 anyway. Whatever happened to Dave Blaney though? Last I heard he was toiling away with Bristol.

I think we're pretty well set for hookers, obviously Strauss is out for some time but from what I've heard it's likely he'll be back for the 2014-15 season. Cronin is coming along nicely and Dundon is a very reliable third choice. Once Dundon moves on, we can always take back an improved Harris-Wright from Connacht, especially likely if Strauss can't recapture his old form. I can understand Connacht's frustration, but the reality is that if we need him we have a very good chance of getting him back.

Bryan Byrne hasn't been playing well over the last year or so from what I've seen (think he was dropped from the Ireland u-20's) but he was brilliant in school and is still very young, so can turn it around.

We could lose Cronin by the same token, no?

[goreyguy]

Harris Wright is better of staying with Connacht

Bryan Byrne has been playing pretty well for Clontarf this season, he didn't feature for Ireland during the 6 nations last year but he played in the JWC and he looked excellent.

Hopefully he will be ready to step up in a year or two.

I assume Dundon will get another two year contract, excellent squad player for us.

Dave Blaney retired a few years back afaik.

[[Jackass]]

I love these threads GG, cheers.

Hooker I think we're in great shape, Strauss is international class imo, I know he had a dip in form, but he's been consistent far more than not, and certainly not as inconsistent as Best. Cronin is a superb impact player, always has a massive effect off the bench (from his first Heineken Cup game away to Montpellier to last weekend lifting the entire team after a 20 minute lul to help us get the bonus point win) and Dundon is a really really good solid player. Nothing flash but can rely on him to go into any game, hit his jumpers, hook the ball without fuss and go about his business.

Cronin and Strauss are still only around the 25 / 26 mark iirc, so no hurry to bring players through, but there's promise in Tracy and Byrne. I think it's an area of real strength. Assuming we can keep two international quality players in each position, front row options of Healy / McGrath + Strauss / Cronin + Ross / Moore / Bent is very healthy shape.

[goreyguy]

both strauss and cronin will be 28 starting the 2014 season, in fact both will be 28 by May.

[outcast eddie]

Indo reporting Munster are sniffing around Andrew Hoare.

It's not strictly in keeping with the subject of this thread but where does that leave Leinster's search for a short term replacement for Ricky Strauss?

[Dave Cahill]

Indo reporting Munster are sniffing around Andrew Hoare.

It's not strictly in keeping with the subject of this thread but where does that leave Leinster's search for a short term replacement for Ricky Strauss?

done and dusted months ago - just waiting for the union to cross their eyes and dot their p's

[goreyguy]

taking their god damn time..

[outcast eddie]

Indo reporting Munster are sniffing around Andrew Hoare.

It's not strictly in keeping with the subject of this thread but where does that leave Leinster's search for a short term replacement for Ricky Strauss?

done and dusted months ago - just waiting for the union to cross their eyes and dot their p's

Who is it then?

[johng]

Buck Whaley

[johng]

Fecker was sitting in the stands with the team v the Scarlets.

[johng]

Wouldn't surprise me if they announced his signing on Thursday 5 minutes before the teamsheet with him in it.

[outcast eddie]

Buck Whaley

I'd heard a rumour that he'd retired to a house in the mountains ages ago.

[Raydollard]

Looked it up and mention of famous nightclub and debauchery. Should be a good hooker then.

[simonokeeffe]

Fecker was sitting in the stands with the team v the Scarlets.

who is it then?

[Xanthippe]

Fecker was sitting in the stands with the team v the Scarlets.

who is it then?

I'm not so sure he was.

When the camera showed the players in the stand a couple of people on here thought that the person sitting beside Leo Auva'a was might be the new hooker but I think that was actually Leo's brother who was visiting - they were sitting behind us at the Samoa game.


Edit: knew I'd seen a picture somewhere

[simonokeeffe]

Fecker was sitting in the stands with the team v the Scarlets.

who is it then?

I'm not so sure he was.

When the camera showed the players in the stand a couple of people on here thought that the person sitting beside Leo Auva'a was the new hooker but I think that was actually Leo's brother who was visiting - they were sitting behind us at the Samoa game.

we're signing Leo's brother?

[Xanthippe]

Fecker was sitting in the stands with the team v the Scarlets.

who is it then?

I'm not so sure he was.

When the camera showed the players in the stand a couple of people on here thought that the person sitting beside Leo Auva'a was the new hooker but I think that was actually Leo's brother who was visiting - they were sitting behind us at the Samoa game.

we're signing Leo's brother?

Just shows how easily rumours can be started - imagine if we put that up on Twitter, how long do you reckon before the papers would start reporting it as fact.

[nickpoppelwell]

Why aren't we signing Andrew Hore? Even at 35 he could do a job for a year