Contract Renewals 2015/2016

[LeRouxIsPHat]

He has hung Henshaw out to dry with Connacht fans for the remainder of the season as well.

I really can't understand why he said what he did.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Didn't mean to submit so soon there.

Even aside from how it makes Henshaw look, and indeed how it made Nucifora look, it's so bizarre that that would be his first comment on a deal that he was in charge of.

[dropkick]

I think Nucifora is doing a good job. Basically he has been stopping the provinces from signing journeymen and instead encouraged them to sign less quantity of foreign players but more quality. He is also making the provinces take more chances on young talent. That's something Irish rugby has always been reluctant to do.

He has also tried to free up some of the logjams of talent around the country by encouraging players to move. That's easier said than done and but if they can get a few to move each season, it will be a step in the right direction.

[Dave Cahill]

So far the only signing he has stopped that we know of, is the captain of Australia. Hardly a journeyman - an Irishman, but not a journeyman. He allowed however the signing of the likes of Amorosino, Triggs, Sagario and Chishom - good pros, but almost dictionary definition journeymen

[neiliog93]

So far the only signing he has stopped that we know of, is the captain of Australia. Hardly a journeyman - an Irishman, but not a journeyman. He allowed however the signing of the likes of Amorosino, Triggs, Sagario and Chishom - good pros, but almost dictionary definition journeymen

+1. I would encourage us to have to one less NIQ player and put the money for two 'slightly above journeyman' status players (let's say 250k a year) into one high quality player

[dropkick]

So far the only signing he has stopped that we know of, is the captain of Australia. Hardly a journeyman - an Irishman, but not a journeyman. He allowed however the signing of the likes of Amorosino, Triggs, Sagario and Chishom - good pros, but almost dictionary definition journeymen

3 of those are for Munster who have no money, a poorly functioning academy and plenty of injuries as well as Jones retiring. The academy being the main problem in Munster.


Leinster tried to see some backrower as injury cover but we refused. He saved Leinster a few bob there because Van Der Flier has come through this season and isn't on big money.

[Dave Cahill]

So far the only signing he has stopped that we know of, is the captain of Australia. Hardly a journeyman - an Irishman, but not a journeyman. He allowed however the signing of the likes of Amorosino, Triggs, Sagario and Chishom - good pros, but almost dictionary definition journeymen

3 of those are for Munster who have no money, a poorly functioning academy and plenty of injuries as well as Jones retiring. The academy being the main problem in Munster.


Leinster tried to see some backrower as injury cover but we refused. He saved Leinster a few bob there because Van Der Flier has come through this season and isn't on big money.

Leinster tried to sign a backrower as injury cover for McLaughlin who had to retire, and with Ruddock also getting injured and playing hokey-cokey with the RWC squad, leaving us with one blindside. Whether he arrived or not had absolutely no effect on a player coming through in a completely different position. It did however significantly weaken Leinster in an important position - so I wouldn't go around trumpeting it as proof of competence - its actually quite the opposite.

[goreyguy]

Leinster shouldn't have been allowed sign a blindside. Would have been ridiculous.

[Dave Cahill]

Leinster shouldn't have been allowed sign a blindside. Would have been ridiculous.

In what way is it ridiculous to sign a player in a position where you didn't have a single fit player for your opening European match. That, to me, is the precise opposite of ridiculous.

[goreyguy]

Leinster shouldn't have been allowed sign a blindside. Would have been ridiculous.

In what way is it ridiculous to sign a player in a position where you didn't have a single fit player for your opening European match. That, to me, is the precise opposite of ridiculous.

Jack Conan was on the bench & Jordi Murphy started at 6. So saying we didn't have a single fit player capable of playing the position is bollix.

[Dave Cahill]

Leinster shouldn't have been allowed sign a blindside. Would have been ridiculous.

In what way is it ridiculous to sign a player in a position where you didn't have a single fit player for your opening European match. That, to me, is the precise opposite of ridiculous.

Jack Conan was on the bench & Jordi Murphy started at 6. So saying we didn't have a single fit player capable of playing the position is bollix.

Two number 8s playing out of position, one of them doubly is, again, the precise opposite of bollix.

[goreyguy]

Two number 8s playing out of position, one of them doubly is, again, the precise opposite of bollix.

At least two two players well capable of playing 6 in the squad, of course the IRFU were right in not allowing leinster to sign a backrow.

[Dave Cahill]

Two number 8s playing out of position, one of them doubly is, again, the precise opposite of bollix.

At least two two players well capable of playing 6 in the squad, of course the IRFU were right in not allowing leinster to sign a backrow.

Well capable? Really? Remind us how they fared in that game. I think we saw that they were the precise opposite of "well capable". Even 'barely competant' would have been gnawing at the edges of downright lying. But thats okay, if you play players completely out of position because you have no option you can't except anything more. I wouldn't expect Luke McGrath to do well in the centre either. The reality is that we needed a sofa, we had to make do with a lamp. Its all very well to give younger players a chance, but do you think they learnt anything from that? Do you think it was in any way, shape or form beneficial to their development - even playing out of position as they were? The only thing they would have learnt is how to lose.

[goreyguy]

To say either of Conan or Murphy playing 6 is them playing completely out of position is laughable. Just because they played poorly in that game doesn't mean they aren't well capable of playing 6 for Leinster, both have played there before and both are backrow players, it's not like you are asking a scrumhalf to play centre or a whatever other comparison you want to use.

Leinster have plenty of backrows in the province who can play 6, signing another would have been ridiculous especially as the player was not required for long with Ruddock returning for the next european game and Dom Ryan not injured.

[Dave Cahill]

To say either of Conan or Murphy playing 6 is them playing completely out of position is laughable. Just because they played poorly in that game doesn't mean they aren't well capable of playing 6 for Leinster, both have played there before and both are backrow players, it's not like you are asking a scrumhalf to play centre or a whatever other comparison you want to use.

Leinster have plenty of backrows in the province who can play 6, signing another would have been ridiculous especially as the player was not required for long with Ruddock returning for the next european game and Dom Ryan not injured.

If you think that the one time time they were asked to play in a position and failed to play well in the position shows that they can play well in the position, then you must have lovely dreams. The positions are different, they have different requirements and different disciplines - they have similarities, as do any of the backline positions, but they are different. We should have signed a guy (a south african would have been best) on a three month contract to cover until everyone was back up and running the moment it looked like Kev was out for the count (and thats even without contingency planning for the world cup) - and thats what we tried to do and were prevented from doing and it caused damage to our season.

[goreyguy]

I'm not going to convince you either way, you think Leinster should have been allowed sign a NIQ to play 6 over the WC and past it.
I think the IRFU were right to not allow them as Leinster have a lot of backrow talent available and a few players capable of playing 6 during the WC and especially afterward.

[Dave Cahill]

I'm not going to convince you either way, you think Leinster should have been allowed sign a NIQ to play 6 over the WC and past it.
I think the IRFU were right to not allow them as Leinster have a lot of backrow talent available and a few players capable of playing 6 during the WC and especially afterward.

I believe we have reached a classic impasse alright

[blockhead]

Zane and Isa are our NIQs for next year, right? So we have 2 spots available assuming Triggs is out the door with Teo. We are week at scumhalf, outhalf, lock. So 2 NIQs and a project player are required. Any news on filling these positions?

[cormac]

To say either of Conan or Murphy playing 6 is them playing completely out of position is laughable. Just because they played poorly in that game doesn't mean they aren't well capable of playing 6 for Leinster, both have played there before and both are backrow players, it's not like you are asking a scrumhalf to play centre or a whatever other comparison you want to use.

Leinster have plenty of backrows in the province who can play 6, signing another would have been ridiculous especially as the player was not required for long with Ruddock returning for the next european game and Dom Ryan not injured.

If you think that the one time time they were asked to play in a position and failed to play well in the position shows that they can play well in the position, then you must have lovely dreams. The positions are different, they have different requirements and different disciplines - they have similarities, as do any of the backline positions, but they are different. We should have signed a guy (a south african would have been best) on a three month contract to cover until everyone was back up and running the moment it looked like Kev was out for the count (and thats even without contingency planning for the world cup) - and thats what we tried to do and were prevented from doing and it caused damage to our season.

It was hardly the first time Murphy and Conan have played at blindside for Leinster, in fact it wasn't even the first time they'd played there in the Champions Cup for Leinster. Murphy and Conan have both started games for Ireland at 6 too.

[cormac]

Zane and Isa are our NIQs for next year, right? So we have 2 spots available assuming Triggs is out the door with Teo. We are week at scumhalf, outhalf, lock. So 2 NIQs and a project player are required. Any news on filling these positions?

The fact that we're being linked with a project player scrum-half makes me think that the IRFU won't let us have a proper NIQ in that position due to Pienaar still being at Ulster. Sounds like we won't be allowed NIQ's at prop or lock either.