Leinster & a "converyor belt of nines"

[Serb]

Edit because apparently the swear filter doesn't catch everything

Did it not filter out the word “Munster”?

[mildlyinterested]

Sorry, but conveyor belt of 9's me ballix. The phrase "Leinster conveyor belt of..." is a conditioning trope designed to soften the blow before the "... should move for the greater good" narrative.

We have 2 proven 9's and lot's of potential.

How right you were.

[johng]

"Peg leg outed as actually being nucifora" shocker

[the spoofer]

Sorry, but conveyor belt of 9's me ballix. The phrase "Leinster conveyor belt of..." is a conditioning trope designed to soften the blow before the "... should move for the greater good" narrative.

We have 2 proven 9's and lot's of potential.

How right you were.

That was impressive foresight.

[Peg Leg]

"Peg leg outed as actually being nucifora" shocker

Next on my agenda is a podcast/video podcast host to help reboot Three Red Kings podcast...

[johng]

Ah ballix. Hands off Jason.

[harblstuff]

Ah ballix. Hands off Jason.

You have too many panellists, you must send one.

Which one is the youngest and best up and coming prospect? Send him.

[Dave Cahill]

Ah ballix. Hands off Jason.

You have too many panellists, you must send one.

Which one is the youngest and best up and coming prospect? Send him.

Youngest is a very relative term in this case - least old might be more accurate!

[mildlyinterested]

So likely scrumhalves next season:

Jamie Gibson Park(27/New Zealand)
Luke McGrath(26/St. Michaels/UCD)
Hugh O'Sullivan(21/Belvedere/Clontarf)
Patrick Patterson(20/Blackrock/UCD)
Cormac Foley(19/St. Gerards/St. Marys)

[mildlyinterested]

With McCarthy confirmed to be leaving, need to prioritize Hughie and Paddy P getting game time to develop.

[cormac]

Assume this means that LPG is getting a new deal

[arsebiscuits1]

Assume this means that LPG is getting a new deal

I'd say the dotted line has been signed already by JVC for another 2 years. No chance McCarthy would be let go if there was even a change Gibson Park was out the door.

[Dave Cahill]

With McCarthy confirmed to be leaving, need to prioritize Hughie and Paddy P getting game time to develop.

We still have McGrath and JGP as first choice scrum halves with a need for a third scrum half to cover for JGP when he's the odd NIQ out. We're not going to throw out the development we did of McCarthy, and the experience he's built up, in that position - he's still a Leinster player for the remainder of the season. Next season we won't need to worry about the eligibility of JGP - thats when the next cab on the scrum half rank will move up. Nothing will, or needs to, change this season.

[curates_egg]

With McCarthy confirmed to be leaving, need to prioritize Hughie and Paddy P getting game time to develop.

We still have McGrath and JGP as first choice scrum halves with a need for a third scrum half to cover for JGP when he's the odd NIQ out. We're not going to throw out the development we did of McCarthy, and the experience he's built up, in that position - he's still a Leinster player for the remainder of the season. Next season we won't need to worry about the eligibility of JGP - thats when the next cab on the scrum half rank will move up. Nothing will, or needs to, change this season.

Yeah but we don't want to have to start at square one with our number 3 next season.
It's a world cup year, so even if both Propane and McGrath aren't in the squad (or injured), we are going to need a 9 that can hit the ground running at the start of next season.
That should be the priority now. Not our investment in McCarthy, as the IRFU has ensured we have lost that. His development is their prerogative now, the knuts.

[harblstuff]

So will we see HOS on the bench for a few fixtures and PP/NMC featuring for Leinster A?

[hugonaut]

With McCarthy confirmed to be leaving, need to prioritize Hughie and Paddy P getting game time to develop.

We still have McGrath and JGP as first choice scrum halves with a need for a third scrum half to cover for JGP when he's the odd NIQ out. We're not going to throw out the development we did of McCarthy, and the experience he's built up, in that position - he's still a Leinster player for the remainder of the season. Next season we won't need to worry about the eligibility of JGP - thats when the next cab on the scrum half rank will move up. Nothing will, or needs to, change this season.

Agree Dave. There's part of the season when we might give Hughie O'Sullivan some more games on the bench ahead of McCarthy - we're away to Zebre, home to the Kings and home to the Cheetahs at the end of Feb/start of Jan - but there's no point setting out your stall to exclude somebody who's in your squad and to whom you're paying a wage.

[johng]

Don't be silly Hugo. He's a jilting lover not a professional athlete.

[deco]

Don't be silly Hugo. He's a jilting lover not a professional athlete.

I think the point is that we should use him to suit our needs, rather than develop him. I don't think that Leinster has that type of ethos though. Doubtless, we need to start blooding our next back-up options before season end though - poor Noel Reid will hardly be able to cover 9 as well as 10.

[suisse]

The problem is we can't just have him sit on the bench for Europe and then give meaningful game time to Hugh O'Sullivan when the internationals are away. If McCarthy is called on to play early but hasn't had any game time cos he's leaving, then we're screwed.

So, it's either continue as we are (which I expect Leo will do; Leinster are a professional club and medals ia what they want) or decide right now that McCarthy is gonna play no more rugby this season and that means either Lowe or Fardy misses out on big games or we decide that HOS is now 3rd choice. I doubt they'll go for that option.