Leinster's Backrow Options

by **mildlyinterested** » January 25th, 2019, 11:25 am

Leinster Backrow options - ages as of start of next season (1st Sep 2019):

Senior
Sean O'Brien(32/Tullow RFC/UCD/Number 6-7) - Signed central 3 yr contract in 2016 until WC
Rhys Ruddock(28/St. Marys/Number 6) - Signed contract in 2018
Jack Conan(27/St. Gerards/Old Belvedere/Number 8 ) - Signed contract in 2017
Josh Van Der Flier(26/Wesley/UCD/Number 7) - Signed contract in 2018
Dan Leavy(25/St. Michaels/UCD/Number 6-7) - Signed contract in 2017
Josh Murphy(24//St. Michaels/UCD/Number 6) - Signed contract in 2018
Max Deegan(22/St. Michaels/Lansdowne/Number 8 ) - Signed contract in 2017
Will Connors(22/Clongowes/UCD/Number 6-7) - Signed contract in 2018
Caelan Doris(21/Blackrock/St. Mary/Number 8 ) - Signed contract in 2018

Academy
Oisin Dowling(22/St. Michaels/Lansdowne/Number 6) - Academy Year 2
Scott Penny(19/St. Michaels/UCD/Number 7) - Academy Year 1

Sub-Academy
Ronan Watters(20/St. Marys/St. Marys/Number 8 ) - Ireland u20
Martin Moloney(20/Athy RFC/Old Belvedere/Number 6-7) - Ireland u20
Cian Prendergast(19//Newbridge/UCD/Number 6) - Ireland u19
Anthony Ryan(19/Clongowes/DUFC/Number 6-7) - Ireland u19

by **mildlyinterested** » January 25th, 2019, 11:26 am

Will SOB, Conan, Leavy & Deegan all return to Leinster next season?

What happens with recent academy backrowers Murphy & Connors?

by **arsebiscuits1** » January 25th, 2019, 1:45 pm

mildlyinterested wrote:Will SOB, Conan, Leavy & Deegan all return to Leinster next season?

What happens with recent academy backrowers Murphy & Connors?

After fighting tooth and nail to keep hold of Connors from Connacht it looks like he might end up having to go there after all.

Surely a straight shoot out between himself and Penny for a contract? I imagine Penny will need to be put on a dev contract to deter other provinces offering him big things.

I can't see SOB staying on after the RWC

by **suisse** » January 25th, 2019, 2:37 pm

No doubt Munster and maybe others will be sniffing around at that list. I can't see Will Connors staying. Sean O'Brien might retire after the RWC but I have a bad feeling one of Leavy, Deegan or Conan will be gone.

by **paddyor** » January 25th, 2019, 3:23 pm

Rumour that SOB is off to LI.

by **johng** » January 25th, 2019, 6:08 pm

paddyor wrote:Rumour that SOB is off to LI.

Jaysus is he that stuck? Must be no central deal on the table and Leo not interested. More likely the first of April come early

by **ronk** » January 25th, 2019, 6:30 pm

9 is not excessive, especially in a RWC year.

Why move Connors on just because he was injured.

by **artaneboy** » January 25th, 2019, 6:41 pm

paddyor wrote:Rumour that SOB is off to LI.

With his injury profile, he’d be mad to go to either the GP or France. He’d be flogged to retirement in half a season.

I’d like to see him get another two years and finish with us.

Despite some people’s frustration with his absences, he’s been iconic for us. Did a lot to dispel the ‘south Dublin-only slurs’ and bring the game and team to the rest of the province.

And he still has it- as we saw only last week.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

by **riocard911** » January 25th, 2019, 7:15 pm

artaneboy wrote:
paddyor wrote:Rumour that SOB is off to LI.

With his injury profile, he’d be mad to go to either the GP or France. He’d be flogged to retirement in half a season.

I’d like to see him get another two years and finish with us.

Despite some people’s frustration with his absences, he’s been iconic for us. Did a lot to dispel the ‘south Dublin-only slurs’ as being the game and team to the rest of the province.

And he still has it as we saw only last week.

+1

by **OTT** » January 25th, 2019, 8:16 pm

paddyor wrote:Rumour that SOB is off to LI.

Deccy can not pick him again.

by **leinster23** » January 25th, 2019, 11:02 pm

artaneboy wrote:
paddyor wrote:Rumour that SOB is off to LI.

With his injury profile, he’d be mad to go to either the GP or France. He’d be flogged to retirement in half a season.

I’d like to see him get another two years and finish with us.

Despite some people’s frustration with his absences, he’s been iconic for us. Did a lot to dispel the ‘south Dublin-only slurs’ and bring the game and team to the rest of the province.

And he still has it- as we saw only last week.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Exactly, easily one of our best ever players. Hopefully he can get a clean run with injuries and remind people just how good he is, because he's very, very, very good.

by **leinster23** » January 25th, 2019, 11:02 pm

artaneboy wrote:
paddyor wrote:Rumour that SOB is off to LI.

With his injury profile, he’d be mad to go to either the GP or France. He’d be flogged to retirement in half a season.

I’d like to see him get another two years and finish with us.

Despite some people’s frustration with his absences, he’s been iconic for us. Did a lot to dispel the ‘south Dublin-only slurs’ and bring the game and team to the rest of the province.

And he still has it- as we saw only last week.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Exactly, easily one of our best ever players. Hopefully he can get a clean run with injuries and remind people just how good he is, because he's very, very, very good.

by **backrower8** » January 28th, 2019, 2:05 pm

mildlyinterested wrote:Will SOB, Conan, Leavy & Deegan all return to Leinster next season?

Why do you identify these players and not the other backrowers?

by **Peg Leg** » January 28th, 2019, 2:17 pm

backrower8 wrote:
mildlyinterested wrote:Will SOB, Conan, Leavy & Deegan all return to Leinster next season?

Why do you identify these players and not the other backrowers?

Contract termination date

by **backrower8** » January 28th, 2019, 2:21 pm

Peg Leg wrote:
backrower8 wrote:
mildlyinterested wrote:Will SOB, Conan, Leavy & Deegan all return to Leinster next season?

Why do you identify these players and not the other backrowers?

Contract termination date

Thanks

by **backrower8** » January 28th, 2019, 2:22 pm

Deegan has played 14 times this season. 6 starts. 3 each at 6 & 8

Doris has played 8 times. All 5 starts at 8.

It's time we saw Doris at 6, preferably a few times with Deegan at 8.

by **mildlyinterested** » January 28th, 2019, 2:27 pm

backrower8 wrote:Deegan has played 14 times this season. 6 starts. 3 each at 6 & 8

Doris has played 8 times. All 5 starts at 8.

It's time we saw Doris at 6, preferably a few times with Deegan at 8.

agreed.

Deegan is getting plenty of game time this season. People calling for him to move have alternative motivations.

by **backrower8** » January 28th, 2019, 2:35 pm

mildlyinterested wrote:
backrower8 wrote:Deegan has played 14 times this season. 6 starts. 3 each at 6 & 8

Doris has played 8 times. All 5 starts at 8.

It's time we saw Doris at 6, preferably a few times with Deegan at 8.

agreed.

Deegan is getting plenty of game time this season. People calling for him to move have alternative motivations.

I thought you were one of them.

I don't think he would be happy at all with just 3 starts in his best position. He is really not a 6, but maybe that is leo's way of making him focus on playing tighter.

by **mildlyinterested** » January 28th, 2019, 2:41 pm

backrower8 wrote:
mildlyinterested wrote:
backrower8 wrote:Deegan has played 14 times this season. 6 starts. 3 each at 6 & 8

Doris has played 8 times. All 5 starts at 8.

It's time we saw Doris at 6, preferably a few times with Deegan at 8.

agreed.

Deegan is getting plenty of game time this season. People calling for him to move have alternative motivations.

I thought you were one of them.

I don't think he would be happy at all with just 3 starts in his best position. He is really not a 6, but maybe that is leo's way of making him focus on playing tighter.

Nope i've never said he should move, just that he needed to play better.

by **Oldschool** » January 28th, 2019, 3:00 pm

mildlyinterested wrote:
backrower8 wrote:Deegan has played 14 times this season. 6 starts. 3 each at 6 & 8

Doris has played 8 times. All 5 starts at 8.

It's time we saw Doris at 6, preferably a few times with Deegan at 8.

agreed.

Deegan is getting plenty of game time this season. People calling for him to move have alternative motivations.

Wouldn't disagree either however were I the coach and recognizing Deegans need to be more physical I would have played him at 6 as has been done and I don't think that bit of coaching is done with just yet.