Leinster Signings

raven136

Not sure if this already has a thread,we know leinster have signed knoop,jennings and cullen but does anyone have any other idea who might arrive.
In the sunday times a few weeks back it was said they were after a young argentine but he went on loan i think to stade,any updates

besty

knoop?
I read an interview with Bernard Jackman that made reference to Ollie Le Roux coming to Donnybrook. It was the first I'd heard of it.

bugler

That's Gomez. Who apparently has signed a deal with Leinster and will meet up in June. He was late coming over as he supposedly had to sit Veterinary exams in Argentina.

But apparently Stade offered him €50,000 for a two month stint and the exams went out the window. Hopefully he won't be offered anything more that might make him reluctant to come over eventually.

I dont like the idea of importing players for our provincial sides. I know there are places to be filled but I'd rather have mediocre Irish sides developing over time rather than big names coming from abroad to fatten the pension.

bugler

Foreign players should be brought in sparingly, for sure. One or two good signings can help develop young Irish players. But some of the signings made are no good to anyone. Most recently I felt very sorry for any young Leinster props, who were ignored and passed over for short term journeymen signings. Leinster did attempt to rectify this this year (by siging Bracken and Ray Hogan, who both opted for Bristol instead) but they've only come up with one (Knoop is now Irish qualified).

Chris Wyatt is another case in point. He's probably the 5th best lock in the Munster squad.

Our system isn't the best for producing enormously successful clubs/provinces. Irish rugby is always the top priority, so Leinster get Knoop, Leicester get Castro. Stade Francais get Hernandez, Munster get Payne.

Sandwich

With no H Cup next year, the financially prudent thing from the IRFU could be to sanction no further signings. Dvmt contracts only, develop irish players, and see what the future looks like for revenue potential for 3 (or 4) Irish provincial setups beyond (or a revised) Magners League.

besty

Sandwich wrote:

With no H Cup next year, the financially prudent thing from the IRFU could be to sanction no further signings. Dvmt contracts only, develop irish players, and see what the future looks like for revenue potential for 3 (or 4) Irish provincial setups beyond (or a revised) Magners League.

That's a good idea

Diamondmaker

Sandwich wrote:

With no H Cup next year, the financially prudent thing from the IRFU could be to sanction no further signings. Dvmt contracts only, develop irish players, and see what the future looks like for revenue potential for 3 (or 4) Irish provincial setups beyond (or a revised) Magners League.

Commercially a very sound idea, also lucky all this did not blow up earlier and threaten the sponsorship deal.

BOI will be raging.

Sangre

The sponsorship deal almost certainly has a number a of contingency clauses for situations like this, especially considering the size of it.

MG

Chris Keane is joining from Connaught or so the commentaror on Setanta said. Good signing - presume Easter Bunny is retiring or relegated to emergency cover.

Bobser

I've heard Andy Dunne going the opposite way

burnedfaceman

easterby is retiring and keane has signed. I also heard leinster prop john lyne will be going to connaught too

smok

Newstalk said this morning that Leinster signed Ollie le Roux and an argentinian prop (whos name I have totally forgotten - but he has 24 caps.

As for bringing in outside players - how else will our own homegrown players learn other than from working woth world class players.
Was Vermaas signed early to allow him to be assimilated?

burnedfaceman

apparently argentinian props roncero and gomez are coming in along with knoop, keane jennings and cullen with a total of 12 players leaving

daveirl

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RuggieBear

daveirl wrote:

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yeah...but i reckon it couldn't be as bad as signing Finnegan this season!!! What the hell are Leicester thinking. The man must have the best agent ever or simply shows videos of him 10 years ago when he was an outstanding player.

zAbbo

Newcastle sign Heymens, the best TH in the world, who's 27 and Leinster get Big Ollie

I know we can't compete with France and England signing Marque players, but surely a better recruitment policy is order, especially to cover RWC games.

raven136

the argentine is meant to be a great scrummager,surely there was a better palyer available thana 34 year old.What about peter bracken?

how have leinster so little money to compete with even munster,c cullen is hardly on bad money and they had a rumored bid for howlett yet leinster can never sign a huge name player

burnedfaceman

lopez is 23 i think and can play either side of the scrum and is very highly regarded, roncero is starting for stade francais and played well in loose against leicester last time i watched him play. there is an article in todays indo about peter bracken but he has signed for bristol next season.

Cullen was on big money and is retiring at end of season, howlett wont be going to munster was prob using it to try and get more cash out of NZRU if in any case he was to leave id imagine he would go to play in england.

as for leinster not signing any marquis players i doubt they have the budget to do so when you consider the contracts that the likes of BOD, Darcy and Horgan would be on. Cheika is trying to bring younger players through and I think we will see a lot more of this next season when internationals are away.

I think ollie le roux is going to be a terrible signing and that the money spent bringing him in could have been better spent elsewhere.

RuggieBear

felipe is on huge money too. As is BOD

burnedfaceman

good point, i totally forgot about felipe, he is leinsters flagship international signing!

EdgarAllenPoo

I would like to see leinster try sign Tana Umaga purely because I wonder how he would get on with BOD and he seems to be nearing the end of his career and that's the only time Irish teams ever seem to be able to sign decent players.

PeteJones

Big Ollie might be old but he has a lot of test experience behind him including winnings over NZ and Aus. I don't think he will be a match winner but his experience will help the younger players in motivating them to perform better. How many Leinster players can say they have been on winning sides against the ABs?

If Leinster had to sign match winner's and these players don't perform or win matches then everyone will blame the new signed players. At least if Ollie gets blamed we know he was not first choice.

Rugby is a global game and you need players from different countries to be introduced to see how different the game is played.

Oh, and I have played in SA, still playing in Ireland and there is a massive difference. I've learned alot and sure others have learned from me as well.

burnedfaceman

PeteJones wrote:

Big Ollie might be old but he has a lot of test experience behind him including winnings over NZ and Aus. I don't think he will be a match winner but his experience will help the younger players in motivating them to perform better. How many Leinster players can say they have been on winning sides against the ABs?

Im sure Ollie can offer a lot of experience to the leinster set up maybe he could offer about as much experience as Owen Finnegan has brought?? im sorry but i just dont buy the bringing the whole experience thing, the reality is that he is well past his best as was the case with finnegan and christian cullen and the only reason these players are coming to play in northern hemisphere is for a paycheck.

when players come in to play in the prime of career such as felipe or agustin pichot they undoubtedly make a significant contribution in terms of experience and whatnot but its a symbiotic relationship were they get to ply their trade in professional envioronment and gain the benefits of this for their national sides and Northen hemisphere teams get talented players in prime.

majority of australian new zealand and SA players who come to play do so only after they are finished with national sides and decide its time to cash in.

take finnegan,whitaker,cullen,matt burke,justin harrison,umaga,heymans,brooke,pienaar,skinstad and percy montgomery as evidence of this fact.

zAbbo

What about the glut of All Blacks coming to England / France for a 2 year paycheck after the RWC ?

Hayman to Newcastle, Mauger to Leicester, Byron Kelleher to Agen and Chris Jack, Rico Gear, Luke McAlister and Anton Oliver are all likely to go as well.

Sandwich

zabbo wrote:

What about the glut of All Blacks coming to England / France for a 2 year paycheck after the RWC ?

Hayman to Newcastle, Mauger to Leicester, Byron Kelleher to Agen and Chris Jack, Rico Gear, Luke McAlister and Anton Oliver are all likely to go as well.

The IRB needs to watch out. Some are not necessarily beyond playing for their country. Southern hemisphere teams risk being devalued (which doesnt mean they wouldnt still be best!) because players are flying to the English or French cash and retiring from the international scene. Could not be good for the rugby scene in general. Its time for real leadership from the IRB and a worldwide schedule taking into account the needs for international tournaments, international club ones, national club ones, and the demands on players.

PeteJones

I can't speak for Owen Finnegan but you are right to some extent about SH players and paychecks in the NH but not everyone does it. Take David Holwell for instance.

These retired players still have the experience to show how SH rugby is played. What is stopping NH players from going to SH countries and show us how they play?

Felipe was forced to play in Europe as there is no local league (that I'm aware of) in Argentinia. Would you say that Felipe was always a big help in terms of his experience from his first game for Leinster? I don't think so, it took time for him to became the better player he is today.

Just so you know the majority of NZ, AUS and SA players are already earning a lot of money for playing professional rugby and I'd hardly think they gonna come over here to become millionares.

take finnegan,whitaker,cullen,matt burke,justin harrison,umaga,heymans,brooke,pienaar,skinstad and percy montgomery as evidence of this fact.

Put these guys in a test team now against any test nation and they will be on the winning side of some matches. They can still bring something to the table. Skinstad and Montgomery will be back for the boks and their experience in NH countries are invaluable to us, especially now for the Sharks in the S14.

Again, rugby is a Global game and the closer the player base is from all different corners of the world the closer the test matches will be, which is good for the game.

Just as a matter of interest if you had a choice of selecting a few SH players now in their prime who will it be ?

zAbbo

Isn't there a wage cap in NZ ?

RuggieBear

PeteJones wrote:

What is stopping NH players from going to SH countries and show us how they play?

For the most part, The SANZAR unions will only sanction one or two at absolute most "foreigners" playing in their Super 14 teams.

PeteJones

Yes, and very similar in SA. But still each player gets contracted for 1/2 seasons so will still have to get paid even though they might be injured. In SA the players also get individual bonusses for tries scored.

Take the ABs for example, they field 1/2 teams during tours. We all know Dan Carter is their best flyhalf but he was rested a few games but he still gets paid.

PeteJones

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeteJones
What is stopping NH players from going to SH countries and show us how they play?

For the most part, The SANZAR unions will only sanction one or two at absolute most "foreigners" playing in their Super 14 teams.

That might be true but the local domestic leagues are open to more than 2 foreigners and the NZ cup and Currie Cup are great leagues to play in down south

daveirl

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marco_polo

daveirl wrote:

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Thats why the NZRFU will not pick overseas players to play for the All-Blacks as it helps them to keep the wage bill low (Another just as important aspect is the desire to keep control of their centrally contracted players as well). If they allowed overseas players to play for the ABs they would have to financially compete with the T14 and GP clubs who have very deep pockets.

I agree that we are gonna see alot of ABs signing 2-3 year contracts in the NH after the RWC and the guys who are still young enough and good enough to play for the ABs in 2011 will re-sign for the S14 clubs a year or two before the next RWC.

TarfHead

marco_polo wrote:

I agree that we are gonna see alot of ABs signing 2-3 year contracts in the NH after the RWC and the guys who are still young enough and good enough to play for the ABs in 2011 will re-sign for the S14 clubs a year or two before the next RWC.

That may help explan why Luke McAllister is rumoured to be on the way to Europe. IIRC he ws short-listed, along with Jamie Heaslip, for IRB young player of the year. So that makes him 24/25 ? And he's turning his back on another 4/5 years as an All Black ?

Maybe Henry and the others are encouraging this - help them broaden their rugby education and return as better players.

zAbbo

McAllister would be in line for Inside Centre as well, with Mauger going as well.

The AB test team will look a bit strange over the next 2-3 years.

raven136

Can too much be read into the the fact that the committee that decides what overseas players join the provinces is held by an ulsterman,a munsterman and international representation.
Could leinster's non signing of quality overseas players be due to this....i know this seems far fetched,just checking

RuggieBear

raven136 wrote:

Can too much be read into the the fact that the committee that decides what overseas players join the provinces is held by an ulsterman,a munsterman and international representation.
Could leinster's non signing of quality overseas players be due to this....i know this seems far fetched,just checking

Meh, probably a tiny factor if any. Main problem is the ****e Leinster keep approaching.

burnedfaceman

heard on newstalk earlier easterby, corrigan and green all announced they are to retire at end of season

bugler

Clarke Dermody has just signed for London Irish. He would have been a far better signing than Le Roux, and I'm not sure how much more expensive.

Snickers Man

raven136 wrote:

how have leinster so little money to compete with even munster,c cullen is hardly on bad money and they had a rumored bid for howlett yet leinster can never sign a huge name player

ahem. Felipe Contepomi.

Who has been the better, more influential player for his province? Sick-note Cullen or Dr Phil?

Also I would guess that leinster are paying big bucks to the likes of O'Driscoll, D'Arcy and Horgan, not to mention Hickie to keep them here.

As they should.

Are there bigger names in the centre than GOD and GD?

burnedfaceman

leinster squad for next season announced

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/members/index.asp?docID=1739

raven136

burnedfaceman wrote:

leinster squad for next season announced

Is that all the signings expected or is there anymore in the pipeline?

madds

Leinster Rugby are pleased to announce their squad for the 2007/’08 season.

As well as the re-signing of Leo Cullen and Shane Jennings from the Leicester Tigers, Argentina prop Juan Francisco Gomez, South African international front-row forward Andre-Henri ‘Ollie’ Le-Roux and Connacht’s Irish-qualified tight-head prop Stephen Knoop will be joining the province next year.

Gomez, who enjoyed a spell on loan with Stade Français last season, joins from Los Matreros and has signed a two-year deal while 54-times international capped front-rower Le-Roux has signed a one-year deal from Super 14 side the Cheetahs.

Knoop joins from Connacht on a two-year deal while the likes of Devin Toner, Kevin McLaughlin and Richie Leyden have all been rewarded with professional contracts.

Meanwhile in the back-line, scrum-half Chris Keane (who hails from Skerries in North Dublin) joins from Connacht on a two-year deal while Cillian Willis, Jonathan Sexton and Ross McCarron have also been awarded professional contracts.

All 12 of the representatives who featured on the Ireland Under-20 Grand Slam winning squad have been signed up in the Leinster Academy for next season: Cian Healy, Richard Sweeney, Jamie Hagan, Ruaidhri Murphy, Conor McInerney, Kevin Sheahan, Sean O’Brien, Paul O’Donohoe, Ian Keatley, Shane Monahan, Felix Jones and Kyle Tonetti.

Work on the new stand in Donnybrook commenced this week while the move to the RDS is expected to be formally announced in the coming days. Season Tickets are expected to be available online on www.leinsterrugby.ie following that announcement.

Leinster Rugby would like to acknowledge the conclusion of the Bank of Scotland (Ireland) partnership and we look forward to welcoming our new sponsors Bank of Ireland on board for next season and beyond. We have extended our contract with Canterbury of New Zealand until the end of season 2008/’09.

Leinster Rugby would like to thank all the departing players for their contribution to the province over the last season and, in many cases, beyond and we wish them all the very best of luck with their future careers.

...Leinster Squad 2007/’08...

BACKS: Chris Whitaker, Cillian Willis, Chris Keane*, Felipe Contepomi, Jonathan Sexton, Gordon D’Arcy, Brian O’Driscoll, Christian Warner, Michael Berne, Shane Horgan, Denis Hickie, Rob Kearney, Gary Brown, Girvan Dempsey, Luke Fitzgerald, Ross McCarron

FORWARDS: Ronan McCormack, Stanley Wright, Bernard Jackman, Brian Blaney, Ollie le Roux*, Stephen Knoop*, Juan Francisco Gomez*, Trevor Hogan, Leo Cullen*, Malcolm O’Kelly, Devin Toner, Des Dillon, Stephen Keogh, Cameron Jowitt, Richie Leyden, Shane Jennings*, Keith Gleeson, Kevin McLaughlin, Jamie Heaslip

TRANSFERS OUT: Andrew Dunne, John Lyne (both Connacht), Kieran Lewis, Niall Ronan (both Munster), * Owen Finegan (Leicester Tigers), Robert Sweeney, Stephen Grissing (both Rotherham), Adam Byrnes, Harry Vermaas (undisclosed), Reggie Corrigan, Guy Easterby, Will Green, Ciaran Potts (all retired)

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* Surely this is a p*ss take?

burnedfaceman

no its not apparently he is signing on a short term contract to cover for world cup, dont see what the probable european champions see in that donkey

EdgarAllenPoo

Tis a bloody good thing that their getting rid of Finegan and Vermaas. Vermaas was useless and Finegan only got a job based on past glory and not current form( it was really one of those jobs for the boys scenarios, I think).

besty

I played with a few of the younger lads to get a professional contract this year and I have to say that it's the province moving in the right direction. Now we need to unearth a few front row gems.

Sangre

Is Cian Healy playing hooker or prop these days?

RuggieBear

Sangre wrote:

Is Cian Healy playing hooker or prop these days?

prop

besty

He played hooker earlier in the year against me for Clontarf but AFAIK his Leinster status is as a loosehead.