Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

Hype710

tolosenc wrote: »

Hope he does come back, has looked very good when he strung a few games together.

I don't think that's true at all, I've rarely seen a guy use his size worse on a rugby field. He was hauled off after less than fifty minutes in a match last year where Isaac Boss was stuck in the centre! Amazed he got a pro deal considering his injury record. Hope he proves me wrong.

CatFromHue

There is an article in the Times today on Schmidt being linked to the Blues job. He was saying that he's always honoured his contract so wouldn't be interested. He also implied that it was just a bit of bad timing the way it became open when he was still under contract. Seemingly his daughter will be heading to NZ to go to college and like most people he intends to go home at some stage.

I wonder if he'll renew with Leinster next season.

Edit here are the quotes:

“For me, it just doesn’t fall at the right time,” said Schmidt, talking to Newstalk ZB about the Blues job. “I’m on a contract here and there isn’t one situation in the 10 years I’ve been doing this sort of job that I haven’t filled my obligation to a contract. I’m not going to start doing that now . . . unfortunately."

---

“I will definitely end up back there [in New Zealand]. I don’t know if I will be coaching or what I will be doing,” he said. “You are never secure as a coach. You are under someone else’s control or at the whim of whoever is selecting coaches."

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0525/1224316662414.html

He started in Clermont in 07 so at the end of next season he'll have been gone from NZ for 6 years.

tolosenc

I reckon he'll take a 1 year extension and have his son finish up in school here.

profitius

If Schmidt is to go back, he'll also be taking a big wage cut. Also, he looks like one of those people who don't mind being away from home. For example, he lived in Ireland before.

molloyjh

profitius wrote: »

If Schmidt is to go back, he'll also be taking a big wage cut. Also, he looks like one of those people who don't mind being away from home. For example, he lived in Ireland before.

From reading the article he'll def be going home sooner rather than later. An extra year so see his son finish out school here might be on the cards, but that's about it I reckon.

Still though, if he were to do that and win a HEC each season sure who would we be to complain!? :cool:

irishbucsfan

Hype710 wrote: »

tolosenc wrote: »

Hope he does come back, has looked very good when he strung a few games together.

I don't think that's true at all, I've rarely seen a guy use his size worse on a rugby field. He was hauled off after less than fifty minutes in a match last year where Isaac Boss was stuck in the centre! Amazed he got a pro deal considering his injury record. Hope he proves me wrong.

Joe Schmidt highlighted him as one of our most promising backs after his first preseason with us. Sheridan looked brilliant in that spell.

I think it was preseason v. Wasps when Sheridan was a first year academy player that himself and O'Malley looked absolutely brilliant together. And Wasps had a pretty serious team on the field.

CatFromHue

profitius wrote: »

If Schmidt is to go back, he'll also be taking a big wage cut. Also, he looks like one of those people who don't mind being away from home. For example, he lived in Ireland before.

A lot of Kiwis go travelling for a year when they're young, they call it their OE (overseas experience). I spent a year over there and when I said I was Irish an awful lot of people said they'd come here or wanted to come here when they were on their OE. In fact in a couple of places I worked when I started my employer introduced me to other people as CatFromHue who's over here on his OE. So I wouldn't read too much into him having being here before.

Yeah he'll take a pay cut all right but after working in France for 3 or 4 years and then being here in Ireland for what will next season be 3 years that should certainly make a it easier. I assume he'd be on a good wage in both of these places and then there is the currency conversion while not great at the moment, 1 euro = 1.65 NZ$, it used to be great and hopefully will be soon enough! When I went over in 2006/07 it was over 2 NZ$ to the euro.

I didn't know about his son here so that could be important. A new meaning to the term "anchor baby" :pac::pac:

ray jay

Assuming Leinster have another good season next year, it would be the perfect time for Schmidt to go for a Super 15 job with an eye on coaching the All Blacks a few years down the line. An extra year here wouldn't do anything to further his career.


Not that I wouldn't like him to stay of course.

padser

Given that it looks like Schmidt is unlikely to stay at Leinster for 4 or 5 years I really the IRFU cop on and offer him a 2 year deal next year to take Ireland to the RWC.

Leinster lose - Ireland gain

tolosenc

BOD on the front page of Reddit at the moment...

Cpt_Blackbeard

tolosenc wrote: »

BOD on the front page of Reddit at the moment...

He was top for a good while actually. Great picture, but pity its from last year.

irishbucsfan

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

tolosenc wrote: »

BOD on the front page of Reddit at the moment...

He was top for a good while actually. Great picture, but pity its from last year.

Irishrugby facebook page put it on facebook today. They're exacerbating the issue!

jimbomalley

think Jono will take over when Joe leaves, he's done a stellar job since he came in and just seems to me to be a natural leader, great forwards coach and a genuine, good guy....would like to see a backs coach promoted from within ie. BOD when he retires, someone who is familiar with how we play the game and all the work involved in maintaining that level of excellence. BOD has all the skills in attack that will benefit the next/current generation plus he will make an excellent D coach. i know there is the problem of familiarity with the current pros as regards his authority but the setup now is so professional in regards to the system they play that i believe it will work

my 2 cents to the future

Edit: jono gibbs was only 31/32 when he joined the coaching team, age means nothing when you have the talent and drive, and BOD has that in spades

shuffol

I see Tony Ward is calling for D.Kearney to leave Leinster to claim a full back berth elsewhere. http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/kearney-jnr-must-leave-blues-3119329.html

Thats a bit meddlesome from Tony, particularly the headline.

ongarite

Garbage article.
D.Kearney isn't a full back IMO, he is an good winger with the potential to be an excellent/world class winger.

molloyjh

shuffol wrote: »

I see Tony Ward is calling for D.Kearney to leave Leinster to claim a full back berth elsewhere. http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/kearney-jnr-must-leave-blues-3119329.html

Thats a bit meddlesome from Tony, particularly the headline.

What rubbish. Dave has come on so much within this coaching set-up. He has benched for Ireland and won a HEC medal this season. And he's only just about to turn 23. He's played 21 games for Leinster compared to Isa's 26. He's coming along nicely. Yes he will probably slot into FB quite well, but Rob also started his career out on the wing. It wouldn't surprise me that in the next couple of seasons we might see him go to FB more often. Maybe Tony should have a word with Deccie about Daves ability at FB though? It would make him more valuable than Zebo on the summer tour (as though he isn't already).

And while we're at it if we want the IRFU to butt in and move players to suit their development, maybe we should start talking about moving Earls out of Munster because Laulala will be first choice 13 next season. Or move Gilroy from Ulster as he'll be behind Bowe and Trimble.

Fishooks12

Where would Kearney even go if he were to move? Crazy suggestion

Maybe in a year or two if it becomes apparent he's not likely to break into the Irish scene on a regular basis he might consider a move abroad

But at the moment he's a very exciting young player at Leinster who see seems to be only improving

.ak

The way JS is with rotating our backline he's keen to keep our players sharp in several positions. Kearney is one of those, he's an excellent winger who's very difficult to put down, but he's also a great FB (started playing at FB iirc). If Isa was to pick up an injury we'd be snookered as we can't play Rob all the time.

desertcircus

molloyjh wrote: »

What rubbish. Dave has come on so much within this coaching set-up. He has benched for Ireland and won a HEC medal this season. And he's only just about to turn 23. He's played 21 games for Leinster compared to Isa's 26. He's coming along nicely. Yes he will probably slot into FB quite well, but Rob also started his career out on the wing. It wouldn't surprise me that in the next couple of seasons we might see him go to FB more often. Maybe Tony should have a word with Deccie about Daves ability at FB though? It would make him more valuable than Zebo on the summer tour (as though he isn't already).

And while we're at it if we want the IRFU to butt in and move players to suit their development, maybe we should start talking about moving Earls out of Munster because Laulala will be first choice 13 next season. Or move Gilroy from Ulster as he'll be behind Bowe and Trimble.

This keeps coming up when Leinster have someone make the grade as a player in a position that isn't absolutely empty. Earlier in the season it was all about Madigan and whether he'd get sufficient gametime, and now it's Kearney the Younger's turn. Aside from anything else, Horgan's retired this year and D'arcy and O'Driscoll have about two years left at most - which will probably mean at least one of McFadden and Fitzgerald will be shifting to the centre. Not to mention the fact that at least three or four of that backline will be absent again for the autumn games and the Six Nations.

If Kearney gets no more than fifteen games a year for the next two years, then maybe there's a case for him needing to leave for greener pastures. But a 23-year-old who's playing regularly and learning from some of the best players and coaches in Europe would be utterly mad to leave for maybe an extra six to eight games a year at a different team.

.ak

desertcircus wrote: »

This keeps coming up when Leinster have someone make the grade as a player in a position that isn't absolutely empty. Earlier in the season it was all about Madigan and whether he'd get sufficient gametime, and now it's Kearney the Younger's turn. Aside from anything else, Horgan's retired this year and D'arcy and O'Driscoll have about two years left at most - which will probably mean at least one of McFadden and Fitzgerald will be shifting to the centre. Not to mention the fact that at least three or four of that backline will be absent again for the autumn games and the Six Nations.

If Kearney gets no more than fifteen games a year for the next two years, then maybe there's a case for him needing to leave for greener pastures. But a 23-year-old who's playing regularly and learning from some of the best players and coaches in Europe would be utterly mad to leave for maybe an extra six to eight games a year at a different team.

Most of the younger plays will probably fancy themselves at taking over in a few years after retirements. Depending on how the Isa situation is handled you could see a backline looking something like this...

15. R. Kearney
14. D. Kearney
13. E. O'Malley
12. F. McFadden
11. L. Fitzgerald

I'd be happy with that now, but that could be the future for Leinster.

ambid

shuffol wrote: »

I see Tony Ward is calling for D.Kearney to leave Leinster to claim a full back berth elsewhere. http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/kearney-jnr-must-leave-blues-3119329.html

Thats a bit meddlesome from Tony, particularly the headline.

In fairness, opinion writers don't write the headline. That will be a sub-editor looking to produce something dramatic and attention grabbing.

Fishooks12 wrote: »

Where would Kearney even go if he were to move? Crazy suggestion...

Munster would be an obvious option depending on how Jones progresses. He'd certainly add a lot to them should he move.

But of course he's right to stay as he's working with probably the best backs coach and one of the best backlines in Europe. If he's not a regular in a couple of years he'll still have plenty of options at that stage.

CatFromHue

I don't seem an awful lot wrong with Ward's piece to be honest. If Dave Kearney wants to be a full back he will have to leave Leinster for obvious reasons.

If he wants to be a winger he will be fighting it out with Nacewa, Fitzgerald, and McFadden for the big games. D'arcy won't be going anywhere soon and I can see him being first choice 12 for another season or two.

If he's happy were he is there's no problem, if he wants to push for game time in the HEC he may have to think about leaving (he's only 1 +1 so far in the HEC).

chancer12

Any developments on Luke's contract or surgery?

DeDoc

CatFromHue wrote: »

I don't seem an awful lot wrong with Ward's piece to be honest. If Dave Kearney wants to be a full back he will have to leave Leinster for obvious reasons.

If he wants to be a winger he will be fighting it out with Nacewa, Fitzgerald, and McFadden for the big games. D'arcy won't be going anywhere soon and I can see him being first choice 12 for another season or two.

If he's happy were he is there's no problem, if he wants to push for game time in the HEC he may have to think about leaving (he's only 1 +1 so far in the HEC).

This

Kearney is a good player, but he is very much a fringe player at Leinster at present. I don't see a really pressing imperative, but if he is ambitious then a move in the next few years might well make sense. Wearing my Irish hat, it would be nice to think that the best 4 Irish players in each position were lining out each week for one of the provinces - and that may mean movement. Wearing my Leinster hat, I hope it isn't one of ours!

thomond2006

I think Dave Kearney is fine where he is tbh, I can see him breaking in to the 23 regularly. Remember Nacewa is also definitely gone in 2 years.

errlloyd

Think you're all being a bit harsh on Tony here.

In the article he just says that he feels DK could be a world class fullback, and to be fair he's right. The only game-time he's gonna get is on the wing. When Rob was his age Rob was making the Lions, maybe Dave could be that good too?

Not saying I agree, I don't appreciate being poached. But I'd say the move has paid off for Felix Jones?

.ak

I think with the exposure he's getting he'll stay. He's been a regular starter this season.. and who's to say he can't get better then McF, or even Isa or Rob? Whilst we might be cynical about it, the player would probably have personal aspirations. Being a starter for one of the best team in NH rugby would probably be a good enough drive to stay.

CatFromHue

"One idea being floated in rugby circles is for a coach to be given the Blues job for one season and then stand aside to let Joe Schmidt take over for the following season, once his commitments with European champions Leinster have been completed."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/6994963/Irelands-Eddie-O-Sullivan-eyes-Blues-job

If the above were to happen I'd love if Eddie O Sullivan was the coach in question. What is certain is that Schmidt is a man with a lot of options open to him.

Fishooks12

EOS would be perfect for s15 you'd imagine

Monty Burnz

CatFromHue wrote: »

"One idea being floated in rugby circles is for a coach to be given the Blues job for one season and then stand aside to let Joe Schmidt take over for the following season, once his commitments with European champions Leinster have been completed."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/6994963/Irelands-Eddie-O-Sullivan-eyes-Blues-job

If the above were to happen I'd love if Eddie O Sullivan was the coach in question. What is certain is that Schmidt is a man with a lot of options open to him.

He'd be mad to jump from Leinster - if he doesn't repeat the success in his next job, his Leinster success will be dismissed as a fluke.