Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

CouchSmart

CouchSmart wrote: »

Personally I'd like to see Leinster sign Don. Ryan. Himself and Toner compliment each other really well. Think he just signed a new contract at Munster though.

We just start to get our scrum right and then we trust the two most lightweight 2nd rows in Ireland? Not a chance imo!

CouchSmart

Deleted User wrote: »

We just start to get our scrum right and then we trust the two most lightweight 2nd rows in Ireland? Not a chance imo!

Are they really that light weight - Ryan is 108kg and Toner is 120kg, Hines and Cullen are 119kg and 111kg respectively and DOC and POC are both 112kg - Toner is the heaviest(!). With the way the game is going size isn't everything, look at NZ.

http://leinsterrugby.ie/profiles/index.php?player=4166&includeref=dynamic
http://leinsterrugby.ie/profiles/index.php?player=4096&includeref=dynamic
http://leinsterrugby.ie/profiles/index.php?player=15302&includeref=dynamic
http://munsterrugby.ie/rugby/squadprofiles.php?player=5023&includeref=dynamic
http://munsterrugby.ie/rugby/squadprofiles.php?player=4163&includeref=dynamic
http://munsterrugby.ie/rugby/squadprofiles.php?player=4562&includeref=dynamic

Risteard

Deleted User wrote: »

We just start to get our scrum right and then we trust the two most lightweight 2nd rows in Ireland? Not a chance imo!

Toner's one of the heaviest locks in Ireland.

Lightweight power wise, when you're that tall, of course you're heavier.

He wouldn't have near the grunt of Cullen or Hines

Risteard

Deleted User wrote: »

Lightweight power wise, when you're that tall, of course you're heavier.

He wouldn't have near the grunt of Cullen or Hines

Oh, fair enough then. He is very thin looking, compared to someone like Richie Gray who's nearly the same height but a lot more stocky looking.

CouchSmart

Deleted User wrote: »

Lightweight power wise, when you're that tall, of course you're heavier.

He wouldn't have near the grunt of Cullen or Hines

I wouldn't doubt Toner's power, sure he's not a great carrier because of his height but power wise he's definitely up there. Also he's still young development wise 3 or 4 years down the line he'll be a main stay in Leinster first 15 in my mind. Ryan has always seemed very powerful to me and he's perfect for the current high pace game Schmidt has us playing.

irishbucsfan

Risteard wrote: »

Oh, fair enough then. He is very thin looking, compared to someone like Richie Gray who's nearly the same height but a lot more stocky looking.

Gray is slightly taller than Toner, and only slightly heavier.

I think Toner's build is fine. He is a great player. Effective in the lineout and in his support play. His one weakness is in his ball carrying, but POC is the same and it hasn't held him back! It's not like Mal O'Kelly was a destructive ball carrier.

Toner will be a great player for Leinster.

Next season I'd like to see Cullen and KMcL in the row. With Toner competing with Cullen with a view to taking his spot as Cullen ages (probably would be best to move the captaincy on to someone else as well if thats the case). We need another bigger 2nd Row to come in. Maybe Sheriff is up to that, maybe not. I think Schmidt would have used him by now if he was.

funky penguin

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Next season I'd like to see Cullen and KMcL in the row. With Toner competing with Cullen with a view to taking his spot as Cullen ages (probably would be best to move the captaincy on to someone else as well if thats the case). We need another bigger 2nd Row to come in. Maybe Sheriff is up to that, maybe not. I think Schmidt would have used him by now if he was.

Aye, I hope Kevin at second row is nurtured. If it doesn't work, **** it out the window. Imagine the ball-carriers we'd have in our pack with him, SOB, Heaslip, Healy and Strauss. Add to that options from Jennings and/or Ryan. Clubs across Europe would KILL for them.

I have high hopes for Sheriff. For two reasons: One, for the province; two, for the idea of aiding promotion of players outside the pale. Interesting to see what happens when Hines leaves. Will Scmidt look to an NIQ or dip into the academy? tbh, he's done nothing to make me believe his decision will be nothing but bang on, with the squad idea at the heart of it.

roycon

by the looks of things sheriff is the preferred man coming through. not that big(height wise) at 6 foot 5 but very fast and athletic with great hands. good in the lineout because hes got a good jump in him and hes light and has been doing well in all the A games.

roycon

people forget how strong Robert Kearney is. hes a very big guy and a good strong runner. rather than having bad handling as some people were saying there was a period where there was a complete absence of handling altogether and he just refused to pass the ball

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCfHU9l3LOo - v connaught

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqRl69rgBKA - v brive

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhbXo8HWuWQ dg - v nz maori

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUSANCkoX5s - jinky try v ospreys

GerM

I would expect Leinster to bring in an outside lock in the event of Hines leaving. He's occupying a NIQ spot at the moment and, with Wright and Berne both out of contract also, we'll have NIQ spots at our disposal more than likely. Take into account that there will be a WC rotation finishing and I'd be surprised if we weren't looking at someone to come in at lock given our lack of depth. The problem is though that the guys who will be looking to leave their respective countries mostly play at 5 such as Sharpe, Donnelly, Matfield. The guys who play 4 are generally younger and are more likely to stick around. Thorn to Toulon is almost a done deal so that rules him out also.

The one notable exception is Botha. He's a complete nutter and filthy player but he could be our nutter. Can you imagine the steel and grunt he'd give us? With two Saffers in our pack already he could be persuaded although I'd say a big money switch to France or Saracens would be more likely.

With all that said, I think it's important we persists with McLaughlin at lock. If he comes good there is solves a headache for us. We get a top lock and we don't lose a player. If we cannot accommodate McLaughlin then he'll be looking at an exit I reckon. With Ruddock and Ryan having 7 years on him and clean injury records, I'd be surprised if he wasn't the one allowed to leave. Have always thought he'd make a fantastic replacement for Quinlan at Munster incidentally. Tough around the pack, intelligent, great line out operator, big work rate.... what Quinlan had but without the discipline issues.

smurphy29

Shame about Nathan leaving for Stade, it goes without saying he has been (and will continue to be for the rest of the season!) a great player for us. His combination of strength, aggression and astonishingly good hands make him a tough act to follow. He's been key to Leinster's gameplan this year, and one of our best forwards.

In terms of moving on, I'd have thought at the time of signing Hines that by the time he moves on, Big Dev would be ready to step in, but he still doesn't quite look the part. No doubt we'll be linked with every southern hemisphere lock for the next six months, but I think it would be a good move for all concerned if we signed Donncha Ryan from Munster. It looks as if there's a good player there waiting to break out, and being a big unit, he's someone who needs a run of games before he starts to play well. Doesn't look as if he'll gt that at Munster, it would surely be a logical move.

GerM

If we're to make a signing at lock we'll have to make a like for like signing. We shouldn't lose someone of Hines' quality and sign a player who turns 28 this year and is still looking for his breakthrough season with one HEC start in his life. Ryan has looked very promising in the past but the time to move was 2 or 3 years ago. He has wasted his talent sitting in line at Munster and now, whilst still a decent looking player when he gets opportunities, I don't think he'll ever be of the standard required to be a first choice player in a tight five capable of winning a HEC. If we sign him, it should be as a squad replacement for Trevor Hogan instead of Hines.

I'd be hoping for a big unit who has proven a proven record to come in to the second row for us whilst we persist with the McLaughlin experiment and do our best to make that come good.

It's upsetting to think we gave EOD a 3 year contract. Bloke seems to have fallen off the radar entirely and was the only unused sub against Aironi. To think we wouldn't offer MOK another year....

EOD hasn't been back since getting injured I don't think. Not making much progress. Disappointing really, I thought he looked pretty decent in his Irish game last year.

I definitely think that D.Ryan would be a terrible signing, he's in limbo in so many ways, he's not a great 2nd row, and he's not a great 6, but he's squeezed into that slot of "utility back 5 player" which is a horribly difficult tag to lose. I definitely agree with the comparison between himself and T.Hogan, like for like imo.

I'd much prefer we got someone in the 19-23 age bracket that was going to come in, and learn "our" game and develop with the team.

Heaslip's interviews have all been about being on the "brink" of something, and I think he is right, we only need a few more ingredients to really pull away I think.

ongarite

Squad update for away game against Cardiff Blues this weekend:

Shane Horgan is continuing his rehabilitation on the knee injury this week, which was sustained in the away victory over Racing-Métro 92 in January, and a further assessment will be made before deciding on his availability for this weekend’s game in the Welsh capital.
It is hoped that Cook Islands prop Stan Wright (Achilles) will be available for selection for the first time since August as he stepped up his second successive week of full training with the province.

Meanwhile, Shaun Berne is in contention while there is a possibility that some of the international players will be released from Ireland camp later in the week.

David Kearney’s try against the Italians last Thursday in the RDS was his third in six league games, while Isa Nacewa’s 11 point haul took him to 147 so far this season over 20 games in all competitions so far this season.

The victory over Aironi did come at a cost for the province, however, with Ireland Under-20 centre Brendan Macken suffering a broken collarbone on his debut which is expected to rule him out for between 6-8 weeks.

It would be great to have Stan back after so long out & Horgan back in the frame again.

RuggieBear

Would be very handy to get Stan backup to speed after the long layoff. Most likely his scrummaging will need a good deal of work.

CouchSmart

Deleted User wrote: »

I'd much prefer we got someone in the 19-23 age bracket that was going to come in, and learn "our" game and develop with the team.

Eoin Sheriff falls right into that category.

I dunno if we'll be getting in a replacement NIQ, we have a lot of guys on our books already. Whats the max number of contracts we can have, 30?

CouchSmart

Last season when the squad was announced (ie before the whole rush to replace Stan) there was 40 players in the squad, with 5 of these being on development contracts. So, I assume it's something similar again this year.

http://leinsterrugby.ie/newsroom/4833.php

FORWARDS: Leo Cullen, John Fogarty, Jason Harris-Wright, Cian Healy, Jamie Heaslip, Nathan Hines, Trevor Hogan, Shane Jennings, Stephen Keogh, Ronan McCormack, Jack McGrath*, Kevin McLaughlin, Sean O'Brien, Ed O'Donoghue, Mike Ross, Rhys Ruddock*, Paul Ryan*, Eoin Sheriff*, Richardt Strauss, Devin Toner, Heinke van der Merwe, Stan Wright

BACKS: Shaun Berne, Isaac Boss, Andrew Conway, Gordon D'Arcy, Luke Fitzgerald, Shane Horgan, David Kearney, Rob Kearney, Brendan Macken*, Fergus McFadden, Niall Morris*, Isa Nacewa, Paul O'Donohoe, Brian O'Driscoll, Eoin O'Malley, Eoin Reddan, Jonathan Sexton

*Denotes Development Contract

Is Dom Ryan still in the academy???

CouchSmart

Ye, only year 2!

Leinster Academy Panel 2010/11: Noel Reid, Darren Hudson, Ben Marshall, Jack O’Connell, John Cooney, Sam Coghlan Murray, Jordi Murphy (all Year 1), Dominic Ryan, Michael Keating, Ian Madigan, Mark Flanagan, Ciaran Ruddock, Stewart Maguire (all Year 2), Ian McKinley, Tom Sexton, Eamonn Sheridan (all Year 3)

http://leinsterrugby.ie/newsroom/4912.php

WeeBushy

Deleted User wrote: »

Is Dom Ryan still in the academy???

Yeah he's still on an academy contract, but I presume he's being treated like a 1st team player at this stage. Crazy. Definitely will be moved onto a full time contract for next season.

CouchSmart

roycon wrote: »

apparently harris wright isnt getting his contract renewed at the end of the year. theyll have two international standard hookers in cronin and strauss with a possibility of another international signing and sexton as back up. id almost put money on harris wright going to connacht.

Where'd you hear that? He only got a two year contract last June.

smurphy29

I think Donncha Ryan has been a touch unlucky at Munster. Every time he has shown signs of breaking through to the team, he hasn't quite done it. Big guys like that need to get a run of games before they start to look good. He's had a few decent cameos in the HEC and would have seen more game time with a more progrssive management ticket.

I'm not saying he's definitely the answer to our problems, and I agree with the other posters about his stagnation at Munster (who hasn't stagnated there in the past two seasons, eh?) I still think there is a good player in there. If we had him, Toner and Locky competing for the second row slots we would be well set.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Does anyone know anything about Pat O'Connor

http://www.waratahs.com.au/Waratahs/Team/PlayerProfiles/PlayerPage/tabid/182/playerid/25/Default.aspx

I've heard that he is IQ perhaps he may be an option for Leinster to recruit

Cpt_Blackbeard

Donnacha Ryan would prob be one of the best moves for everyone involved:
Leinster need a lock, Munster need to get rid of a few locks and Ryan deserves a chance to prove himself.

danthefan

Wouldn't want Ryan, not good enough.

CouchSmart

danthefan wrote: »

Wouldn't want Ryan, not good enough.

Based on?

danthefan

CouchSmart wrote: »

Based on?

Watching rugby.

To elaborate, he's 27, proved sweet **** all, got dropped after his single HEC start to date, his form has wildly fluctuated and one of the best teams in Europe should not be relying on him at all. If Hines goes it's time to whip out the chequebook.

trackguy

danthefan wrote: »

Watching rugby.

To elaborate, he's 27, proved sweet **** all, got dropped after his single HEC start to date, his form has wildly fluctuated and one of the best teams in Europe should not be relying on him at all. If Hines goes it's time to whip out the chequebook.

I don't think he's bad but Hines is a top quality HEC player. We need someone the same or with the potential to be that good. Ryan is not that man.

CouchSmart

Whipping out the cheque book isn't what we need to do though, remember when Rocky left and everyone wanted us to spend big on a replacement, look at us now!