Transfers for next season (including transfer rumours!)

irishbucsfan

Hagz wrote: »

Wasps have signed Alapati Leiua. Great signing. Wasps are my favourite english club and I hate not seeing them in the Heineken Cup.

They have a shot this year. If they stay in 7th they'll have a playoff against what looks like Stade Francais, so that would be interesting. I like both clubs.

Swiwi.

Hagz wrote: »

Wasps have signed Alapati Leiua. Great signing. Wasps are my favourite english club and I hate not seeing them in the Heineken Cup.

Agree. He chose Samoa over NZ and I respect the decision. He was born in Samoa in fairness . He was being lined up for the AB squad last year, and I have been very impressed with his ability to play midfield in addition to wing. Should do well.

hype101

Hagz wrote: »

Wasps have signed Alapati Leiua. Great signing. Wasps are my favourite english club and I hate not seeing them in the Heineken Cup.

Another opportunity missed for Munster to sign a quality centre.. This guy is lighting it up at Super XV at the mo.. Honestly, not sure there is a better 12 in the SH who would be willing to go north in a world cup year.. Between himself n Reagan King, Munster could have nailed down a quality midfield for next year without breaking the bank

Tox56

Hagz wrote: »

Wasps have signed Alapati Leiua. Great signing. Wasps are my favourite english club and I hate not seeing them in the Heineken Cup.

Swiwi. wrote: »

Agree. He chose Samoa over NZ and I respect the decision. He was born in Samoa in fairness . He was being lined up for the AB squad last year, and I have been very impressed with his ability to play midfield in addition to wing. Should do well.

Assuming he can play 13: Where the hell are Leinster with all these signings?! Hopefully they have someone lined up

Swiwi.

Tox56 wrote: »

Assuming he can play 13: Where the hell are Leinster with all these signings?! Hopefully they have someone lined up

Can Leinster offer as much as an English club these days for a NIQ player??

Despite the fact they have a free pass to play in the SXV, even if AB ineligible, once they declare for a Pacific Team these players are always rapidly offered lucrative contracts in the NH, that NZ wouldn't attempt to match (given they can no longer represent NZ). Hence au revoir Lam, Leiua, Tikoirotuma etc at the end of this season.

Hagz

They might have both been looking at him. My guess is, and I'm pretty confident about it, that he was pretty set to play in London. He chose Samoa over New Zealand because he wanted to be close to his brother, and guess where his brother plays his club rugby = London.

Tox56

Swiwi. wrote: »

Can Leinster offer as much as an English club these days for a NIQ player??

Maybe not but Kirchner is the only NIQ of any note at Leinster and even he probably isn't on much, Gopperth was playing championship rugby last season and Goodman, Roux are probably on peanuts. There should be cash there.

Hagz wrote: »

They might have both been looking at him. My guess is, and I'm pretty confident about it, that he was pretty set to play in London. He chose Samoa over New Zealand because he wanted to be close to his brother, and guess where his brother plays his club rugby = London.

Yeah that's fair enough I suppose, Im just getting the fear that anyone even half-decent is already gone for next season (with it being a World Cup year we were never likely to get anyone that good anyway).

With no signings we're in trouble; Macken seems to be getting more of a look in at wing, Fitzgerald is perennially injured, they don't seem to fancy Kirchner there and that makes McFadden the last man standing... even in the academy COS is just OK and Farrell is still way too young

hype101

Hagz wrote: »

They might have both been looking at him. My guess is, and I'm pretty confident about it, that he was pretty set to play in London. He chose Samoa over New Zealand because he wanted to be close to his brother, and guess where his brother plays his club rugby = London.

Ya, your right.. I didn't know he had family in London.. Would have loved to have seen him in munster all the same.. King went back to Scarlets for a pitance though and surely a munster offer would have tempted him.. Wee bit underpowered but he can unlock defenses.. Clever player

FrannoFan

Tox56 wrote: »

Maybe not but Kirchner is the only NIQ of any note at Leinster and even he probably isn't on much, Gopperth was playing championship rugby last season and Goodman, Roux are probably on peanuts. There should be cash there.



Yeah that's fair enough I suppose, Im just getting the fear that anyone even half-decent is already gone for next season (with it being a World Cup year we were never likely to get anyone that good anyway).

With no signings we're in trouble; Macken seems to be getting more of a look in at wing, Fitzgerald is perennially injured, they don't seem to fancy Kirchner there and that makes McFadden the last man standing... even in the academy COS is just OK and Farrell is still way too young

I really don't think we are going to see a big summer signing at Leinster or Munster to fill the midfields. MOC has made utterances that there are guys willing to come but the IRFU have his hands tied. Would imagine it is similar in Munster. I reckon any acquisitions will be indigenous, irish qualifed players or else second tier SH players.

molloyjh

FrannoFan wrote: »

MOC has made utterances that there are guys willing to come but the IRFU have his hands tied.

justsomebloke

Tox56 wrote: »

There should be cash there.

I think the naming rights issue with Thomand should have been a reminder to us that we don't really have the cash to compete with the French and English. So it will become more common for us to have no marquee NIQ in our squads

Neil3030

Leinster can surely compete for NIQ signings, the IRFU are holding them back, no?

thomond2006

Another Treviso stalwart leaving the club: Luke McLean to Sale Sharks.

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_9293405,00.html

Others that are leaving (from therugbyforum's list), I don't think all of these are confirmed:

Lorenzo Cittadini (prop, Wasps), Alberto De Marchi (prop, Sale), Michele Rizzo (prop, Leicester),
Leonardo Ghiraldini (hooker, Leicester),
Robert Barbieri (flanker, Leicester), Manoa Vosawai (n8, Cardiff Blues),
Christian Loamanu (winger, Leicester)

danthefan

thomond2006 wrote: »

Another Treviso stalwart leaving the club: Luke McLean to Sale Sharks.

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_9293405,00.html

Others that are leaving (from therugbyforum's list), I don't think all of these are confirmed:

Lorenzo Cittadini (prop, Wasps), Alberto De Marchi (prop, Sale), Michele Rizzo (prop, Leicester),
Leonardo Ghiraldini (hooker, Leicester),
Robert Barbieri (flanker, Leicester), Manoa Vosawai (n8, Cardiff Blues),
Christian Loamanu (winger, Leicester)

God. That's a shame tbh, they're going to be awful next season.

Podge_irl

justsomebloke wrote: »

I think the naming rights issue with Thomand should have been a reminder to us that we don't really have the cash to compete with the French and English. So it will become more common for us to have no marquee NIQ in our squads

There is absolutely no way London wasps have bigger finances than Leinster. Simply refuse to believe it.

I think were massively overprone to playing the poor card. Not even sure what the naming rights has to do with anything. That's to pay off their brand spangly new stadium that is better than almost anything in the AP.

justsomebloke

Podge_irl wrote: »

Not even sure what the naming rights has to do with anything. That's to pay off their brand spangly new stadium that is better than almost anything in the AP.

The Quote from the Irish times was that the money was to help compete with the French and English and not to pay off the stadium.

IT wrote:

Munster are looking to sell the naming rights to Thomond Park in an effort to keep pace with the big-spending French and English clubs.

thomond2006

danthefan wrote: »

God. That's a shame tbh, they're going to be awful next season.

You'd wonder if things are awry behind the scenes there. It can't be a good sign if all the key players are jumping ship at once.

Podge_irl

justsomebloke wrote: »

The Quote from the Irish times was that the money was to help compete with the French and English and not to pay off the stadium.

Perhaps but I've long since stopped listening to Thornley's rants about the dastardly French and the plucky, underdog Irish. His reporting is always ferociously coloured by whatever narrative he wants to spin.

There is simply no way I will believe that with the income the provinces get from matches and the central funding, and with their highest paid Irish players off the books, that they couldn't afford to compete on salary with at least most of the English teams if they wanted to.

The English aren't even particularly big spending with their salary cap.

thomond2006

With Perpignan relegated there is going to be a lot of departures from the club. Lopez and Romain Taofifenua have reportedly already deals with Toulon if the club went down, the same goes for Sofiane Guitoune and Bordeaux. Perpignan captain and hooker Guilhem Guirado has already signed with Toulon.

thomond2006

thomond2006 wrote: »

With Perpignan relegated there is going to be a lot of departures from the club. Lopez and Romain Taofifenua have reportedly already deals with Toulon if the club went down, the same goes for Sofiane Guitoune and Bordeaux. Perpignan captain and hooker Guilhem Guirado has already signed with Toulon.

Boudjellal has confirmed that the move for Romain Taofifenua is happening. Two year deal.

As an aspiring international Taofifenua couldn't obviously play in ProD2 but going to Toulon is a bizarre rugby move from his perspective. He'll be competing against Bakkies Botha, Ali Williams, Ian Evans as well as Suta and Mikautadze who are good players with Gorgodze also being an option. He could become a fixture in the second year of his deal when one or both of Bakkies and Williams could be gone.

Not Playing Tiddlywinks Vinny

thomond2006 wrote: »

With Perpignan relegated there is going to be a lot of departures from the club. Lopez and Romain Taofifenua have reportedly already deals with Toulon if the club went down, the same goes for Sofiane Guitoune and Bordeaux. Perpignan captain and hooker Guilhem Guirado has already signed with Toulon.

Guirado is a super signing considering after Burden they only have Oriolli really whose not great. Will be a great addition.

Guitoune is an interesting lad, plays 10 or back 3. Would add depth and a touch of class to a lot of sides.

thomond2006

Not Playing Tiddlywinks Vinny wrote: »

Guirado is a super signing considering after Burden they only have Oriolli really whose not great. Will be a great addition.

Guitoune is an interesting lad, plays 10 or back 3. Would add depth and a touch of class to a lot of sides.

Guitoune and Talebula playing in the same team would be amazing. Both were neck and neck in the Top14 try charts before Guitoune got injured and Talebula kept on scoring. Talebula got 16 tries in 23 appearances (including two off the bench today) while Guitoune got 9 tries in 13 appearances.

Morf

Add Andrew Goodman to the transfers out column.

[Jackass]

Leo Auva'a confirmed as gone from Leinster too. (like Goodman, destination not confirmed). source.

Funny the amount of sh*t talking the English made about the Italian teams in Europe, then Leicester go and sign half their squad, with the rest of England taking the other half. Once they got their big money deal in the bag they step in like receivers to Italian rugby.

Kane Douglas rumour gathering a bit of pace on Leinsterfans, but still nothing confirmed.

Seven confirmed departures from Leinster now and still no confirmed signings, with Richie Murphy saying last week that no deals done as of yet. ("nothing concrete").

Confirmed Out:

Leo Auva'a (No. 8), Leo Cullen (Lock), Conor Gilsenan (Flanker), Andrew Goodman (Centre), Darren Hudson (Wing), Jack O'Connell (Loosehead Prop) and Brian O'Driscoll (Centre)

Academy Movement:

James Tracey (Loosehead Prop & Hooker), Tadgh Furlong (Tighthead), Luke McGrath (Scrum-Half) & Coughlin- Murray (Wing) all pretty much confirmed as being promoted to senior squad next season with question marks still over Andrew Boyle (wing) possibly leaving, and Coughlin and O'Shea (both centres) still uncertain. Coughlin may either be quitting to presue cricket career and / or professional career or being given an extra year in academy due to positional switch from back-row to centre and unsure if O'Shea will be offered a senior deal.

Swiwi.

Maybe Auva'a and Goodman head home to play ITM cup rugby. Goodman is from Nelson, one of NZ's lifestyle capitals. Leo hails from Wainuiomata which would have less appeal...

Morf

Auva'a is off to Newcastle, isn't he?

CatFromHue

Swiwi. wrote: »

Maybe Auva'a and Goodman head home to play ITM cup rugby. Goodman is from Nelson, one of NZ's lifestyle capitals. Leo hails from Wainuiomata which would have less appeal...

Ah you can't give out too much about Wainuiomata, that's where the Orongorongo is! I believe that's what they drink in the Congo :pac:

former legend

Morf wrote: »

Auva'a is off to Newcastle, isn't he?

It was rumoured but never confirmed.

[Jackass]

Supposedly Kane Douglas was confirmed in the Times (of England) and Leinster have said contracts and signings will be announced on Tuesday.

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/leinster-kane-douglas-1447964-May2014/

Yeah_Right

Muliaina has signed with Connacht.

sydthebeat

Yeah_Right wrote: »

Muliaina has signed with Connacht.

Huge.

It can only be a great thing for the likes of henshaw and co to work with someone of his experience.

Also could see henshaw tie down a 13 shirt for Ireland.

thomond2006

It's reported that Lopez has offers from Toulon, Racing and Clermont. Assuming the money is the same (it probably more or less is) who would you choose?

Look you would be competing with:

Toulon: Michalak, O'Connor (short-term contract), Giteau (albeit he's their best 12)

Racing: Sexton, Hernandez

Clermont: James, Delany

sydthebeat

Toulon.

Clermont are on a steep downward slope I think and need serious new blood.

Swiwi.

Yeah_Right wrote: »

Muliaina has signed with Connacht.

No problem with that. He's given all he can in NZ and he will bring wise experience to Connacht. He no longer has wheels, though, so whether he plays at 13 or 15 I'm not sure.

astonaidan

Swiwi. wrote: »

No problem with that. He's given all he can in NZ and he will bring wise experience to Connacht. He no longer has wheels, though, so whether he plays at 13 or 15 I'm not sure.

Think you might have been right about us being the NZ B team :pac:

Buer

Swiwi. wrote: »

No problem with that. He's given all he can in NZ and he will bring wise experience to Connacht. He no longer has wheels, though, so whether he plays at 13 or 15 I'm not sure.

I hope people aren't expecting him to arrive and be some revolutionary signing on the field. He's not the player he was and will be 34, having suffered some injuries. He will hopefully provide great leadership and influence throughout the team though especially off the field.

He's not going to be tearing up the Sportsground though. His main remit should be galvanising the side and imparting some of his wisdom to the youngsters.

umop.episdn

He won't be 33 until later this summer, he'll be a fantastic signing for at least 1 season & a coaching/mentoring role too

Buer

umop.episdn wrote: »

He won't be 33 until later this summer, he'll be a fantastic signing for at least 1 season & a coaching/mentoring role too

He's 34 this summer.

thebaz

[QUOTE='[Jackass]

Funny the amount of sh*t talking the English made about the Italian teams in Europe, then Leicester go and sign half their squad, with the rest of England taking the other half. Once they got their big money deal in the bag they step in like receivers to Italian rugby.

[/QUOTE]

sheer greed - how the hell will rugby ever expand with this quick fix cheap option - absolute shame for Italian rugby , its tough eneogh as it is to expand - horrible.

Wish Leo well , struggled to make it as a first teamer , but was well loved within the squad

[Jackass]

The IRFU are really looking to make Connacht a top 6 side in the Pro12. With the new qualification rules and the big money in having as many teams as possible in the top tier of European Rugby is technically a opportunity for Irish sides, if we can take 4 European spots with one going to Scotland, Wales and Italy.

Great for Irish rugby and I really hope they succeed. From where Connacht are now, they would need to catch up with and overtake Edinburgh, Cardiff and Scarlets next season. Definitely doable, and these big signings for Connacht would pay for themselves if they can get into the Champions Cup.

Winters

[Jackass] wrote: »

these big signings for Connacht would pay for themselves if they can get into the Champions Cup.

PLEASE don't call it that!

ScissorPaperRock

Winters wrote: »

PLEASE don't call it that!

That's... what it's called.

Unless you want to use the full title of European Rugby Champions Cup, which is a bit of a mouthful, IMO.

sydthebeat

It will be the erc cup to me

Zzippy

sydthebeat wrote: »

It will be the erc cup to me

I hope to God Heineken come on board as a sponsor and we don't have to call it anything else

thomond2006

Lopez to Clermont has been confirmed.

former legend

thomond2006 wrote: »

Lopez to Clermont has been confirmed.

The Toulon talk didn't last too long then. Clermont need a new out-half, James just isn't reliable enough and Lopez has a lot of potential so this is a good deal.

ktulu123

Zzippy wrote: »

I hope to God Heineken come on board as a sponsor and we don't have to call it anything else

Literally my biggest worry in this ordeal :P Also the fact I enjoy pints of Heineken & not the ****e Carlsberg stuff they feed us at home Rabbo games in the RDS

umop.episdn

ktulu123 wrote: »

Literally my biggest worry in this ordeal :P Also the fact I enjoy pints of Heineken & not the ****e Carlsberg stuff they feed us at home Rabbo games in the RDS

That's like saying, I enjoy someone rubbing a cheese grater off my sack, but I don't like someone using sandpaper.

CatFromHue

I don't think there's going to be a main sponsor for the new European Cup. From memory I thought they were saying they'd go with a few smaller sponsors than one big one so the Cup won't be the "XXXX Cup" but the European Cup sponsored by XXXX and XXXX like it is for the Champions League.

umop.episdn

Darcy quoted today as saying the Douglas deal may scupper their attempts at a NIQ centre
Surely this farcical rule/guideline has been binned now?