Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread VI: End of the MOC [Revenge of the STH]

thomond2006

Tadhg Furlong? Does he have a long term deal?

thirteen.

Delighted for Mick McGrath, hopefully he picks up some game time during the WC.

vienne86

I'm a huge Isa fan, but I found it very hard to see him coming back for anything other than world cup cover.....and would be surprised if he wanted to come back.

Buer

vienne86 wrote: »

I'm a huge Isa fan, but I found it very hard to see him coming back for anything other than world cup cover.....and would be surprised if he wanted to come back.

I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted back in, at all. Since heading home, he's spoken of watching every Leinster game and how both he and his wife miss Dublin and love it.

There were obviously some personal reasons for wanting to go home but if his situation is altered now they might want to return again.

Buer

thomond2006 wrote: »

Tadhg Furlong? Does he have a long term deal?

He signed a new deal a year ago. I don't know how long that was for given they don't release duration any more, really.

It's interesting to compare last year's list to this year's and see who only signed a 1 year deal. Some we knew, some we didn't.

Fitzgerald, Boss, Reddan, Conan, Moore, Denton, Fanning, Luke McGrath, O'Shea, Reid and Treacy were all on 1 year deals.

Some as they're old, some as they're trying to break in and only given another year to prove themselves and some who they probably tried to tie down for more but only signed 1 year as they backed themselves to be worth more in a year.

molloyjh

With such a large part of our current problems down to our midfield what would people think of trying this out at the weekend on the off chance it might work against Toulon? I know it's very late in the day to be messing around with things but our midfield as it is just isn't working. I really think we need to look at it, even for 40 minutes against Dragons.

Healy Cronin Ross
Toner McCarthy
Murphy Heaslip SOB

Boss Madigan
Fitzy Te'o
D Kearney R Kearney Kirchner

Strauss, McGrath, Moore, Denton, Ryan, Reddan, Gopperth, Darce

I know Kirchner hasn't been great but I have to question at this stage whether we're right to get our best wingers out there at 11 and 14 when we have such serious issues in the middle of the park.

irishbucsfan

If we're changing the midfield I'd bring D'Arcy back in for Madigan , move Madigan over to 10, keep Te'o at 13 and Fitz on the wing.

I don't think changing our midfield gives us much of a chance of improving however, I think there is a limit to what we can produce with the players available there.

molloyjh

irishbucsfan wrote: »

If we're changing the midfield I'd bring D'Arcy back in for Madigan , move Madigan over to 10, keep Te'o at 13 and Fitz on the wing.

I don't think changing our midfield gives us much of a chance of improving however, I think there is a limit to what we can produce with the players available there.

Oh yeah I agree. We don't really have a first choice midfield at all which is a huge issue. But I don't think Darce is up to it at this stage. I think Fitzy would offer more in terms of attacking threat and distribution. I also think he could link up fairly well with Te'o.

Buer

With Macken and D'Arcy likely to be gone next season, I wonder if we'll see anyone come through from the academy as a centre. We don't have any in their final year of the set up but going into their final year (and all big, physically developed players) are Crosbie, Byrne Farrell and Daly.

Numbers are going to be tight in midfield if Fitzgerald is now to concentrate on being a winger. We're suddenly looking very lightweight in that position.

I can see Reid and Te'o getting 5 or 6 starts together in the RWC. McFadden might well go back to playing that position a bit too (I'm assuming he's outside of the RWC 31). Colm O'Shea will be the only other centre in the senior squad.

Tox56

Buer wrote: »

With Macken and D'Arcy likely to be gone next season, I wonder if we'll see anyone come through from the academy as a centre. We don't have any in their final year of the set up but going into their final year (and all big, physically developed players) are Crosbie, Byrne Farrell and Daly.

Numbers are going to be tight in midfield if Fitzgerald is now to concentrate on being a winger. We're suddenly looking very lightweight in that position.

I can see Reid and Te'o getting 5 or 6 starts together in the RWC. McFadden might well go back to playing that position a bit too (I'm assuming he's outside of the RWC 31). Colm O'Shea will be the only other centre in the senior squad.

Daly and Farrell are good but Ringrose does look to have by far the most serious potential. He'll be 21 this time next year so he's not incredibly young, I wonder if he will get a game or two next season with a view to him taking the jersey long term. This was Leavy's first year out of U20s and he has featured a fair bit when available, and that's in a more competitive and physical demanding position

LostArt

irishbucsfan wrote: »

If we're changing the midfield I'd bring D'Arcy back in for Madigan , move Madigan over to 10, keep Te'o at 13 and Fitz on the wing.

I'd really like to see this. Tbh as much as I'm not a fan of Madigan at 10, Gopperth's form is so poor that it should be at least considered.

Buer

Tox56 wrote: »

Daly and Farrell are good but Ringrose does look to have by far the most serious potential. He'll be 21 this time next year so he's not incredibly young, I wonder if he will get a game or two next season with a view to him taking the jersey long term. This was Leavy's first year out of U20s and he has featured a fair bit when available, and that's in a more competitive and physical demanding position

I hope so but I don't see him getting game time so quickly. He has his own JWC this summer and will possibly be on a separate training schedule upon returning to camp and probably a couple of weeks behind.

I hope he'll get a good crack at some point next season but I don't think it will be in September. I reckon he'll get a good run in the A team and we can cross our fingers for him being involved during the 6N.

Peregrine

I've been a supporter of Gopperth at 10 for the past few months but I think it's definitely time to have another look at that.

irishbucsfan

molloyjh wrote: »

Oh yeah I agree. We don't really have a first choice midfield at all which is a huge issue. But I don't think Darce is up to it at this stage. I think Fitzy would offer more in terms of attacking threat and distribution. I also think he could link up fairly well with Te'o.

D'Arcy was a stand out player just a couple of months ago against Ulster, and that was outside Madigan. I don't even question whether he's up to it for a one-off game tbh

clsmooth

I'd like to see a D'Arcy Teo midfield. Think it'd be a bit more solid defensively. I'd be inclined to put Madigan in at 10. Give him the chance in a big game and see what he can do, I can't see us beating Toulon with Gopperth at 10. He's a 6/10 player and realistically that won't be enough. Madigan could be anywhere from 5/10 to 8/10.. Maybe worth rolling the dice and starting with him. Not sure if I'd have Redden or Boss at 9. Don't think either of them really take the pressure off the 10 in the same way that Murray can do. Maybe start with Boss and have Reddan to up the pace off the bench.

.ak

Tox56 wrote: »

Surprised to see O'Shea and to an extent Marsh there as they dont seem to be favoured at all. Might be because of the RWC

Not sure if McLaughlin staying is the right call on his part, and from Leinster's POV re-signing both of Ryan and McLaughlin seems odd when Leavy and VdF are coming from the academy, Murphy and Conan were obvious renewals, and obviously SOB, Heaslip and Ruddock are the starting 3

Yeah surprised about COS myself... But he is built for this level imo and has a more natural game than Macken.

Has Mick McGrath been injured? Or just been out of favour entirely?

.ak

Deleted User wrote: »

Has Mick McGrath been injured? Or just been out of favour entirely?

Too many ahead of him. He'd be behind Fanning in the pecking order. For once we actually have most of our backs fit...

thomond2006

.ak wrote: »

Too many ahead of him. He'd be behind Fanning in the pecking order. For once we actually have most of our backs fit...

No shame in that. If Julian Savea was on the books, he would also be behind Fanning.

AbusesToilets

I hope that MOC commits to Fitz in the center going forward. How many years has he been teased there, shown great form and then ended up back on the wing? I feel that he would have displaced D'arcy years ago if not for his fitness issues.

Greyian

AbusesToilets wrote: »

I hope that MOC commits to Fitz in the center going forward. How many years has he been teased there, shown great form and then ended up back on the wing? I feel that he would have displaced D'arcy years ago if not for his fitness issues.

Didn't Luke say that Joe sees him as a wing for Ireland going forward. If that's the case, I'd imagine he'll play at 11 for Leinster.

Big Nelly

AbusesToilets wrote: »

I hope that MOC commits to Fitz in the center going forward. How many years has he been teased there, shown great form and then ended up back on the wing? I feel that he would have displaced D'arcy years ago if not for his fitness issues.

Go back a season or so and McFadden looked to be the replaced for Darcy. He played there a few times for Joe but then when he got starting on the wing for Ireland he said he wanted to play there, might be an option as he has dropped down the pecking order for wing for Ireland

Ed The Equalizer

Deleted User wrote: »

Has Mick McGrath been injured? Or just been out of favour entirely?

Saw one of the squad players on crutches in the Aviva, thought it was him

Ed The Equalizer

Ed The Equalizer wrote: »

Saw one of the squad players on crutches in the Aviva, thought it was him

Nah, he just carries them around to support his beard.

.ak

Met him a week ago and he wasn't injured at the time.

CatFromHue

Not too surprised to see McLaughlin signed on. He's had a ****e time injury wise recently but if fit would be the sub first choice back row player I think. Well him or Ruddock but consider the injury possibility of other players, if fit, he's a good player to have about.

Mahatma Geansai

Is Teo eligible to qualify for Ireland as a project player? If he doesn't qualify, Leinster can't bring in any more NIE players. If he does qualify, Nacewa will likely come in as the final NIE to make it 3+1.

Pudsy33

He's eligible alright.

ssaye2

Luke Fitzgerald. Delighted to have signed on for another 2 years with @leinsterrugby ,big thanks to @IKONTALENT crew for making process so easy #excitingtime

Some players posted length of their renewals

ssaye2

ssaye2 wrote: »

Luke Fitzgerald. Delighted to have signed on for another 2 years with @leinsterrugby ,big thanks to @IKONTALENT crew for making process so easy #excitingtime

Some players posted length of their renewals

Powers that be obviously happy where he is regarding injury. I gather that he has to maintain a special routine for strength and conditioning permanently however, though that in itself isn't unusual.