General Rugby Discussion II

Squidgy Black

Bazzo wrote: »

Tommy Seymour has announced his retirement from international rugby.

John Barclay retired last week too. Not ideal for Scotland considering the patch they're going through.

RobbieRuns

They need to rebuild after the RWC. Start afresh could be good for them

sydthebeat

RobbieRuns wrote: »

They need to rebuild after the RWC. Start afresh could be good for them

The need to do an ulster on it and look south of the border for better players

thomond2006

Seymour is quality. That's a big loss.

jacothelad

thomond2006 wrote: »

Seymour is quality. That's a big loss.

Ulster should have made him an offer he couldn't refuse before he left for Scotland. It was so evident he was going to be a high quality player....but of course that was in the days when Ulster was run by reading chicken entrails. Wings in the centre, centres on the wing, full backs in the centre , centres at full back and feck knows how they ever won any games. Some of the signings were so dreadful it bordered on criminal use of funds. Talk about taking the piss. I can see why he took the chance to leave.

Rob Howley banned from involvement in Rugby for 18 months.

Over 300 bets.

He's done in pro rugby.

razorblunt

Deleted User wrote: »

Rob Howley banned from involvement in Rugby for 18 months.

Over 300 bets.

He's done in pro rugby.

BetWay blew the whistle didn't they?
Still think their timing was a bit suspect.

Zzippy

razorblunt wrote: »

BetWay blew the whistle didn't they?
Still think their timing was a bit suspect.

Maybe so, but let's not do a Trump and blame the whistleblower to minimise Howley's actions. He bet on the first tryscorer in a Wales game where it's quite possible he made the call for the play which the try was scored from. He will be lucky if that isn't investigated by the police.

ionadnapokot

razorblunt wrote: »

BetWay blew the whistle didn't they?
Still think their timing was a bit suspect.

Agree. They must have known what was going on.
They probably had a big pay out to him. & can now claim it all back on insurance.
"Howley used his WRU mobile and email address to place bets and lost £4,000 amid personal bets."
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/dec/16/wales-rob-howley-banned-18-months-rugby-betting

Terribly sad.
As in this isnt down to stupidity. its either an addiction or something else is going on. Or both

Squidgy Black

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Rob Howley banned from involvement in Rugby for 18 months.

Over 300 bets.

He's done in pro rugby.

He's probably done in amateur rugby as well. There'll be a lot of attention no matter where he goes and accusations of match fixing even if he was to be involved in youths rugby.

Webbs

It wouldnt surprise me at all if he came back into the game, Dean Richards was back into coaching almost straight after his 3 year ban so I think that teams have short memories as long as it benefits them.

ionadnapokot

Squidgy Black wrote: »

He's probably done in amateur rugby as well. There'll be a lot of attention no matter where he goes and accusations of match fixing even if he was to be involved in youths rugby.

Hopefully he can overcome and educate people on the pitfalls of gambling.

On side note. I like an auld punt but gambling advertising in sport is just plain wrong.

"Ireland currently has the third highest rate of online losses per capita around the world (only Australia and Singapore have more) but the gambling industry in this country is still self-regulating."
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/leading-figures-call-for-gambling-advertising-to-be-restricted-1.3672962

DelBoy Trotter

I'm surprised he got such a short ban, especially seeing as he been betting on Welsh matches. I don't think he's done in rugby, I reckon he will be back coaching

jacothelad

ionadnapokot wrote: »

Hopefully he can overcome and educate people on the pitfalls of gambling.

On side note. I like an auld punt but gambling advertising in sport is just plain wrong.

"Ireland currently has the third highest rate of online losses per capita around the world (only Australia and Singapore have more) but the gambling industry in this country is still self-regulating."
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/leading-figures-call-for-gambling-advertising-to-be-restricted-1.3672962

Gambling for many is a bit of fun but for many others is a disaster. Gambling companies are just despicable parasites. It always disappoints me that there is a gambling thread on Boards.

errlloyd

ionadnapokot wrote: »

Hopefully he can overcome and educate people on the pitfalls of gambling.

On side note. I like an auld punt but gambling advertising in sport is just plain wrong.

"Ireland currently has the third highest rate of online losses per capita around the world (only Australia and Singapore have more) but the gambling industry in this country is still self-regulating."
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/leading-figures-call-for-gambling-advertising-to-be-restricted-1.3672962

What I hate most is the "lad banter" style advertising that Paddy Power and Ladbrooks in particular participate it. They're clearly hoping to go viral in the 15-25 male segment. A segment particularly vulnerable to this sort of stuff.

On another note, when Howley got done and he was reported by a bookies who saw suspicious activity I wondered if their advanced protection algorithms had noticed a pattern of betting from IP addresses near Wales camps or something similar.

It turns out he was using his WRU Email address and phone. What the **** man.

Yeah_Right

jacothelad wrote: »

Gambling companies are just despicable parasites.

Its a great industry to work in though. Lots of fun and very decadent. The only other industry I found like that was advertising in the early 2000s. Ahhhhhhhh... good times

Squidgy Black

WR player of the decade brackets, anyone care to have a go?

McCaw will win it and he probably deserves it.

ClanofLams

Squidgy Black wrote: »

WR player of the decade brackets, anyone care to have a go?

Carter, Sexton, Barrett, Nonu (Habana’s peak straddled end of last decade and start of this), McCaw, Retallick, Jones (injury costing pocock), Read

Carter, Barrett, McCaw, Read

Carter, McCaw,

McCaw

Aside from couple of qualifiers I have put it don’t think any are especially close. Sexton Farrell probably the tightest but straightforward pick for these green tinted eyes

sydthebeat

Carter over mccaw for me

MaybeMaybe

isn't this a year too soon?

Bazzo

MaybeMaybe wrote: »

isn't this a year too soon?

No? The decade is over in 2 weeks.

Squidgy Black

MaybeMaybe wrote: »

isn't this a year too soon?

Different can of worms but depends on what way you look at it. Technically there was no 0 AD, but we also celebrated the millennium in 2000 instead of 2001.

Squidgy Black

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Different can of worms but depends on what way you look at it. Technically there was no 0 AD, but we also celebrated the millennium in 2000 instead of 2001.

Shut up Buer.

prawnsambo

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Different can of worms but depends on what way you look at it. Technically there was no 0 AD, but we also celebrated the millennium in 2000 instead of 2001.

Well technically there was a 0 AD. It could probably just be called D.

Yeah_Right

Squidgy Black wrote: »

WR player of the decade brackets, anyone care to have a go?

There definitely isn't enough All Blacks there. Can't believe that Julian Savea, Conrad Smith, Jerome Kaino and Sam Whitelock didn't make the cut. There is such a bias against the ABs :mad:

hahashake

Yeah_Right wrote: »

There definitely isn't enough All Blacks there. Can't believe that Julian Savea, Conrad Smith, Jerome Kaino and Sam Whitelock didn't make the cut. There is such a bias against the ABs :mad:

Kaino and Conrad over A. Smith IMO.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Not sure where else to post this but there are reports that the irfu are going to be asked to buy the fai out of the Aviva.

I hope that whatever happens here doesn't put the irfu in a difficult position.

sydthebeat

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Not sure where else to post this but there are reports that the irfu are going to be asked to buy the fai out of the Aviva.

I hope that whatever happens here doesn't put the irfu in a difficult position.

The IRFU seem to be run by good guys with good business acumen.

I doubt they would get anything but a very good deal, considering the situation FAI are in.

If it isnt a very good deal, then there's nothing in it for IRFU.

awec

The worry for the IRFU will probably be if they don't buy it, who will?