Connacht Team Talk Thread V - The Friend Zone

KBurke85

The Friend Zone

realhorrorshow wrote: »

Still awaiting announcements on Jonny Murphy, Cillian Gallagher, Eoghan Masterson, Luke Carty, and Colm de Buitléar.

For all bar Carty and de Builear i'd assume they're staying. They weren't on the released list from last week.

Bazzo

Mul, it's over

FACECUTTR wrote: »

Dont mind me. Just a bit frustrated sitting in the Coombe carpark waiting for the boss lady to have a cesarean.

Congrats, hope all goes well.

Lucas44

Scottmactom wrote: »

McCormack and Jennings had to be kept away from Galway GAA, they managed to do that with academy offers. Lost Kilcommins though it seems.

Yeah i'd expect a irish u20 prop who didn't make leinster academy to come west. Noonan most likely.

Forgot about Kilgallen, i'd expect he'd get a chance.

Eoin DeBuitlear at hooker could come in, Kiripati not yet.

Kiripati is still in school but is the much better prospect than de buitlear, Cormac ward coming in

molloyjh

Hope all goes/has gone well FACECUTTR.

FACECUTTR

10.4lbs and mother and baby doing well. Possible future connacht ladies front rower in the making. Thanks for the well wishes.

salmocab

FACECUTTR wrote: »

10.4lbs and mother and baby doing well. Possible future connacht ladies front rower in the making. Thanks for the well wishes.

Congratulations

connachta

FACECUTTR wrote: »

10.4lbs and mother and baby doing well. Possible future connacht ladies front rower in the making. Thanks for the well wishes.

Baby-jersey to start with:)

macslash

Mul, it's over

FACECUTTR wrote: »

10.4lbs and mother and baby doing well. Possible future connacht ladies front rower in the making. Thanks for the well wishes.

Congrats to ye both!

Burkie1203

Mul, it's over

FACECUTTR wrote: »

10.4lbs and mother and baby doing well. Possible future connacht ladies front rower in the making. Thanks for the well wishes.

Baby? Mother and toddler you mean

Congrats

connachta

On low money IQ to replace Niyi

It's either Wootton who runs and can't defend

Or Stapley who doesn't but defend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chmhHpC19ho&feature=youtu.be

connachta

Yeaaaah, at least 2 to come

“We’re still waiting to see if we can add a couple more,” said Connacht coach Andy Friend. “Ideally we don’t want to have less numbers next year but we’re just waiting for things to start moving again.”

typhoony

Not sure why Eoin McKeon is being let go, only 28 years old and played good enough last season to warrant an extension, is there a high profile back row being signed up.

KBurke85

The Friend Zone

typhoony wrote: »

Not sure why Eoin McKeon is being let go, only 28 years old and played good enough last season to warrant an extension, is there a high profile back row being signed up.

https://www.the42.ie/eoin-mckeon-connacht-departure-5119441-Jun2020/

Seems a bit crappy the way it ended for him

realhorrorshow

typhoony wrote: »

Not sure why Eoin McKeon is being let go, only 28 years old and played good enough last season to warrant an extension, is there a high profile back row being signed up.

Hard to know from the outside. Maybe he fancied a new challenge, maybe the coaching staff were concerned about his injury record.

Zzippy

realhorrorshow wrote: »

Hard to know from the outside. Maybe he fancied a new challenge, maybe the coaching staff were concerned about his injury record.

He has a better injury record than some of our other backrows. I'm very sorry to see him go, think it's going to be a tough year with so many players gone and we clearly have a reduced playing budget. He will be sorely missed IMO.

KBurke85

The Friend Zone

realhorrorshow wrote: »

Hard to know from the outside. Maybe he fancied a new challenge, maybe the coaching staff were concerned about his injury record.

From the article on the 42 it came as a surprise. Was hinted that he’d be getting a new deal before Xmas but it never materialised

realhorrorshow

Zzippy wrote: »

He has a better injury record than some of our other backrows. I'm very sorry to see him go, think it's going to be a tough year with so many players gone and we clearly have a reduced playing budget. He will be sorely missed IMO.

Only Sean O'Brien has played less than him over the last 3 seasons of the back rows who have been kept. That includes Paul Boyle, who has only been in the senior squad for 2 years.

Bazzo

Mul, it's over

That's a really crappy way for things to end for him. Hope he lands on his feet, has always been a very solid player for us.

Zzippy

realhorrorshow wrote: »

Only Sean O'Brien has played less than him over the last 3 seasons of the back rows who have been kept. That includes Paul Boyle, who has only been in the senior squad for 2 years.

Has Masterson played more? Memory must be playing tricks on me...

connachta

Zzippy wrote: »

Has Masterson played more? Memory must be playing tricks on me...

Masterson even covered lock for us.. Was rumoured in Scotland, happy he stays!

realhorrorshow

Zzippy wrote: »

Has Masterson played more? Memory must be playing tricks on me...

Masterson had 52 apps (33 starts), McKeon had 31 apps (24 starts). Not saying I would have wanted McKeon gone but 31 games across two and a half* seasons isn't great production.

realhorrorshow

connachta wrote: »

Masterson even covered lock for us.. Was rumoured in Scotland, happy he stays!

Nothing has been annnounced either way.

Utopia Parkway

Reading between the lines of the article it looks like McKeon would have got a new contract but then the pandemic hit and it's obvious that Connacht's budget has been seriously slashed. He was one of those whose contract was up so he was probably easy to cut. Terrible timing for him and you would have to feel for him. He sounds philosophical about it but you can tell from the article that it hurt. I guess they delayed offering him a contract earlier due to his recent injury troubles but then he gets back playing and boom the virus hits.

Bazzo

Mul, it's over

realhorrorshow wrote: »

Nothing has been annnounced either way.

Yeah but they announced the departing players and he wasn't among them so I'd be surprised if he was going.

realhorrorshow

Bazzo wrote: »

Yeah but they announced the departing players and he wasn't among them so I'd be surprised if he was going.

So would I but I'm not taking anything for granted right now.

Niallof9

connachta wrote: »

On low money IQ to replace Niyi

It's either Wootton who runs and can't defend

Or Stapley who doesn't but defend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chmhHpC19ho&feature=youtu.be

jaysis scraping the barrel there really. its such a shame Connacht can't find better balance between recruiting guys from the other provinces. i think this will be the start of a big decline. One of Leinsters wings needed to be signed and maybe Wooten. Porch, Stapely etc would make you despair. I just can never understand why you'd release Niyi only to sign Stapely, nor indeed why you'd release Conroy and sign Porch. You guys need a serious rehink about what you are doing. As a Clunster fan i despair at it all. Adam Byrne, O'Loughlin wasting their careers etc.

testtech05

Some Like It TOH

Niallof9 wrote: »

jaysis scraping the barrel there really. its such a shame Connacht can't find better balance between recruiting guys from the other provinces. i think this will be the start of a big decline. One of Leinsters wings needed to be signed and maybe Wooten. Porch, Stapely etc would make you despair. I just can never understand why you'd release Niyi only to sign Stapely, nor indeed why you'd release Conroy and sign Porch. You guys need a serious rehink about what you are doing. As a Clunster fan i despair at it all. Adam Byrne, O'Loughlin wasting their careers etc.

You haven't seen much of Porch have you? He turned out to be an excellent signing for us this season!!! I do agree with some of your other points though.

Bazzo

Mul, it's over

Niallof9 wrote: »

jaysis scraping the barrel there really. its such a shame Connacht can't find better balance between recruiting guys from the other provinces. i think this will be the start of a big decline. One of Leinsters wings needed to be signed and maybe Wooten. Porch, Stapely etc would make you despair. I just can never understand why you'd release Niyi only to sign Stapely, nor indeed why you'd release Conroy and sign Porch. You guys need a serious rehink about what you are doing. As a Clunster fan i despair at it all. Adam Byrne, O'Loughlin wasting their careers etc.

Porch has been an excellent signing, nobody near his quality is or was available from other provinces.

Niallof9

testtech05 wrote: »

You haven't seen much of Porch have you? He turned out to be an excellent signing for us this season!!! I do agree with some of your other points though.

He's played what about 8 games? Ok maybe not a bad player good pace, played well but i never got the idea cutting a sevens guy or looking at any of them and then just signing a sevens guy. Staples was sevens as well at least in an irish context. a real shame and apart from Arnold its hard to see how Nucifora isn't coonvincing more guys. Arguably its worse than before. is it a case of Connacht not having the same facilities and guys just can't deal with it? It has to be a factor compared to before when many guys went the Connacht route. Jack Aungier and Oliver are good recruits of course. But its not enough imo.

how do you know nobody else was available?

i think you guys are in big trouble. Releasing McKeon, Niyi if they wanted to stay is just nuts. Alot of dross in the squad and a lack of convincing real talent to go there. It really annoys me. Frawley or O'Loughlin, A Byrne should be playing regularly for Connacht. Its not connachts fault necessarily. And the packs got a good bit of talent. its more the backs im referring to.

testtech05

Some Like It TOH

Niallof9 wrote: »

He's played what about 8 games? he's a journeyman aussie. Ok maybe not a bad player good pace, played well but i never got the idea cutting a sevens guy or looking at any of them and then just signing a sevens guy. Staples was sevens as well at least in an irish context. a real shame and apart from Arnold its hard to see how Nucifora isn't coonvincing more guys. Arguably its worse than before. is it a case of Connacht not having the same facilities and guys just can't deal with it? It has to be a factor compared to before when many guys went the Connacht route.

how do you know nobody else was available?

anyway argue it all you want. i think you guys are in big trouble.

Don't always believe stats from Wikipedia!! He started 15 and had 2 substitute appearances with I think 5 tries.

Hardly a journey man either. I would normally associate that with someone bouncing around between a lot of clubs.....

On Staples as far as I'm aware there is no actual link to him just 1 poster who mentioned he was IQ and an option to sign in his opinion. On this I would agree much prefer to have kept Niyi than sign him.

We have never really been able to attract bigger names from the other provinces from one reason or another but I'm not sure it is any worse now than previously. A lot of the signings which have worked out best for us have been for players seen as surplus at their provinces at the time. Quinn Roux and Cooney comes to mind!

I do agree we look very short as things stand now. I'm sure a lot of this is down to budget cuts due to the current situation though which has maybe affected some planned replacements for the guys you mentioned. Personally I would have kept Niyi, Leader and Eoin at least but we dont know what was happening in the background....