Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread XI (The Finals Countdown)

Scottmactom

Given how little leinster could have their internationals next season, he obviously would be highly useful. But who knows what next season will look like.

Bridge93

Apologies if posted already but i saw that RTE Sport (as selected by readers) posted their greatest Leinster team of the professional era.

1. Healy
2. Cronin
3. Furlong
4. Thorn
5. Ryan
6. Elsom
7. SOB
8. Heaslip
9. Reddan
10. Sexton
11. Hickie
12. D'arcy
13. BOD
14. Horgan
15. Kearney

Few contentious calls? Obvious absentee is Nacewa. Hard to make a case for Brad Thorn being included too. Wouldn't have picked Cronin either myself would've gone with Strauss.

Buer

Thorn, Hickie (fantastic player but I don't think he contributed as much to Leinster as Horgan or Nacewa) and Cronin would all be out of the team for me.

Cullen, Strauss, Nacewa to be included. MOK and Hickie the hardest done by.

Podge_irl

Yeah, Mal O'Kelly or Cullen (I'd pick MOK) should be in ahead of Thorn and Nacewa somewhere in the back 3. Cronin/Strauss is a coinflip for me. Otherwise wouldn't argue too much with that.

BonnieSituation

Bridge93 wrote: »

Apologies if posted already but i saw that RTE Sport (as selected by readers) posted their greatest Leinster team of the professional era.

1. Healy
2. Cronin
3. Furlong
4. Thorn
5. Ryan
6. Elsom
7. SOB
8. Heaslip
9. Reddan
10. Sexton
11. Hickie
12. D'arcy
13. BOD
14. Horgan
15. Kearney

Few contentious calls? Obvious absentee is Nacewa. Hard to make a case for Brad Thorn being included too. Wouldn't have picked Cronin either myself would've gone with Strauss.

Surely Nacewa was left out for the clicks and the shares. It's beyond comprehension.

Edit: I normally avoid these sorts of things on RTÉ and the like, and I remember seeing the Front, second and backrows, up on the site alright and never clicked in, but I can't see a full team or backs and Halves up there now. Any links?

El_Duderino 09

I think when they do these teams they go by peak performance (sustained performance for a period rather than a single game) rather than longevity. So while Cullen was very important to the team over a long period, he wasn't as impactful as the likes of MOK or Thorn. I think Thorn is the right call.

Likewise Cronis at his peak was better than Strauss at his peak so that's also a good call.

I think the biggest question is whether Nacewa was getter than Kearney at their peaks. I probably favour Nacewa.

Bridge93

Thorn played for 3 months and 8 games. I just can’t pick him

Clegg

You could definitely argue that Fardy deserves a spot in the team as well. We've had three (two and a half?) seasons of excellence from him. He's been a huge contributor to the raising of standards. I'd have him there ahead of Thorn. The latter was world class, but played 8 games in total for us.

salmocab

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

I think when they do these teams they go by peak performance (sustained performance for a period rather than a single game) rather than longevity. So while Cullen was very important to the team over a long period, he wasn't as impactful as the likes of MOK or Thorn. I think Thorn is the right call.

Likewise Cronis at his peak was better than Strauss at his peak so that's also a good call.

I think the biggest question is whether Nacewa was getter than Kearney at their peaks. I probably favour Nacewa.

Sustained performance, Thorn? He was excellent but he wasn’t even around for a season so he certainly didn’t earn that.

Bridge93

BonnieSituation wrote: »

Surely Nacewa was left out for the clicks and the shares. It's beyond comprehension.

Edit: I normally avoid these sorts of things on RTÉ and the like, and I remember seeing the Front, second and backrows, up on the site alright and never clicked in, but I can't see a full team or backs and Halves up there now. Any links?

I saw it on RTÉ sports Instagram page. The put up the team two days ago so probably still the most recent post

El_Duderino 09

salmocab wrote: »

Sustained performance, Thorn? He was excellent but he wasn’t even around for a season so he certainly didn’t earn that.

His impact was so great that I forgot he played so few games. Yeah fair enough. Maybe he should be excluded.

Dravokivich

Nacewa was listed on shortlist against 15, so was always going to lose out to RK there.

sydthebeat

depends on whether you see it as "great players to play for leinster" or "great leinster players"

Thorn should be nowhere near the latter... he was with us for like, what, 3 months?

Nacewa should walk onto that team, in the place of Hickie, as much as i love him.
Kearney has to be there and shaggy gave so much for so long.

Cronin for his longevity, but maybe reggie for his contribution to leinster.. though Sean is probably the better player.

Its also a bit early to have James Ryan in there, though i expect him to be a leinster legend in the next few years, probably after the lions tour.

pickarooney

I'd take it as you want to pick a team based on these Leinster players at their very best.

Shefwedfan

Its a funny list because some seem to be picked on service to the club and some seem to be picked on current form.

Podge_irl

sydthebeat wrote: »

Cronin for his longevity, but maybe reggie for his contribution to leinster.. though Sean is probably the better player.

Its also a bit early to have James Ryan in there, though i expect him to be a leinster legend in the next few years, probably after the lions tour.

Reggie was a loosehead, so always going to lose out to Healy.

Maybe a bit early to have Ryan - you could argue for a Cullen/MOK partnership I guess - but he has still been on the scene for 3 seasons at this point and they have been 3 pretty excellent seasons. While he may end up contributing far more, I still think its fair enough now.

sydthebeat

Podge_irl wrote: »

Reggie was a loosehead, so always going to lose out to Healy.
.

i was mixing him up with the mullet !! duh !!

BonnieSituation

Bridge93 wrote: »

I saw it on RTÉ sports Instagram page. The put up the team two days ago so probably still the most recent post

God.

That's how this all works now?

I shall wait for the late print edition.

BonnieSituation

Dravokivich wrote: »

Nacewa was listed on shortlist against 15, so was always going to lose out to RK there.

I'm being sucked in...

Was he only listed at 15?

Were any others listed in multiple positions..

Someone under 25 screenshot the Instagram.

Podge_irl

BonnieSituation wrote: »

Someone under 25 screenshot the Instagram.

Afraid they're all on TikTok

Former Former

BonnieSituation wrote: »

Surely Nacewa was left out for the clicks and the shares. It's beyond comprehension.

Edit: I normally avoid these sorts of things on RTÉ and the like, and I remember seeing the Front, second and backrows, up on the site alright and never clicked in, but I can't see a full team or backs and Halves up there now. Any links?

Voted by the fans. Clicks nothing to do with it.

They didn't have anyone listed in two positions, so you had this odd situation in which either Nacewa or Kearney had to miss out, but James Lowe made it into the RTE team.

BonnieSituation

Podge_irl wrote: »

Afraid they're all on TikTok

Remember when this was all fields and dancing Jesus?

BonnieSituation

Former Former wrote: »

Voted by the fans. Clicks nothing to do with it.

They didn't have anyone listed in two positions, so you had this odd situation in which either Nacewa or Kearney had to miss out, but James Lowe made it into the RTE team.

I see that now alright.

Kinda falls at the first hurdle really you'd think.

That being said, there's going to be another one along in a few weeks anyway no doubt.

Squidgy Black

In fairness they do reference Nacewa in the caption.

Former Former

You have to include Cullen though. The RTE-selected team went with Thorn and MOK, but Cullen was absolutely crucial to all of our success in 2009 - 2014.

awec

Former Former wrote: »

You have to include Cullen though. The RTE-selected team went with Thorn and MOK, but Cullen was absolutely crucial to all of our success in 2009 - 2014.

Too right Former Former, the D4 trophy cabinet wouldn't be the same if it weren't for Cullen and his ability to cheat and get away with it.

Not to take this too seriously but if were picking the best ever team then I presume were picking the best players at their peak.

In that sense the team isn't far off. Who has played in the row for Leinster that is better than peak Brad Thorn?

I'd have Nacewa and Lowe on the wings. Shoot me.

The Lost Sheep

Deleted User wrote: »

Not to take this too seriously but if were picking the best ever team then I presume were picking the best players at their peak.

In that sense the team isn't far off. Who has played in the row for Leinster that is better than peak Brad Thorn?

I'd have Nacewa and Lowe on the wings. Shoot me.

but you have to take into account it's best ever team for leinster. Thorn was great but played 8 games for leinster.
He is better than the others overall but it's best team for leinster and I would consider what Cullen, toner, Ryan ahead of him

Scottmactom

Hines was better for Leinster than Thorne.

Lowe pretty overrated too if your picking him ahead of Horgan and Hickie.

clsmooth

Scottmactom wrote: »

Hines was better for Leinster than Thorne.

Lowe pretty overrated too if your picking him ahead of Horgan and Hickie.

How about Luke Fitz? Won a GS, 3 HK and started a Lions test. Decent argument for him IMO. He still managed quite a lot considering his extensive injury history.