Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread XII (The Byrne Supremacy)

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119404861#Comment_119404861

Can't see it personally. He's a 6/8, and a potentially outstanding one at that. Doesn't have near the size to be a lock in the modern game. And packing on size would only take away from his excellent athletic attributes. Not to mention he's only about 6'5. Leinster have plenty of locks on the books anyway, all of whom are a good age profile. I see him being a better version of Cian Prendergast.

pickarooney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119403823#Comment_119403823

Lowe, Park, Salanoa, these kind of players.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119405860#Comment_119405860

Salanoa was a bit of a fluke but it's a good story https://www.the42.ie/hawaiian-prop-roman-salanoa-5128451-Jun2020/

Lowe specifically cited speaking with Isa. Not sure about Park but with a name like Jameson it was bound to happen regardless.

Dubinusa

The season end looks tough. I would prefer to travel to S.A earlier in the season.

DelMcG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119407457#Comment_119407457

Definitely. We'll need to build up a beach head of points before heading down there, same as the season just gone. Regardless of our position in Europe at that point, no way in a World Cup year that the IRFU lets any of the big names travel down there.

Don't want to go all tinfoil hat on it, but with Rassie working in the shadows down there & South Africa in our RWC pool, you wouldn't put it past a few lads on the fringes of the Springboks squad to be encouraged to try & make a name for themselves by wiping out an Ireland International or two...

DelMcG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119404861#Comment_119404861

Funnily enough, had a similar conversation recently on that exact point. With Josh Murphy gone, I could easily see him being used as that sort of Kevin McLaughlin hybrid lock/back row. I think he's going to get a fair bit of game time in the league this season.

Talking to folks I know who are involved in Clontarf when he got MOTM in South Africa last season, they say he's a very serious, driven guy (the example used was Peter O'Mahony!) and he'll work himself to the bone to make a success of his career at senior level.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119411556#Comment_119411556

I have high hopes for him. I see him as a future Prendergast type player. Not sure if he would be a good lock? I can see him taking the blindside job. Possible international and hopefully a long career.

The decisions that Leo has to make in regards to contracts will be interesting. SOB is a candidate and he's a 6/8 player. Would Culhane be ready after 1 year of the academy?

I think Rhys will be edging towards less minutes. Soroka will push him hard. We are stocked with options! Max Deegan is a former u20 world player of the year and he is not in the 1st xv.

DelMcG

I don't see him as a lock either, not as his primary position, but we've always had a versatile "big man" in the forwards that gives us options, both in live play & when it comes to picking the bench. Always handy to have that kind of power moving from 8 to the second row to see out a game & bring on fresh legs in the back row. We've done it in the league for years, maybe not so much in Europe admittedly, but with the South Africans bring the power game back to league rugby, it's a Plan B I can see us using quite a bit.

RichieRich_89

It's a pity Dunne and Murphy have moved on just when they were starting to come into their own. I would have had the latter in the first choice XXIII, and Dunne wouldn't have been too far away either. He could have been useful to have in horses for courses selections against big packs - especially with Toner no longer around.

I suppose it'll be interesting to see how Jenkins and Soroka step up to replace them.

Dubinusa

I'm not concerned about Soroka. I think he's got massive ability. Jenkins thoug, with a poor injury profile...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119415074#Comment_119415074

Yeah I thought Dunne had a really good couple of outings in the last few months of the season, and kind of felt if they'd come in the first few months of the season, maybe things would have turned out differently.

I'd still be very interested in tracking his development at Exeter; it could be good for him to get some good game time in what seems like a good club with a good culture.

jacothelad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119418090#Comment_119418090

He would be welcome at Ravenhill to replace Carter who is......let's say......anonymous.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119418090#Comment_119418090

They were the model club a number of years ago, but the Covid stuff that a number of their players came out with really put me off them.

From a rugby perspective, you’d hope he gets on really well there tho.

Dubinusa

I think Dunne will do well at Exeter. Didn't they try to sign Charlie Ryan?

RichieRich_89

What's up with Exeter playing a lock/blindside at 7? Seems dumb. They got eaten alive by Munster at the breakdown.

DelMcG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119419182#Comment_119419182

It was rumoured at the same time the Dunne/McLoughlin rumour first emerged alright, then they signed for Exeter & it wasn't mentioned again. It was just thought that Ryan was going to move on at the end of the season anyway but then, at the last minute, it was announced he'd gotten a senior contract.

It was kinda strange how it all played out but it's low risk & as noted, with Jenkins' injury profile, no harm in having an extra body in the second row.

Itxa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119405066#Comment_119405066

6’5 now what other locks do we have that height? Baird, Moloney, McCarthy? He’s well big enough to be a lock and as I understand it that’s his preferred position and where he want to play at Leinster. He was excellent at 6 against the Stormers but he has a future in the row if he continues to perform the way he does in the lineout.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119420944#Comment_119420944

McCarthy is 6’7.5” and 120 Kg’s the other 2 are effectively 6’6” and 112kgs Soroka is 6’5” and 105kg that’s a big difference in terms of being a second row. Yes he could fill in there but he’s not heavy enough to be a regular starter in the row.

DelMcG

On a tenuously linked point, if only because it relates to one of our locks, interesting to see how Ryan Baird has spent his post-NZ summer break.

Instead of heading off on holidays, firstly he went to Fiji & was training with a club team there & he's currently in the States attending a pre-season training camp with the Chicago Bears. Good to see a young player broadening his horizons like that 👍️

Itxa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119421205#Comment_119421205

As you know those stats are way off what the real stats are. McCarthy is listed as 6’6 on the Leinster website and saying the other two are “effectively” 6’6 is massaging the numbers at the minimum. They are likely lucky to be 6’4 effectively.

I don’t know McCarthys real weight but there is no way he is 120kg and Soroka 105kg. There is no way 15 kg in difference between them. Those numbers are way off.

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119421465#Comment_119421465

The numbers are probably not 100% accurate but there's no way Leinster have a bunch of 6'4" locks on the books.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119421465#Comment_119421465

1.98 meters is 6’ 5.9”

1.96 meters is 6’ 5.1

Soroka is closer in build to Doris or Deegan.

McCarthy is a massively different build than all the others.

Itxa

There is no way McCarthy is 6’7.5. It’s just a massive inflation of the stats. Who’s responsible for it I don’t know but he’s nowhere near that big.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119421565#Comment_119421565

Well Dunne was down as 6.8 and yet when he stood beside Baird. There was very little discernible difference. The stats may not be accurate but they’re a far better indicator than your eyes.

Dubinusa

McCarthy is 6'5 at best! He is about 118 kg's. He's going to be a damn good player. Molony is about 6'6 and 107 kg's. According to himself? Dunne was about 6'7 or maybe 6'8 but, not as stock as McCarthy. Deeny has good size. He's 6'7 and about 112 kg's! He's 21 yrs old. He could still add on a kilo or 2.

I think McCarthy is similar in stature to Roux. Not quite as big, but close.

Itxa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119421701#Comment_119421701

Ok then go by the Leinster site which says McCarthy is 6’6 the last time I checked. Where you got 6’7.5 I don’t know but it’s not accurate

FrannoFan

Ahhh lads, debating listed stats for Irish players is a waste of time. Never accurate. Always oversell themselves.

Islanders seem to do the opposite in France.

It's Pull a number out of the air stuff

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119421208#Comment_119421208

I'm somewhat surprised someone of his limited stature was able to get into the Bears training camp. I guess it might be a layover from the games in Soldier Field somehow.

salmocab

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119422291#Comment_119422291

I’ve seen a few of these things mentioned over the years about various sports people, I’d say it’s not uncommon with links through people like medical/nutritional/S&C staff who are probably all attending the same conferences being the gateway.

DelMcG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119422291#Comment_119422291

Easily enough done if you've got a shared sponsor or there's a relationship between sports agencies here & in the States.

The Bears shared his post on Instagram as well, which you'd imagine they don't do very often for everyone who blows into town, so I'd guess there is some commercial crossover here.

Alternatively, could be an academic thing. A pal of mine was doing a Masters in Finance years ago & wrote to dozens of teams around Europe across multiple sports to see if he could talk to their finance team. Wound up spending a week at Arsenal. If there's an academic partnership between TCD/UCD and Northwestern or Illinois, it could be that as well. Might even have something to do with the upcoming game at the Aviva.