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

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120477549#Comment_120477549

With the way he kicks, his biggest issue would be keeping it in field from behind his goal line.

hold my beer

Can't wait for this game now. Prendergast to boss it and be hailed the new Messiah.....

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120476970#Comment_120476970

Plus, they need to spread the central contracts around the provinces as much as possible. Otherwise leinster would have as many as 12 forst team players on central contracts, which pays a big portion of their wages. And that would free up money at leinster to get even more quality playersand staff.

Earls got a central contract last year which can't have been purely from a playing perspective dye to his age. If he came off the central contract, then munster would have had to pick up his full wage which takes from their ability to recruit. Earls has been injured so it hasn't made much difference anyway.

It's about more than simply giving central contracts to the best players. Which is fair enough.

Foxtrol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120478279#Comment_120478279

Bigger picture, I don't see any benefit to Irish rugby of that approach to spread them around. All it really ends up doing is the IRFU increasing the risk of wasting money on players who aren't in the Irish squad just for the appearance of some level of fairness - not that this matters one bit to the moaners or click bait grifters. That match fee money could be used to keep other players with their province.

If the aren't giving central contract deals to the most key players or the ones most likely to leave if they didn't get a central contract then they might as well forget about the concept altogether and just fund the provinces to keep the players they want to retain in Ireland. They're funding the provinces to do this successfully already so it basically takes away the need for central contracts.

It is a fact that the IRFU have never been fair when it comes to player distribution, squad costs, foreign player signing, stadium etc etc. Each province has gotten its own preferential treatment in different ways and their own right to grumble about being mistreated in comparison to another, albeit some have a much stronger case than others.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120478590#Comment_120478590

Depends on how big a picture you're looking at. I'm not sure if you're disagreeing with the way I said they use central contracts or whether they should use them that way.

I think it makes good sense to have a few priorities when it comes to central contracts. There's more to it than simply picking the likely starting team. Earls is important to munster and Ireland in more than one way. He's a good player (not a first team or squad player anymore) but I hear he's an important player/coach character in munster and he does a lot of good PR for participation in rugby in Limerick at a time when hurling is in vogue down there.

If they lumped his wages on Munster, there's a great chance they'd need him to take a pay cut and he'd leave for a payday in France for a year or 2. That makes sense for the current management further short term. But Irish rugby and munster might well benefit from Earls being around the club and focusing his last year on the schools and clubs visits and so on.

How else do you explain them giving Earls a central contract for this year?

Foxtrol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120478713#Comment_120478713

Within a few months of the IRFU not giving the player who ended up being the best in the world that year a central contract they gave one to Earls who was to be kind clearly on the downwards trajectory. I know which player is far more important to the current bigger picture of Irish rugby.

I very much doubt that 2022 Earls was getting a significant 'payday' in France for a year or two. The off the field stuff he brings to Munster just wouldnt translate over there so they'd just value his on the field play. There might have been a small chance that JVG tried to bring him over with him but it was hardly monster money.

To answer your question, I'd be confident that they gave Earls a central contract purely for PR reasons and the appearance of 'spreading them around'. They probably hoped it would avoid some of the recent blowback they've gotten with those moaning about Leinster but they should have understood that those people would completely ignore things they've done for other provinces if it allowed them to whinge and point the finger.

I do agree with most of what you said about Earls adding value in other ways to Munster. My point is there is nothing stopping the IRFU just giving Munster a bit more money to cover his wages. Given central contracts guarantees, if they aren't using them on the best/key players they are purposefully being wasteful with the overall resources of Irish rugby which is going to mean something has to give somewhere else

degsie

Anybody know if any city center pubs will be showing the match today? Any suggestions? Thanks

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120480291#Comment_120480291

Sheehan’s on Chatham street usually show all the Leinster games. Bit small but usually get a decent spot upstairs.

Clegg

WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FOOK

https://twitter.com/leinsterrugby/status/1647208597326032896?t=Cbx38R-9G7_1vjL64n1R4A&s=09

Pudsy33

Heard this rumours earlier and assumed it was a wind up. Wtaf

Interested Observer

I have no idea what to think about this.

DelMcG

Wow. Wasn't even a name I'd heard in the conversation, seemed to be entirely NZ coaches being pursued.

Maybe the CEO & life president of Wiggy9 Investments Ltd was right about us having too much money 😏

Dave_The_Sheep

My first instinct is to say "**** no".

Bogwoppit

I don’t understand the logic behind this one but to be fair to Leinster they have hardly made a bad decision and I’m sure they’re more aware than any of us what Nienaber is capable of.

Clegg

South Africa's attacking structure isn't the best, but provided we leave that to Goodman we should be fine.

Nienaber coached a very good defence at Munster and South Africa. That's where we'll see the big differences I guess.

stephen_n

I expected him to step up into Rassies role after the RWC. Not the type of coach I would have expected Leinster to go for. Did a great job with Munster and SA defence. Seems like a bit of a Shaun Edwards type coach. Will be interesting to see how this goes.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Is McBryde still contracted? He is currently forwards and scrum coach with Lancaster being defence and senior coach and Goodman is the attack/backs coach.

I will say that Nienaber is an awesome defence coach if you forget the rest of his Rugby.

kmart6

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120480731#Comment_120480731

Yes, considering the statement lists McBryde in the coaching team Nienaber will be joining.

Former Former Former

That's mental.

durthacht

I suppose he has been a defence specialist so may balance out the coaching team with Goodman on attack, Farrell on skills, and O'Brien on contact, and he is much more experienced than the other coaches in Leinster.

I had been hoping for an Irish lad like Richie Murphy or Noel McNamara, but Leinster know what they are doing. Good luck to him.

A-Train

I didn't see this appointment coming and really wondering what way the coaching structure will be?

Clegg

Leo gave a brief interview on the appointment if Nienaber. Mentions his expertise in coaching defensive systems. He also rates Andrew Goodman very highly.

https://twitter.com/leinsterrugby/status/1647214160965664770?t=ZqQ_FJMnCL6IXJAChdhq-w&s=09

Ben Bailey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120478879#Comment_120478879

Your point on awarding central contracts to fund off field performers like Earls is correct.

If Munster can't find private sponsors to keep Earls (who richly deserves it imo) it shouldn't fall to the IRFU.

Yeah_Right

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120480291#Comment_120480291

Sinnotts in Stephen's Green shopping centre might be an option. Or the Sin Bin by Merrion Square.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120480643#Comment_120480643

I've always, perhaps wrongly, seen him as a stalking horse for Erasmus rather than a leading coach in his own right.

Leinster have a pretty decent track record with picking coaches so I'll give this the benefit of the doubt for now...

Still very surprised by it though.

prawnsambo

Murray Kinsella approves anyway

https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/1647225071230910464?s=20

leakyboots

He did a brilliant job on defence for us, I was sorry to see him leave. Very good signing imo

Larbre34

I have enormous respect for Nienaber for his record, but my gut feeling is that this has the making of a clash of traditions and ethos.

Will be an interesting chapter for sure.

scott1974

Jeepers that one from left field...Did not see that coming..

RichieRich_89

I guess if you want to give McBryde and Goodman expanded roles it makes sense to go for a defence specialist.

I wonder what he's like for player development. And hopefully we won't see blindside types selected at openside. But I suppose you've still got Cullen's influence to take care of those.