Munster Team Talk Thread - Beirne After Reading

tbf LO, I know from reading your stuff you know you're stuff on this but no matter how you frame it, we've gone from a time when we could produce nearly a fully international pack in North Munster (Horan, Flannery, Hayes, POC, Ryan, Halvey (era doesn't quote match up tbf), Wallace and Foley) to producing no forwards whatsoever. I might be way off but Limerick clubs and schools just don't seem to be working right, either separately or together. I'd love to see Okeke make it but apart from him and Paddy Kelly in the Academy is there any reason to be optimistic?

Your last like kinda depresses me because it re-enforces what I suspect is happening, too many lads only concerned about their own club and not enough focus on the wider picture, and the branch either being too weak or too useless to fix it.

As an aside, I was surprised there was no comments here about the tweets from Bantry Bay RFC about the shitshow that is the women's club game in Munster. Just seems so badly run.

Many of those guys from North Munster?

I don't think I suggested they should sell out TP for every match? But there's a gap between where they are and where they could be, imo. Every undersold match and un-sold ticket is revenue lost. The "ah sure, it's grand, we're grand" attitude is partially why Munster are **** broke as it is.

We're over 25 years into the pro era, why do you think a professional organisation can't sort out the divide between clubs and schools in a small city?

The other areas stepping up doesn't really excuse the collapse in Limerick rugby, and considering the decline in the standard in the team's results, it isn't masking it either.

I'd follow the GAA on it, wouldn't panel players away from their clubs, work towards an integrated school and club season. Clubs are the homes of players before and after school so need to be the bedrock of the system. Ideally every senior cup player would be affiliated with a local club and play for them throughout the senior cycle.

There would be conflicts I'm sure but I'd rather have them pulling together if even against me, than the current divided set up.

tear it apart all you like, I don't think it's revolutionary or anything. Feel to propose your own solution.

I think it depends what you mean by bleak, earlier in the thread I said i fancied our chances in the league because I think Leinster will probably decline if Cullen is going. We also have a very strong second row, which we've lacked for years. Our front row is weak though, hopefully Knox (another import from SA) can come through more. A fit Carbery (if he ever recovers form) is still somewhat unproven to me but he could be great etc.

However, I think things like a fairly callow Leinster development side nilling our development side last week (another aside, Keith Woods' son was on Munster's panel, don't think it was remarked on here. I remember Keith ripping up the AIL, old age is shaking my hand), show we aren't still right underage.

It's also for me the type of Munster we want. I want a fully Irish side playing, and ideally a fully Munster side but I know that's not everyone's preference. Some fans want success more than local lads playing, and I do understand that position too.

Why, in your view, is that?

And how would you solve it?

Because frankly it's weak that a pro sport can't sort out its underage structures.

So the branch is so weak a handful of schools can dictate its underage policy? I mean I know they are incompetent but that's a different level of sheer crapness.

I've already told you what I would do, i'd still do it and face down the schools.

Any grown man who still cares beyond a passing interest in what their old school is up to at underage sports is already a weirdo, imo.

Even if I agree broadly with what you're saying, if you panel players for any year you'll always get some dick of a coach who'll panel guys just because he can, lads will end up repeating years etc because the prospect of Munster honours is there for him (which tbf, used to happen in my time too), etc.

The club link needs to be maintained and fostered all the way through school, imo. If they drop out of the clubs for a full season at those ages it can be hard, ime, to get people back.

I don't think it's impossible to work out an integrated school and club season if everyone knew at the outset what weekends were club weekends and what weekdays were school match days.

Despite this thread being focused on the pro side of Munster, I've very little time for a schools sports programme that isn't there to foster a life long love of the game and make students ultimately into fitter, happier people.