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

And as Genge showed us recently (and the new Lightyear movie!), there’s still plenty of knuckle draggers around. Positive stories like this are required to offset the horrible stuff that people hear about. Knowing that coming out isn’t an inherently negative experience will hopefully make this stuff a little bit less intimidating for others.

Fair play to him. Hopefully he will help other young guys in a similar position. As you say really encouraging.

Maybe in men's team sports it's rare. I'd say there are a lot of lesbians in women's association, rugby and hockey.

Delighted Nick is able to be himself and has the support of those around him. Hopefully soon we get to a point where no-one bats an eyelid about a player's sexuality - but until we're there, doing what he's done takes courage and character.

Wasn't Donal Og openly gay playing for Cork?

Anyway, this is a good thing to see, and as someone has said its great that Leinster has created an environment where people are comfortable enough to come out.

Plus Soroka and Maloney as flankers. I think we'll see a lot of them next season. McCarthy at 9 too.

Maybe Cosgrave too in the back three as he looks exciting, if a little light right now.

Boyle might get a shot a LH too as the competition there isn't the strongest.

What's the craic with Baird? He's been anointed as... something, but he's not really getting picked and not putting in big performances. He's pretty consistently in the Ireland extended squad, but not consistently making the leinster matchday squad. Joe mccarthy has jumped him in the second row and Molony has improved and he's well ahead of him at leinster, but can't make the Ireland extended squad. It doesn't make great sense on the face of it.

He needs a decent season next year, similar to Harry Byrne. They've been picked as winners at Ireland level, but aren't able to put in performance at leinster level (partly through injury).

I reckon its a case of overhype. He's not done much of note to demand selection. Other than potential.

What's the craic with Baird? He's been anointed as... something, but he's not really getting picked

He was injured for 2 1/2 months. When he came back, they seem to be looking at him as more of a 6 now. Clearly his injury isn’t fully recovered either, as he pulled out of the Bulls game.

I've no problem with his age or the fact that he has lots of development to do and lots of time to do it. My question is why he keeps getting picked for Ireland ahead of people who are now doing the job better and consistently. The direct comparisons are in leinster and they're not getting picked for Ireland at all.

If we're talking about Baird as a 6 then there are competitors in other clubs who are getting great gametime and proving themselves but if we keep it to direct comparisons at leinster, there are players we'll ahead of him.

I'm.not writing him off innthe meduim or long term. I haven't suggested anything of the sort. I'm questioning why he's being picked at Ireland level and not simply being allowed to develop and manifest some of that potential before being picked at ireland level.

I never said he's "not playing well".

Moloney not being an international is axiomatic. He's not being picked for Ireland in spite of being picked for leinster. Baird isn't playing for leinster and is still being picked for Ireland.

There were a few weeks where baird was back and still wasn't being picked. He wasn't injured all the time he wasn't picked.

I'd leave him at leister to manifest some of his potential before anointing him the next big thing. Nothing wrong with picking players in extended Ireland squads or as development players. But Baird doesn't have the body of work to merit inclusion at the moment. Partly through injury, but that's a very valid cause of a player having no form to speak of.

WE NEED TO FOCUS ON YOUTH AND PICK YOUNGER PLAYERS WHO HAVE HIGHER CEILINGS.

Ireland do just that.

THE YOUNG GUYS DONT DESERVE SELECTION. LET THEM FIND FORM AND OUCK THE OLDER GUYS WITH LOWER CEILINGS.

Who’d be a coach, eh!?

Then you still pick Baird.

The guy has eight caps for Ireland and has acquitted himself very well. That seems to be overlooked here.

Ross Molony's 'consistent' level is of provincial squad player. Picking him for a tour to NZ based on a few weeks of very good form doesn't make sense because chances are the level we're seeing now is the exception, not the rule.

(Of course, Baird is officially going to NZ as a back-row so we should probably be talking about him in comparison to Ruddock or JOD).

It doesn’t have to be one or the other. It’s possible to do a certain amount of both. A pragmatic approach would lead to scenarios where you might do one over the other. Out half being a good example. We have Harry Byrne ahead of Ross Byrne. The latter has been very consistently delivering for Leinster but clearly isn’t Test level. The former hasn’t been delivering but has clear potential to be Test level. Are Ireland better served going with Ross or Harry? Is there even a singular answer to that? Could it be there’s a short term view and a long term view? That’s really just what squad management is all about.