Munster Team Talk Thread - Snymans are(n't) Forever

What can the IRFU do if the player wants to go?

If he has international ambitions then it's not just a question of money. Munster didn't select him for a competitive game for a 2 month plus period at a crucial point of the season.

He played in the loss to Leinster on Oct 22 and then didn't play another competitive game for Munster till Jan 1st.

I'm not saying Munster weren't justified in the selection decisions they made over that period, but if you're looking to blame someone for why he is feeling he's got better prospects elsewhere then I can't see how it's the IRFU.

You said: I'm surprised the IRFU aren't trying harder to keep him.

I directly addressed the point you mentioned, when I asked you: What can the IRFU do if the player wants to go? If he has international ambitions then it's not just a question of money.

I then pointed out what most would consider to be a very valid reason as to why the player might feel disaffected or why he might feel he'll have a better chance elsewhere.

This isn't an agenda ffs, and I'm kind of sick of pointing that out. You could try just one time engaging with the actual point instead of constantly claiming there are hidden agendas at play.

You have a funny habit of having "zero interest in engaging" when you can't win an argument on its merits.

We'll never know for sure as to who specifically nominated Crowley for Emerging Ireland over Healy, but it was suggested by numerous people at the time of the selection that the provinces had had input into certain key selections as to who they were keen to retain. Jackman namechecked Healy and Knox as two players Munster wanted to keep over Crowley and Salanoa at the time. I don't know if that's true or not, but it wouldn't be surprising as both players had largely been selected ahead of the other two up to that time.

He didn't deserve to be in the squad for the Autumn Internationals. Young guys have been there in the past as development players (largely to get used to camp, and hold tackle bags etc) but I don't think that would have changed his mind, in a situation where others were still getting gametime ahead of him.

Frawley & Crowley were justifiably backed ahead of him for the NZ A game.

On paying him more - he's not centrally contracted.

Maybe the IRFU could lighten the rules around allowing Connacht or Ulster to make an attractive offer to him if they chose to do so, but there's no guarantee he would take it if international rugby is his goal in the short to medium term.

Ultimately, if he's made a decision in recent weeks to go, then the most significant factor behind that is because he recognises he's clearly a distant third choice in the pecking order for Munster, and therefore even further back for Ireland.