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

Deeny will hopefully make a big leap forward, because by next season he could well feature in the strongest available XXIII with Snyman's injury record and Baird being seen as the starter at blindside.

Can't see it ever happening. Same way sexton rarely played an away game outside Ireland. Frontline players will always be resting from something or for something.

But that's the crux. In a roundabout way, some pundits, imo, are implying that Leinster are a Toulon, Sarries etc. At least that's my understanding. Granted the team is mostly homegrown and some excellent signings but, it's to the point where I think Leinster is the only game in town.

Are they really? Relatively few non French players and can't be compared to toulon or near close to what they were in their pomp.

At the end of the day, having the money to buy a team and having the money to keep anyone you want to keep is functionally the same thing to big french teams. Its all money at the end of the day.

I'd agree it is morally better if that's the right word, but french teams would counter that leinster also have unique advantages in that they have a virtual monopoly on talent in their region. Players can leave but you are only making more money outside ireland.

I do think, especially if say leinster win this year and next, that the big french teams will want more financial transparency and possible some kind of cap that mirrors the french one.

The irfu would argue its not that simple as central contracts are partially for international duty and so on and so on, but you know.. if you can destroy a thing you control the thing.. and the french can bin the european cup tomorrow and not blink.

That’s because of the JIFF system which now restricts the clubs from doing a Toulon

They had the strongest squad in Europe which was built up very quick when you look at similar French team, they played in pro D2, for a massive injection of money and went to the top of Europe, from recollection quicker then Toulon managed.

Toulon did it a lot more high profile because of the owner and they had the option to fill the team with loads of non French

Its the same in that anyone with any idea of rugby contract values can look at your squad next year and say 'yea, that's probably well over the french cap'. People aren't dumb.

That's the same and that's all that really matters to bordeaux, la rochelle and toulouse. Why should they care about the origin of the players?

Ross Moloney level players leaving VERY occasionally is not exactly a hardship.

Indeed.

Leinster signed a NZ player on a short term 6 month contract

They also signed a fairly injury ravaged player on a pay per play deal for 1 year

This while losing two NIQ and a number of long term squad players

Now we have people claiming the IRFU and Leinster have better spending power than Toulouse & FFR.

FFR bought a World Cup after all off IRFU

In other words you spent alot of money on two extremely in demand players.