IRFU Funding Model changes

Reducing the number of Irish players in the system and sending them overseas is a positive how?

You are making one of the provinces weaker and also making the entire system weaker, including Ireland. Deegan was captain of the EI tour.

Not sure why any Irish supporter would paint this as a positive.

It is a negative, you suddenly make one of the provinces weaker, that has a knock on affect on their ability of Leinster to play in two competition, which means less money for the IRFU if they don't make knock outs/finals and then less money for the provinces because the IRFU are making less.

The last resort for any Irish fan should be thinking its a good idea for players to have to move overseas to play rugby.

Deegan is a capped international, he is just outside the squad and a few injuries and he would come straight in, this was seen as his role as captain of the EI tour. Won a Young World Player of Year award as well which is no mean feat. Quality player

"laughably hysterical" 😓

Really? And how did your super subs manage against Ulster or in SA. Nah, us provinces are fine..

Deegan could have been a good player, but you can only get good by playing in big games, and he's reaping what he sewed there. You can also see Penny starting to hit his level too. None of those guys are good enough for the other provinces to bother with, well maybe Connacht..

You know who else was on the Emerging Ireland tour and was also a Young Player of the 6N Championship?

James Culhane - who now is on a senior deal, and should be stepping up to make senior minutes. Deegan's gap would be filled very quickly.

Also, it would take quite a few injuries to get Deegan into an Ireland squad - but that's by the by (seeing as Timoney, Prendergast and Coombes are all ahead of him based on international squads of the last twelve months).

If Deegan went to Ulster instead of re-signing (or abroad, a la Moloney) Leinster fans would not have seen him as a great loss. They'd 100% be ready to jump on the Culhane wagon

There is not a hope in hell of another province saying "We do not need to develop players; Leinster will keep us going" in the fashion you've just said. Zero. Fans want homegrown talent regardless.

Ulster fans would prefer to see a guy like Doak Jr breaking through than having to sign Ed Byrne. Munster would prefer O'Leary Kareem to become a star than having to rely on importing someone like Tom Farrell. Connacht fans would prefer to see a guy like Oisin McCormick own the 7 jersey rather than say Scott Penny making the move West.

Given the IRFUs heavy hand in Academies and the like - that kind of "Erahh be grand" attitude is just not going to happen.

It doesn't make any sense that guys develop well at leinster with older players in front of them on depth charts, but if you put a leinster guy in an ulster depth chart, that the younger guys behind them can't develop.

Its magical thinking.

It does if the older players at Leinster are having their provincial minutes heavily managed because they play a lot for Ireland but the Leinster guy at Ulster (e.g. Deegan) is available nearly all the time.

That's aside from Leinster having more of a culture of success, which is a factor in what level players develop to.

The first one i'd agree on. Presumably though there would still be less overall talent so still time for guys to play.

The second one, well adding good players can help the amount of success you have.

The problem with this is a province can't outbid another province.