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

I disagree , I still have McGrath ahead based on recent form, and by quite a distance. He’s a stalwart of the club and ex captain so aside from form which I rate as superior he will bring value to the team talks and half time. He more than anyone realises this maybe his last rodeo and that surely counts for something.

As I said Foley & Gunne will compete head on next year. i am excited to see Sam P & Gunne back on the same pitch together they were a very exciting combination for U20’s year before last and crucial to clean sweep

Just making a general point on Sam Prendergast. Leinster is the best place for him to develop as a player and I'm glad he has seemingly decided to turn down Connacht's offer and remain here next season.

No other province gives more opportunities to young players to prove themselves. Murray Kinsella quoted a great stat in last Wednesday's Rugby Weekly podcast. Out of all of last season's Irish u20 Grand Slam winning and World Cup finalists, Prendergast has twice as many senior minutes as the second highest. He also has twice as many senior minutes as any player of the u20 group who played the year before him in 2022.

Leinster clearly see him as a player of incredible potential and are giving him the chance to develop here.

With prendergast number 2 for Leinster I wonder does he go to South africa on the tour?

Crowley goes and Frawley goes for his versatility especially with keenan away.

Harry Byrne was in 6 nations squad but has fallen out of favour at leinster. You can't see him picked for the tour.

Ross even though he was back fit wasn't brought into 6 Nations Squad and bar the la rochelle game isn't going great.

There is a spot open depending on how the next few weeks go for Leinster.

When was Predergast number 2 for Leinster? or we just going on this one game?

When has Harry Byrne fallen out of favour?

When is Ross not going great?

Honestly some baffling stuff posted about the Leinster players over the last few weeks but it seems to get worse by the day.

Really? wasn't he already playing for Leinster all season and was given game time last season?

Do you honestly think Leo is making decisions on team selection because a player might or might not of had a discussion about a loan move? if that was the case why doesn't every squad player just had a chat with a province and expect to get played :-)

I agree wholeheartedly the discussion on 10, all 4, is at best irrationally volatile from week to week, and at worst madness .

I seriously doubt this is how it played out

Honestly if Predergast wants to leave Leinster to join Connacht I would let him off.

At this stage he is long enough in the Leinster system he should of already had conversations with leo on his progress and what the plans are for him moving forward.

Leo would be a bad manager/head coach if he didn't already have a plan in place for the game time for Predergast and if throwing a little strop from a player changes that then not much point in having long term plans.

Personally I believe none of the above happened, Leo has a plan for these players and the media running a bit of noise which is Frawley has to start one day, next day it is Predergast then Leinster would be in a total shambles if they took any heed of that.

At various times Leo chose Ross B over Joey Carbery, Ross over Harry Byrne, Ross over Frawley and won no champions cup. Around the same times Andy F went against him and was pushing for Joey Carbery over Ross, Harry Byrne over Ross and Frawley over Ross. Any Farrell ultimately went on to win two six nations.

The same thing happened at scrum half. Leo believed more in Luke McGrath than JGP once upon a time and Andy F. Went against him and picked JGP over Luke McGrath.

For me that’s Leo’s flaw…. He traditionally prefers the limited conservative player and comes up short whereas Andy F has more vision and confidence to try to work with the more talented player and ultimately win.

Similar happened with Joe McCarthy aswell.

First off when Farrell became head coach Joey was already at Munster, not Leinster.

Joey was been picked at 10 at the start for Leinster and it seemed more that Lancaster decided he was a 15, then the IRFU stepped in and said either Joey or Ross had to move. Leinster picked Ross and rest is history. That was all years before Farrell was head coach

Leo signed JGP, picked him for years and again long before Farrell was head coach of Ireland.

The story of Farrell picking JGP is an odd one, the first 6 nations JGP wasn't even in the Ireland squad for Farrell, Cooney and Murray playing, so when exactly was Farrell picking JGP and Leinster still put McGrath as the main choice?

The current Irish squad is full of players from Leinster who have been part of the system put in place by Leo when he got the job after MOC, his model was to prmote youth and why leinster went with him.

No idea how you can claim that a squad full of Leinster players is because leo picks conservative players and Farrells doesn't, they are the same players?

I didn’t mention Joe but his progress last year was slowed due to injury more than anything

In terms of JGP, I’m asking when this happened, Leo of course signed him and spent years coaching him, so not sure why Farrell is getting all the praise? But in terms of Farrell picking JGP, his first 6 nations it was Murray and Cooney