Leinster Props going into 2014 and beyond

[goreyguy]

I've been working on this for some time, ages of each player is as of 1st September 2014. Any feedback/corrections let me know.

Loosehead
Cian Healy[26] - Contracted until 2016.
Jack McGrath[24] - Contracted until 2015.
Jack O'Connell[24] - Contract ends at the end of the season.
James Tracy[23] - Year 3 Academy, might be moving to Hooker permanently.
Ed Byrne[20] - Year 2 Academy.
Peter Dooley[20] - Year 1 Academy.

Tighthead
Mike Ross[34] - Contracted until 2015.
Michael Bent[28] - Contract ends at the end of the season.
Martin Moore[23] - Contract ends at the end of the season.
Tadhg Furlong[21] - Year 3 Academy.

Playing Elsewhere
Jamie Hagan[27][London Irish/TH] - Contracted until 2016.
Ruaidhri Murphy [27][Brumbies/LH]
Shane Cahill[27][Rotherham/LH]
Denis Buckley [24][Connacht/LH] - Contracted until 2015.
Peter Reilly[22][Connacht/TH] - Year 2 Academy.

Players who have recently played for the A team
Royce Burke-Flynn[27] - Clontarf, LH/TH
Martin Kelly[25] - Dublin University, TH

Former Irish u20s and former Academy players
Jake Cawley - out of rugby
Des Merrey - out of rugby
Ian Leonard - out of rugby
Stewart Maguire - Esher

2013 Underage Squads
---u20(player turns 20 in 2014)
Denis Coulson[Landsdowne/LH]
Ivan Soroka[UCD/LH]
Craig Treiner[Terenure RFC/TH]
Oisin Heffernan[Landsdowne/LH/TH] (eligible next year for the u20s)

---u19(player turns 19 in 2014)
Jeremy Loughman[Balckrock/LH/TH]
Jonathan Phelan[Newbridge/LH/TH]
Eric O'Sullivan[Templeogue/LH]
Ntinga Mpiko[The King's Hospital/TH]
Hugh O’Donnell[Newbridge/TH]

---u18 Schools(player turns 18 in 2014)
Eoghan Byrne[Gonzaga/LH]
James Bollard[St Michaels/LH]
Eoin O'Neill[St Michaels/LH]
Martin Mulhall[Kilkenny/TH]
Sean O'Hare[Castleknock/TH]
Padraig Cullen[Wesley/TH]

---u18 Clubs(player turns 18 in 2014)
Vak Abdaladze[Coolmine/LH]
Greg McGrath[Wexford/LH]
Mike Russell[Naas/TH]
Adam Coyle[Naas/TH]

Some players who were involved with underage teams in 2012
--u19
Shane Delahunt[Kilkenny] - At UCD now, he moved from prop to hooker last season. Was involved with the 20s this season.
Eoghan McKeever[C.B.C. Monkstown] - Last I heard he quit on the the u20s during the summer and is out of rugby.
Brian Cunningham[Navan] - Last I heard he transferred from Landsdowne to Seapoint.
--u18 Schools
Oliver Jager[Blackrock] - Last I heard he went to NZ this summer to play rugby, so was not involved with Leinster this summer.

None of the props from last years Under-18 club team seem to have moven on to a higher level, Niall Hannon[Mullingar] and Harry Hester[Navan] both were on the bench for the Irish under-18 club team last spring. Hannon is in college in Dublin but it's unclear if he is playing rugby with anyone. Hester is in college in Athlone and it's unclear if he is playing rugby with anyone.

[Keith]

How Des Merrey has not got a contract anywhere is beyond me, He was brilliant in the JWC. Furlong got all the credit but Des was very good.

[goreyguy]

How Des Merrey has not got a contract anywhere is beyond me, He was brilliant in the JWC. Furlong got all the credit but Des was very good.

Merrey was an odd one but Leinster already had McGrath, JOC and Tracy in the academy and Ed Byrne joining.

Think he almost joined Ulster? But didn't. Shame he isn't even playing anymore and looks to have been lost from the game.

[simonokeeffe]

safe to say martin moore has been offered a new deal already

can very easily see him being first or second choice for ireland by 6n

[Fireworks]

No pun intended but I think we are a little light on the TH side. We have Ross and Moore with Bent possibly moving to LH and not being all that solid at TH and Furlong being a bit green. If Bent is out and Furlong can is up to it we still need a few more bodies for B&I and to cover when Ross and Moore are off with Ireland.

[simonno6]

No pun intended but I think we are a little light on the TH side. We have Ross and Moore with Bent possibly moving to LH and not being all that solid at TH and Furlong being a bit green. If Bent is out and Furlong can is up to it we still need a few more bodies for B&I and to cover when Ross and Moore are off with Ireland.

Totally disagree. Compared to 2 or even 1 year ago, we are in far far far better shape on the TH. Ross still has gas in the tank (maybe 'miles on the clock' would be a more appropriate description), Moore has come on leaps and bounds and is looking a real quality player, Bent has started to show some promise and is still very young in prop terms and I've heard nothing but good things re Furlong. Keeping them all happy is the biggest problem!

[johng]

Suppose it depends on which side Bent ends up on. We have at least 2 junior LHs in the Academy behind Healy, McGrath and O'Connell (& Bent) But only Furlong behind Ross and Moore (& Bent) We could do with a decent TH into the academy for next season. Furlong will qualify. Ireland look well set at LH too. But not at TH.

[goreyguy]

Suppose it depends on which side Bent ends up on. We have at least 2 junior LHs in the Academy behind Healy, McGrath and O'Connell (& Bent) But only Furlong behind Ross and Moore (& Bent) We could do with a decent TH into the academy for next season. Furlong will qualify. Ireland look well set at LH too. But not at TH.

This time last year McKeever would have been looked at as the most likely kid to join the academy.. now it's probably Oisin Heffernan.

[johng]

Suppose it depends on which side Bent ends up on. We have at least 2 junior LHs in the Academy behind Healy, McGrath and O'Connell (& Bent) But only Furlong behind Ross and Moore (& Bent) We could do with a decent TH into the academy for next season. Furlong will qualify. Ireland look well set at LH too. But not at TH.

This time last year McKeever would have been looked at as the most likely kid to join the academy.. now it's probably Oisin Heffernan.

Saw him play for CBC. He looked very mobile for a big guy. Pity he is not available.

[bunty85]

McKeever isn't bothered with rugby. I don't think it helps that he always gets injured.

I'm surprised Jake Cawley is out of rugby. Injured? I always thought he had the work ethic to get to the top if nothing else.

[the spoofer]

Rumour is that Furlong has signed a professional contract with Leinster - dont know whether development or full/lenght.

[goreyguy]

Not really a surprise, Leinster won't announce any extensions for a good while.

[ronk]

Not really a surprise, Leinster won't announce any extensions for a good while.

He's year 3 academy so it's either give him one or let him go (mostly). He's the youngest guy in our HC squad by two years, which is super impressive for a tighthead who's missed a lot of action with shoulder injuries.

There's an element of sooner rather than later about him.

[goreyguy]

Furlong only had one shoulder injury and then he had a severely bruised kidney..
Ed Byrne has had two bad shoulder injuries.. and is currently out.

Furlong and Dooley are two seriously talented props produced by the youths... Furlong from outside New Ross and Dooley from Birr.

[simonokeeffe]

Furlong only had one shoulder injury and then he had a severely bruised kidney..
Ed Byrne has had two bad shoulder injuries.. and is currently out.

Furlong and Dooley are two seriously talented props produced by the youths... Furlong from outside New Ross and Dooley from Birr.

theres only so many goalkeeping positions in hurling for young fat culchies

[goreyguy]

Tracy to Hooker is done now.
Bent seems to have moved back to LH but seems to be battling with JOC to be 3rd choice.
Moore is pushing Ross hard for his starting spot.
Furlong has started to get more experience, with 3 senior appearances this season and becoming a regular starter on the A team. Still very young for a prop after turning just 21 last month.
Dooley named in the irish u20s team again and is joined by Oisin Heffernan, who is very likely to be the next prop in the academy.