Ruckedtobits wrote:Great signing and brave move by KD.
Getting a current Oz International in any position a year shy of RWC15 is a huge coup. Well done MOC/GE/Mick D (or whoever).
Equally getting the correct NIQ centre may prove impossible a year shy of RWC15, so that may be why there is no move in that position. If we get the right man, I am content to wait and see how we fare next Season by the selection of Luke Fitz / Fergus McF/ Brenny Mac/ Darce (with Reider or Mads @12)/ ZK or even Collie O'Shea.
Lots of potential there, with all of them capable of bringing something different to the position. Nobody can realistically expect we can replicate the impact of BOD, but the sum of the parts could give us a very competent back-line who can benefit from a very hard-nosed and street wise pack with lots of depth.
FORWARDS WIN MATCHES, BACKS DECIDE BY HOW MUCH! EXCEPT SOMETIMES WHEN THE BACKS WIN IT!
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We needed the lock more than a centre. Cullen and Roux are on the way out in the 2nd row whereas we have 4 centres as well as 4 more in the senior squad who cover there(6 in the academy). We need to cull a few of those options before we bring someone in. As in let them finish up next year or decide they're not a centre excepting emergencies.
Don't think the world cup should/would stop us from landing a south sea islander or someone from one of the smaller nations. Also it's a year out from the world cup and Kane Douglas has signed you'd have to guess because he knows where he stands in the pecking order. Similar to Toby Flood going to Toulouse or Bundee Aki going to Connacht. I think by the end of the S15/RC guys will have an idea of where they stand and act accordingly. Mind you if you were looking for work next year you'd be lining it up now.
Ruddock's tackle stats consistently too low for me to be taken seriously as a Six Nations blindside..... Ruddock's defensive stats don't stack up. - All Blacks Nil, Jan 15th, 2014
England A 8 - 14 Ireland A, 25th Jan 2014 Ruddock(c) 19/2 Tackles
Very happy that this has been finally confirmed. Massive coup given the stage in a world cup cycle. MOC can take full credit for that signing and hope it works out for us now.
Would love to see us sign a decent prospect in the backs now.
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worryingly IT saying hes contracted til Dec 31st so our best chance is McKenzie says am not picking him as he cant play in RWC and ARFU release him early as theres no point in paying a player not to play
also saying Roux can go if he wants
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simonokeeffe wrote:worryingly IT saying hes contracted til Dec 31st so our best chance is McKenzie says am not picking him as he cant play in RWC and ARFU release him early as theres no point in paying a player not to play
also saying Roux can go if he wants
So - let me get this right - we took 4 weeks to confirm the signing of a player, who may not be able to play until 2015...and this is the marquis signing that is supposed to keep fans happy?
All I can say is that I hope Dev and McCarthy are not needed for the autumn internationals.
I'm sure he'll be allowed to come over here before then. As with all high profile SH players, we'll have to wait and see if he's involved in the RC as he possibly will be, just like ZK last season.
McKenzie names a 32 man squad for the visit of France tomorrow and we'll have a strong indication at that point whether Douglas will be involved in the RC or not. I can see them wanting to keep him around for the RC though even if he's not in the squad in the event of injury. Rumours in Australia are that KD won't be included tomorrow, however.
He might be allowed leave his contract early but as Ceemec says if the ARU need him.... Well then he's contracted, and if I were them I would be looking for value for money.
"POC will not be going to Toulon" - All Blacks nil » May 27th, 2015, 12:18 am
simonokeeffe wrote:worryingly IT saying hes contracted til Dec 31st so our best chance is McKenzie says am not picking him as he cant play in RWC and ARFU release him early as theres no point in paying a player not to play
also saying Roux can go if he wants
So - let me get this right - we took 4 weeks to confirm the signing of a player, who may not be able to play until 2015...and this is the marquis signing that is supposed to keep fans happy?
All I can say is that I hope Dev and McCarthy are not needed for the autumn internationals.
leinster4life13 wrote:
we dont have any backs Madigan aside who look like they can get us over the gainline by themselves.
I find it dificult to give credence to your posts when you continue to throw tripe like this about.
LuKe, RK, DK, ZK, Reid, Darce, McF, Gopperth probably has more line breaks than Madigan this season, Macken used to be good when he was able to catch the ball too.
Back three players dont count, midfield and on ten is where you do damage and cause a defence to scramble. Darce and Reid get over the gainline( but not with any explosiveness) what I meant(as in my origainal post) is we need a guy to punch holes in the opposition D.
I'd counter that by saying that D'Arce is in a league of his own on those stakes, but the only explosiveness he gets these days is in making it to the gainline..... how deep? Go deeper!
neilinboston wrote:
so somebody like Cian Healy maybe? or sob? or Cronin, or Kane Douglas? or maybe robb Kearney hitting the line from 15 or bring baby k from the wing through the center channel? you want us to play scintillating attack rugby but sign James Downey? problems this year were systemic not lack of hard runners
Where are you getting James Downey from? Have you been watching us all season? Yes there are systemic failures, but the Toulon game is a prime example of our lack of punch in midfield killing us(defensive lapses aside), we have needed go forward from our centers all season and bar Darce in fits and spurts we are overly reliant on SOB, Cronin and Healy, we need a center, its been obvious all season.
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neilinboston wrote:
so somebody like Cian Healy maybe? or sob? or Cronin, or Kane Douglas? or maybe robb Kearney hitting the line from 15 or bring baby k from the wing through the center channel? you want us to play scintillating attack rugby but sign James Downey? problems this year were systemic not lack of hard runners
Where are you getting James Downey from? Have you been watching us all season? Yes there are systemic failures, but the Toulon game is a prime example of our lack of punch in midfield killing us(defensive lapses aside), we have needed go forward from our centers all season and bar Darce in fits and spurts we are overly reliant on SOB, Cronin and Healy, we need a center, its been obvious all season.
the leinster you bemoan the loss of punched holes in the midfield with guile and pace, we drew the defense out of alignment and then threw the likes of SUV through the holes. if you just want bosh, we may as well sign James Downey.
neilinboston wrote:
so somebody like Cian Healy maybe? or sob? or Cronin, or Kane Douglas? or maybe robb Kearney hitting the line from 15 or bring baby k from the wing through the center channel? you want us to play scintillating attack rugby but sign James Downey? problems this year were systemic not lack of hard runners
Where are you getting James Downey from? Have you been watching us all season? Yes there are systemic failures, but the Toulon game is a prime example of our lack of punch in midfield killing us(defensive lapses aside), we have needed go forward from our centers all season and bar Darce in fits and spurts we are overly reliant on SOB, Cronin and Healy, we need a center, its been obvious all season.
the leinster you bemoan the loss of punched holes in the midfield with guile and pace, we drew the defense out of alignment and then threw the likes of SUV through the holes. if you just want bosh, we may as well sign James Downey.
Semantics, you still have to hit the hole at pace and physicality, no where did I say we needed "bosh" although it does help, the problem is, we dont have the legs in the centers, and James Downey is a poor mans Darce, why would we sign him(aside from MOC wanting to turn him into a winger)?
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One would hope so. Three of the lads named were uncapped so it appears EM is taking the approach that Douglas is out of the picture entirely. I still wouldn't be overly surprised if they played silly buggers and named him in the RC squad, however, which we won't know until late July, I'd say.
