Leinster Squad 19-20

[Dave Cahill]

Great video - great song choice - dreadful, dreadful audio

[Morf]

Great video - great song choice - dreadful, dreadful audio

Constantly moving audio panning is the new thing apparently.

[johng]

great song choice

Wait. You know what that awful noise is?

[Ruckedtobits]

Let it not be forgotten who good we were this season!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA2WHBV ... 09987&jb=2

What a wonderful collection of talent & execution. Watched those clips is a real pleasure despite knowing all the results as the variation in movement, support and precision is the hallmark of so much that we do.

[mildlyinterested]

I wonder what leinster players may retire/leave at the end of the season, whenever that may be.

Rob Kearney is obviously on his way out, seems like McFadden looks likely to join him. Bryan Byrne also confirmed to be leaving.

Other possible players?

Michael Bent, Sean Cronin, Scott Fardy, Joe Tomane, Adam Byrne?

[Gearzbox2]

I wonder what leinster players may retire/leave at the end of the season, whenever that may be.

Rob Kearney is obviously on his way out, seems like McFadden looks likely to join him. Bryan Byrne also confirmed to be leaving.

Other possible players?

Michael Bent, Sean Cronin, Scott Fardy, Joe Tomane, Adam Byrne?

RK 99% gone, Ferg gone too I reckon which is so unfortunate...hopefully something can be done to extend their contracts for July August if we are back playing even behind close doors
Joe Tomane might not have done enough imo, on a lot of money I reckon and 4/5 decent games doesn’t justify for it me

Cronin, Bent and Fardy going nowhere imo...cronin still has another year and with Sheehan totally untested yet he’ll be getting another year
Bent defo another year and Fards will be getting another year, huge experience and how invaluable to have around the squad
Only thing that could come into play is some down scaling of squads which could get messy if contracts are already signed???

[wixfjord]

I don't believe Tomane is on a big wedge.
Wasn't that one of the things that had come out when we signed him? He wanted to come and wasn't on the huge money some other NIQs were.

Albeit I'd imagine 3x O'Briens would still be close to 1x Tomane, so the maths might not make sense!

I agree, I can't see Cronin going. With Byrne gone too it would leave us a little bit light at hooker to have Tracy, Kelleher and Sheahan.

[johng]

As you have pretty much pointed out yourself Wixford. Tomane is only on small money compared to what he could be on in France. Compared to local Leinster players he is on a huge amount. Also would have to be housed compared to a local lad who may still live with his mammy.

I also agree on Cronin Bent and Fardy. Although if Fardy is not already signed he may not stay. (or be kept)

RK was rumuored to be off to Japan a good while ago. However foreign moves may not be as viable in this brave new world. He may either retire or get a year in on small money while he plans his next move.

[meathman3]

Can't believe that Leinster won't give RK a contract for a year. They have treated him very badly fit a club legend. Leinster hadn't won a trophy since 2001 when he joined the senior squad and he along with a few others refused to accept 2nd best - hence the trophy cabinet we have today. Farrell had pinpointed Larmour for FB but Leinster used RK against Lyon away ( the only real challenge we had) and he would have been invaluable against Sarries as Larmour would struggle under but mbardment just as he did against England. I see such enthusiasm to retain Fardy but RK can provide leadership and be a wonderful mentor for Larmour as he struggles with the basics. Not to mention how tragic it would be if he was to exit to an empty stadium after all he has done for the club..

[Serb]

This is elite level professional sport. There’s no room for sentimentality. If you have nothing more to offer, you’re getting cut, and that’s the case with Rob. He got the reward for not accepting second best in the form of lucrative contracts from both Leinster and the IRFU. Leinster owe him nothing.

[Dave Cahill]

The idea that Rob has nothing more to offer is hard to substantiate He is still Leinster's number 2 fullback and coming into a period of time where there is likely to be a huge amount of international rugby in a short period of time, taking McGrath, Sexton, R.Byrne, Ringrose, Henshaw, D.Kearney, James Lowe and Jordan Larmour for considerable periods of this, his experience and quality will be vital.

[wixfjord]

I don't think it's about whether RK has more to offer, he clearly does at Pro14 level at the very least.

It's the cost/benefit analysis.

He's coming off a central contract so the question is whether he expects the salary of a guy coming off a central contract or a guy in the last year of his career who's 2nd/3rd in his position.

If it's the former then in the current climate it might be a smarter long term/financial decision to back Keenan (who isn't that far off him on this season's performances).

[mildlyinterested]

Fullback Options:

Hugo Keenan(24)
Jimmy O'Brien(23)
Jordan Larmour(23)
Ciaran Frawley(22)
Michael Silvester(22)

Not factoring wingers like Daly and Kelleher who could move back.

[meathman3]

Fullback Options:

Hugo Keenan(24)
Jimmy O'Brien(23)
Jordan Larmour(23)
Ciaran Frawley(22)
Michael Silvester(22)

Not factoring wingers like Daly and Kelleher who could move back.

Quantity doesn't always mean quality....which of them would u throw into a HCup match?
Not to mention all RK can pass on in expertise. Even Larmour who has been catapulted into first choice is still struggling against quality opposition as we saw against England
We have lots of options in every position but Leinster don't throw away leadership easily as with Fardy and Sexton so why not if at all possible retain RK .

[neiliog93]

Very soon I think JOB could be well ready for a H Cup match at fullback. Wouldn't trust any of the others (bar Larmour) if I'm honest.

[Peg Leg]

Great video - great song choice - dreadful, dreadful audio

Constantly moving audio panning is the new thing apparently.

f%~k this 8D ballix, its called stereo and you're doing it wrong.

[Peg Leg]

The idea that Rob has nothing more to offer is hard to substantiate He is still Leinster's number 2 fullback and coming into a period of time where there is likely to be a huge amount of international rugby in a short period of time, taking McGrath, Sexton, R.Byrne, Ringrose, Henshaw, D.Kearney, James Lowe and Jordan Larmour for considerable periods of this, his experience and quality will be vital.

Very much this, as you've said before on here, RK is much maligned for delivering to perfection the gameplan set out by Joe Schmidt. If we can afford him, keep him.

[hugonaut]

I don't think it's about whether RK has more to offer, he clearly does at Pro14 level at the very least.

It's the cost/benefit analysis.

He's coming off a central contract so the question is whether he expects the salary of a guy coming off a central contract or a guy in the last year of his career who's 2nd/3rd in his position.

If it's the former then in the current climate it might be a smarter long term/financial decision to back Keenan (who isn't that far off him on this season's performances).

Absolutely. I'm a big Rob Kearney fan, but there are lots of factors that come into play when you are contracting players and you have got to approach them pragmatically rather than emotionally if you're a professional organisation. When you're contracting a player, you're contracting him for what he's capable of doing for you next season, not what he did for you last season. That's not to say that 'last season' doesn't come into it - if you're looking at a two year span, the most pertinent question to ask if the player was better in the second year than the first year, or vice versa: is he improving or declining. The next step is asking why he has improved or declined.

A lot of what RK does best is difficult to quantify using figures. How can you reliably put a figure on the number of times that an outhalf decides not to kick because he has taken a glimpse up and Kearney is where he wants to kick to? You can't. How can you put a number on organising a back three well? You can't. But they are still valuable. And he still wants to play [source: https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/ ... -1.4225448 ].

Against that, Rob hasn't been a big factor for us this year on the pitch this season. He has started 3 of 19 games for us, been used as a sub 5 more times and is 34 years old. It's very difficult to think of any back three players in their mid-30s getting a lot of starts and performing really well over the last ten years. To be frank, I can't think of any.

Money is an issue as well, because it's finite and you have to make it work for you. RK has been on a central deal for a hell of a long time - probably since 2009 – and as such has essentially been off Leinster's financial books. If you're giving him a one-year deal you're making the squad more expensive, and at the same time almost certainly asking him to take a significant pay-cut. And if you're asking somebody to train as hard, and sideline other parts of their life as much, and probably not get the payoff of playing in big games, and take a big pay-cut, it's a really difficult situation for both parties.

[mildlyinterested]

Very soon I think JOB could be well ready for a H Cup match at fullback. Wouldn't trust any of the others (bar Larmour) if I'm honest.

JOB is a very exciting player, always seems to do something when he gets on the ball.

[leinsterforever]

Very soon I think JOB could be well ready for a H Cup match at fullback. Wouldn't trust any of the others (bar Larmour) if I'm honest.

I like the look of Keenan. He's been pretty solid in defence, positioning himself well and putting in strong tackles when teams have made breaks or half breaks. The attacking side of his game is impressive too. He's got nice footwork and a slick passing game. I think he's ready for Heineken Cup pool stage action.

JOB is a very exciting player, always seems to do something when he gets on the ball.

Wingers must love playing outside JOB. He's so good at passing the ball.