Leinster Squad 19-20

[mildlyinterested]

If we aren't allowed to keep Fardy, there's a vacancy at lock. Sarries might have to let Will Skelton go, and Tuipulotu is going to remain the ABs' fourth choice lock for the foreseeable future, they're a couple of meaty options worth looking at.

If Cronin leaves as might be expected, there's a bit of a gap at hooker (I'm not comfortable with B.Byrne or Tracy against elite European clubs) - others have mentioned him before, but Joseph Dweba of the Cheehtahs would be a great addition and relatively affordable.

Ronan Kelleher killed the signing a hooker debate right now.

I don’t think we can afford Skelton.

If debt-ridden Munster (IRFU bailout or not) can afford Snyman (along with de Allende...), then we can afford Skelton.

Won't happen even if we can afford him.

[Pilotman123]

Lads, we don’t need another 2nd row, I know our 2nd row prospects may not be developed yet but they’ll be developed enough by next season to get pro14 experience and that will only improve them and they’ll get better and better. We still have Devin Toner, James Ryan, Ross Molony, Oisin Dowling etc... Baird, Soroka, Charlie Ryan and Deany will improve over the next 2 seasons so we don’t need to worry

[mildlyinterested]

Michael Bent(34)
Sean Cronin(34)
Scott Fardy(36)
Devin Toner(34)
Joe Tomane(30)
Rob Kearney(34)
Fergus McFadden(34)

List of 30+ year old out of contract this season..

[mildlyinterested]

Lads, we don’t need another 2nd row, I know our 2nd row prospects may not be developed yet but they’ll be developed enough by next season to get pro14 experience and that will only improve them and they’ll get better and better. We still have Devin Toner, James Ryan, Ross Molony, Oisin Dowling etc... Baird, Soroka, Charlie Ryan and Deany will improve over the next 2 seasons so we don’t need to worry

Soroka is looked at as a backrow afaik

[Jonny tight lips]

Michael Bent(34)
Sean Cronin(34)
Scott Fardy(36)
Devin Toner(34)
Joe Tomane(30)
Rob Kearney(34)
Fergus McFadden(34)

List of 30+ year old out of contract this season..

If Aungier gets the bump you would imagine Bent or Vakh won’t get renewed, you would imagine Cronin has another year at least in him which would suit as Kelleher establishes himself and hopefully Dan makes a breakthrough. I’d keep Fardo and Dev for the same reason and let the last 3 go.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

If Porter moves to loosehead then we might look a bit light at tighthead until someone like Clarkson breaks through. Hard to know if/when Vakh, Aungier, and Salanoa will develop but I'd be pretty confident about Clarkson. Bent is doing well but I wouldn't want him to be second choice.

Carful now, I suggested that during the summer and you would swear I said put stringer in the second row with some of the responses I got.

Jesus lads, hes close to being our first choice Tighthead and you think now, after hes gone through the transition, we should put him back across to loose? I think you're off with this one. Its a bad idea in my book.

Jesus Logo, you can't see the logic in thinking that Porter and Furlong together for an hour could be great? Or that a potential decade on the loosehead side for Porter outweighs the last two and a half years of work? Or that Ireland seem to be thinking the same way with the make up of the squad? Or that he's already played there and we know he can do it so it's not some mad experiment doomed to fail? Or that Healy is getting on and there's no obvious replacement at Leinster or any of the other provinces? Or that after the Sarries game and a lot of the Ireland games this year people said we needed more bulk in the pack?

Yeah...what nonsense

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I don’t think we can take an elite tight head off the board now to try solve a possible depth issue in 3+ years at loosehead.

It's far more short term than that. If Porter moved back in the summer then I'd have him starting next season. Healy is still playing really well but is clearly declining, just look at how shagged he is after 50 minutes or so, can barely walk off the pitch at times and being a sub might be the best thing for him next season.

It's not like he'd be done as a tighthead if he did move back. A Furlong injury or lack of depth could still mean that he played there when needed. Porter is the kind of freakish athlete that will always have the power and bulk to switch back if needed, but we could get a lot more out of him by being first choice loosehead.

[FLIP]

Being a tight head prop is much more than power and strength. It's a highly technical position and much more so than loose head - and I say this as someone who's played both at a semi pro level back when having a sub prop who could do both was advantageous.

Chopping and changing which side he plays will make him a jack of all trades and a master of none.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

That wasn't how I meant it. Not suggesting he becomes a permanent ambiprop, but if we were stuck for a backup tighthead because of injuries or if Furlong did his ACL or something then we'd still have the option of Porter if we needed it. His switch to TH worked out so quickly that I think he can cope with that.

[Jonny tight lips]

It’s also important to consider if the IRFU will try hand him to Munster if both him and Furlong are the first and second choice for Ireland. They are both young men a few years apart and if he is moved on he is of no use to us, quite the opposite he will be making one of our rivals better. They eventually got their way with Jack a year after getting their way with Joey.

[mildlyinterested]

They've tried to move him before and he told them no. So hopefully he continues with that line.

Tom Clarkson is coming up the ranks and could move sides also. Then of course theirs Healys natural heir who is still playing schools rugby.

[Dave Cahill]

I'm not sure why moving Porter is seen as a good idea - Dooley was a better loosehead than him before he switched across so I don't see how a couple of years playing on the other side will have changed that. Its attempting to fix a problem that doesn't actually exist. We are well stocked with quality, experienced looseheads with Healy, Dooley and Byrne.

[Jonny tight lips]

I'm not sure why moving Porter is seen as a good idea - Dooley was a better loosehead than him before he switched across so I don't see how a couple of years playing on the other side will have changed that. Its attempting to fix a problem that doesn't actually exist. We are well stocked with quality, experienced looseheads with Healy, Dooley and Byrne.

Dooley and Byrne are not international quality props, the last time both Dooley and Porter were both looseheads Porter was very young so hardly a fair comparison. If something happens to Healy and the other two are playing in a Heino cup final you’d be worried.

[ronk]

It’s also important to consider if the IRFU will try hand him to Munster if both him and Furlong are the first and second choice for Ireland. They are both young men a few years apart and if he is moved on he is of no use to us, quite the opposite he will be making one of our rivals better. They eventually got their way with Jack a year after getting their way with Joey.

If we can’t have 2 elite tight heads we may as well give up on the Heineken Cup and slaughter the golden goose right now.

McGrath served his time and needed a fresh start. He declined from test Lion to missing RWC squad and he was genuinely having game time issues. I thought here was the place to fix them but he didn’t - and his voice is the one that counts obviously.

Leinster have Healy, Byrne and Dooley as proven looseheads. We have Furlong and Bent as tightheads, and Bent doesn’t have very long. Abdeladze and Aungier are coming through and I get that Byrne and Dooley don’t look like future elite looseheads but they are still strong.

Before McGrath left and the others stalled a little it was looking like too many looseheads was the big problem. Now that the situation is changed there’s scope to develop there. But I think we’re better off with a good tighthead and can sign a loosehead if we need (per the other thread looseheads are cheaper).

[hugonaut]

Tom Clarkson is coming up the ranks and could move sides also. Then of course theirs Healys natural heir who is still playing schools rugby.

Who is this?

[mildlyinterested]

Tom Clarkson is coming up the ranks and could move sides also. Then of course theirs Healys natural heir who is still playing schools rugby.

Who is this?

Jack Boyle

[ronk]

I'm not sure why moving Porter is seen as a good idea - Dooley was a better loosehead than him before he switched across so I don't see how a couple of years playing on the other side will have changed that. Its attempting to fix a problem that doesn't actually exist. We are well stocked with quality, experienced looseheads with Healy, Dooley and Byrne.

Dooley and Byrne are not international quality props, the last time both Dooley and Porter were both looseheads Porter was very young so hardly a fair comparison. If something happens to Healy and the other two are playing in a Heino cup final you’d be worried.

If we reach a HCF then one of them minimum makes the match day squad. Byrne played the semi against Toulouse with no issues. I wasn’t worried, I doubt you were. He was harshly dropped for the final based on reputation over form for McGrath.

Porter should be targeting the next Lions tour. Abdeladze, Bent and Aungier are further away from international action than Dooley and Byrne. One of the reasons that Porter switched was the expectations around Dooley and Byrne, and they are still improving.

[ronk]

Tom Clarkson is coming up the ranks and could move sides also. Then of course theirs Healys natural heir who is still playing schools rugby.

Who is this?

Jack Boyle

Healy made his debut for Leinster at 19 and won HC at 21. If Boyle is that good then there isn’t a succession issue.
But I don’t know him.

[Pilotman123]

I’d suggest you watch the leinsters schools senior cup as most of our players come from those schools, it’s a good idea to see what the future is like if you watch underage rugby, they’re also showing Ireland u18 rugby on TV now it was on premier sports in April

[Logorrhea]

Jesus Logo.....................................

Yeah...what nonsense

This is like arguing over fantasy football picks. Its not going to happen. Its a sh!t idea.