Chinks in Leinster armour

At 34 Leo Cullen doesn't seem to last 80 minutes in games anymore.
I think Mike Ross wasn't as good this year as he was last year. He might be starting to go on the wane.
Brad Thorn was only on a 3 month contract and has to be replaced. Toner is good, but we need to replace Cullen soon too I think.

I know it's not an apocalypse or anything. But the pack that took us to three European titles might be passed its peak. Especially in the engine room of the 2nd row. I think we need a big 2nd row signing. I know budgets are being tightened so we probably can't get a proven world class test star. Any idea's who we should get? And we need to develop good backup for Ross before it becomes a problem. Not a foreigner. It'll have to be the Irish guys we have. Will Hagan be up to it?

With White gone to Connacht, Hagan will see a lot more game time next season

In the second row there is no really promising players coming through bar Henderson and all the decent ones have been established at their provinces and i cant see them moving. (Unless Ryan or O'Connell would like to win some more competitions at some point )

Think they will go down the road of an uncapped foreign player like Sykes and hope it works out better.

We have that michael bent guy coming in for back up to ross but we dont know how good he is...

should they take a look at nagle or does everyone now think the aus match was a flash in the pan

with his current form, I thought that Cullen would at least have one HC season in his belt.

If we had a time machine we could go back and try and nab Donncha Ryan when he couldn't get into the Munster team and sign Richie Gray before he agreed to go to Sale. Can't get either now.

I reckon we'll sign some South African lock that nobody's heard of and we'll all be onto biltong to find out if he's any good.

Cullen does have another season in him. But the clock is ticking. I think Munster were to slow to replace some of their HC winning team, and we shouldn't fall into the same trap. I want to stay on top. No dip.

We've signed Denton (lock) from Leeds but i would take that as a direct replacement for Damien Browne. Richie Murphy said in this interview yesterday that we were looking at signing a lock, but wouldn't name names...

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/mdtv/?play=media&id=12012

Is Browne gone?

He wasn't in the list of 20 odd players who were offered extensions anyway.

Feckless Rogue wrote:At 34 Leo Cullen doesn't seem to last 80 minutes in games anymore.
I think Mike Ross wasn't as good this year as he was last year. He might be starting to go on the wane.
Brad Thorn was only on a 3 month contract and has to be replaced. Toner is good, but we need to replace Cullen soon too I think.

Is that it?! Jeebus some people think they have problems..... ......

LEINSTER ARE IN CRISIS!.......

just have to give afoa and tuohy a call get them down to the rds pronto

Problem solved. Crisis over

The crisis.

Choosing the 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 15 in each game. "Now let me see, stand in a line lads - be quiet Kearney!...yeah you, the older one - now, stand still or I'll fumble this............ Eeeny, Meeny, Mony, Mo...................."

SecretFly wrote:The crisis.

Choosing the 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 15 in each game. "Now let me see, stand in a line lads - be quiet Kearney!...yeah you, the older one - now, stand still or I'll fumble this............ Eeeny, Meeny, Mony, Mo...................."

Jeez, where were you hanging around in the playground? It's :

Eeny,meeny, miney, mo,
Where do all the Leinstermen go?
To the East and to the West,
To the bonny birdie's nest......

Or else

Eeeny, meeny, miney, mo.
Put Andy Conway on the po.
When he's done,
Wipe his bum.
And tell his mother what he's done.

Pot Hale wrote:

SecretFly wrote:The crisis.

Choosing the 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 15 in each game. "Now let me see, stand in a line lads - be quiet Kearney!...yeah you, the older one - now, stand still or I'll fumble this............ Eeeny, Meeny, Mony, Mo...................."

Jeez, where were you hanging around in the playground? It's :

Eeny,meeny, miney, mo,
Where do all the Leinstermen go?
To the East and to the West,
To the bonny birdie's nest......

Or else

Eeeny, meeny, miney, mo.
Put Andy Conway on the po.
When he's done,
Wipe his bum.
And tell his mother what he's done.

You were obviously a goody two shoes! I was smoking behind the toilets ..I only heard that stuff coming down a breeze as we plotted when we were going to duck O'Toole the squealer

I have a secret desire that we go for and sign James Horwill and for more than a year. I know he is doing well where he is but would love him to be part of our team for 2 seasons or so. I think he'd fit in with us really really well.

I can definitely see us going for some unheard of Saffa.

Leinster and Munster are in polar opposite situations in relation to NIQ players.

Munster need some backrow players and will be dipping right down into the piggy bank using DOC2 and TOD more a less as first string although Ronan should be back. But who else do they have? They need to get a NIQ project player in the backrow. Very unfortunate with injuries and retirements: Leamy, MOD, Wallace, Flannery, Hurley
I assume Jones and Howlett will be fine by Sept though

Where as we seem to be doing quite well in terms of depth and have two NIQ spots to fill.

I would have loved for Richie Gray to have gone to Leinster. His decision to go to Sale is baffling to me.

It would be some ball carrying pack with Healy, SOB, Heaslip and Gray...... they certainly wouldn't struggle to make ground in the tight phases.

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:I would have loved for Richie Gray to have gone to Leinster. His decision to go to Sale is baffling to me.

It would be some ball carrying pack with Healy, SOB, Heaslip and Gray...... they certainly wouldn't struggle to make ground in the tight phases.

I'm not disparaging Gray but were Leinster looking for him? I don't know the answer so it's a genuine question. You seem to imply that he had a choice to make between Leinster and Sale?

Leinster weren't looking for a 2nd row when Gray signed for Sale. We had Sykes. But he left soon after. We eventually got Thorn in. It was only then that us Leinster fans started discussing the fact that Gray would have been a brilliant signing. If only Sykes had left a few months earlier, we might have tried to get Gray. But it was never on. Only in hindsight, we see it could have been a possibility if the timing was different.

Horwill. Not a bad idea. I'm sure Elsom would tell him good things about Leinster.

Plus him and Cullen together, would be a particularly ugly looking partnership, which is important for a 2nd row.

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

I don't know if he had a choice to go to Leinster, I know a lock of his abilites would fit in well there.

As per the Rumour mill he turned down offers from some "Big" clubs. Leinster to me would be a "big" club for sure.

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote: Where as we seem to be doing quite well in terms of depth and have two NIQ spots to fill.

You also have a Project place to fill dont you - you ?
You only have VdM and Nacewa signed for next year I believe.

As far as I know Munster have 2 Props, Howlett and Lualua - so only a Project place left

So my stats say:
Ulster 3+1
Munster 4
Leinster 2

NIE

Feckless Rogue wrote: Plus him and Cullen together, would be a particularly ugly looking partnership, which is important for a 2nd row.

That Muller one far too good looking

Mind you Tuohy and Stevenson fit the criteria - although admitedly not in Cullen's league

geoff998rugby wrote:

Feckless Rogue wrote: Plus him and Cullen together, would be a particularly ugly looking partnership, which is important for a 2nd row.

That Muller one far too good looking

Mind you Tuohy and Stevenson fit the criteria - although admitedly not in Cullen's league

I actually think Cullen is the ugliest man i've ever seen

No doubt about it gowales. He looks like a cross between a human and......... something else.

The guys debating ugliness put up your pics here and we'll all have a vote on just how cute you guys are

SecretFly wrote:The guys debating ugliness put up your pics here and we'll all have a vote on just how cute you guys are

I'd like to put i'd be putting my million dollar business in jeopardy.... not

SecretFly wrote:The guys debating ugliness put up your pics here and we'll all have a vote on just how cute you guys are

http://instagr.am/p/K_BpvwqDev/


Winner of the cutest butt in Leinster competition 4 years on the trot!

Mickado wrote:

SecretFly wrote:The guys debating ugliness put up your pics here and we'll all have a vote on just how cute you guys are

http://instagr.am/p/K_BpvwqDev/


Winner of the cutest butt in Leinster competition 4 years on the trot!

Samurai!

geoff998rugby wrote:

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote: Where as we seem to be doing quite well in terms of depth and have two NIQ spots to fill.

You also have a Project place to fill dont you - you ?
You only have VdM and Nacewa signed for next year I believe.

As far as I know Munster have 2 Props, Howlett and Lualua - so only a Project place left

So my stats say:
Ulster 3+1
Munster 4
Leinster 2

NIE

Yeah that's the one!

Any idea who Ulster will sign? They got Wilson to cover Diack and also Bowe is back in.

Munster need to find a backrow project player super quick! That is the position they are looking most dodge in.

Leinster have let Berquist, White and Thorn go and Strauss will be Irish qualified in August. They have signed up an Irish eligible lock and prop (can play both sides) so they are more a less covered other than at flyhalf (Reid doesn't look like he will cut it) but I can see them going for a lock and possibly another prop (TH) as well.
BIG SQUAD

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:
Yeah that's the one!

Any idea who Ulster will sign? They got Wilson to cover Diack and also Bowe is back in.

Munster need to find a backrow project player super quick! That is the position they are looking most dodge in.

Leinster have let Berquist, White and Thorn go and Strauss will be Irish qualified in August. They have signed up an Irish eligible lock and prop (can play both sides) so they are more a less covered other than at flyhalf (Reid doesn't look like he will cut it) but I can see them going for a lock and possibly another prop (TH) as well.
BIG SQUAD

Not too sure about Reid. Hes a bit of a maverick but the talent is there. If Leinster can tame him they might have another classy player.

Actually with Madigan coming through its amazing to think that McKinley was rated higher at the start of the season until he had to retire after losing his eye.

I think we're fairly well served with OH's, Isa can even play there in a pinch.

SO who are Leinster gonna try and get for their NIE spots or will they bother using them all?

Is Horwill a good shout?

Seeing that Horwill is the Aussie captain, i'd say that is very unlikely

With the likes of Dan Carter and co moving up north I don't think it is completely unreasonable and it's a while away to the next RWC.

I think your desire to sign him is clouding your judgement. Horwill was just given the captaincy last year do you really think he would throw that away?

gowales wrote:I think your desire to sign him is clouding your judgement. Horwill was just given the captaincy last year do you really think he would throw that away?

You also have to factor in the Lions tour there next year. No Aussie, especially not their captain, will want to leave and forfeit their chance to play.

Oh yeah forgot the Lions well that well and truely is the nail in that coffin. Foiled!
Random Saffa here we come!

So longs as there's no repeat of the Sykes incident I don't mind. I believe in Joe!