Top 14 Top Earners

[donmcdazzle]

It's called market forces.

The European market is considerably more lucrative than the SANZAR one
Sexton is one of the top 10's in Europe if not the best so he demands a high salary.

If Cruden, Carter or even possibly Barrett were playing in Europe they would obviously have a high salary as well.

Yes I understand that. I just wasn't aware of the scale of the disparity. I have to say I'd be over there ASAP if I saw someone not as good as me earning double what I was. It makes it even more impressive to me that the black jersey can keep guys here.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Yes I understand that. I just wasn't aware of the scale of the disparity. I have to say I'd be over there ASAP if I saw someone not as good as me earning double what I was. It makes it even more impressive to me that the black jersey can keep guys here.

Well, there'd be few 10's better around at the moment tbh. Lions 10 and little going on in France at the moment, so a shoe in for best European 10. The you have Quade Cooper who cannot defend to save his life, Morne Steyn who doesn't seem to know he actually has players outside of him (although I have heard he's improved in that regard) and then the New Zealand boys. Fair call to put him in the world's top 3. He's certainly our most talented player.

 

[Big Ewis]

we'll just have to see how damaging this really is to France. In a few years time. Of course because of the calendar, our guys play way more games, train for like 2 hrs before the 6N each year when the others all get a good week or two - but I dunno about int'l players overshadowing the French ones. Sure, a bit, that's just a de facto consequence. But I mean to the point of it being so problematic everybody (even the non-french) talks about it regularly ?...
Our guys still develop, and they have more competition and have to fight much more for that starting spot. Plus the influence of other guys, our guys can add some of that to their games...

Just a light scale example: Picamoles wouldn't be a better no.8 if the league was entirely French, or Fofana at center - in fact for his case having a couple of Fijian/NZ wingers instills a great passing game into him, and he's used to running with athletic attackers, which necessarily ups his game. He may not get that kind of running from the French wingers in capped games, but surely it makes him a center who's been with 'the best' of em.

 

[big ginger 8]

It just stuck out to me, he isn't exactly head and shoulders above many other 10's floating around and is on probably double what Aaron Cruden is on; I'd take Cruden any day of the week above Sexton.

Well I suppose that's where we'd differ there's no doubt in my mind Sexton's the second best 10 in the world. Also for European club rugby there is no one better the one year Leinster didn't make a European final Sexton was injured when we got knocked out.

If anyone is ridiculous on that list it's Szarzewski.

 

[donmcdazzle]

Well I suppose that's where we'd differ there's no doubt in my mind Sexton's the second best 10 in the world. Also for European club rugby there is no one better the one year Leinster didn't make a European final Sexton was injured when we got knocked out.

If anyone is ridiculous on that list it's Szarzewski.

Do non-Irish fans rate Sexton? He was dreadful for the Lions. He was the running joke amongst my mates for how bad he was every game. Could be a Steven Donald; good at Super rugby/H cup, no good at the top level against top competition. Either way the fact he is the 2nd highest paid in the league and on double what people who are better than him are on is what stood out to me. But yeah Szarzewski too, there are plenty of hookers I'd take ahead of him.

 

[big ginger 8]

Do non-Irish fans rate Sexton? He was dreadful for the Lions. He was the running joke amongst my mates for how bad he was every game. Could be a Steven Donald; good at Super rugby/H cup, no good at the top level against top competition. Either way the fact he is the 2nd highest paid in the league and on double what people who are better than him are on is what stood out to me. But yeah Szarzewski too, there are plenty of hookers I'd take ahead of him.

Well everyone had been saying he was nailed on starter from the Lions way out and I'm pretty sure he got the most votes when there was the whole second best 10 in the world thread. Well the poll anyway. http://www.therugbyforum.com/showthread.php?30629-World-s-Second-Best-Flyhalf

I think you and your mates really need to reassess how you judge an outhalf if you think he was dreadful.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Do non-Irish fans rate Sexton? He was dreadful for the Lions. He was the running joke amongst my mates for how bad he was every game. Could be a Steven Donald; good at Super rugby/H cup, no good at the top level against top competition. Either way the fact he is the 2nd highest paid in the league and on double what people who are better than him are on is what stood out to me. But yeah Szarzewski too, there are plenty of hookers I'd take ahead of him.

You're outta here buster.


By the by, Stephen Donald was bloody useless for Bath.

 

[Draggs]

Don, for the sake of our sanities, do not openly question a Leinster player. You'll be forced to watch numerous best of videos as penance.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Don, for the sake of our sanities, do not openly question a Leinster player. You'll be forced to watch numerous best of videos as penance.

Ex-Leinster. Hence him only being the second greatest thing since sliced bread.

 

[psychic duck]

You're outta here buster.


By the by, Stephen Donald was bloody useless for Bath.

The Kiwis don't rate Sexton and NH fly halves in general. Here is the little snippet on Sexton from an New Zealand Herald article boasting about their fly halves.

The Irish will claim Johnny Sexton is close (to Carter). But it would be close, as in Iceland is close to the North Pole; 5000km apart and separated by treacherous ice and partly frozen ocean.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10900947

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

That's because rarely do NH fly halves look any good against NZ...

 

[big ginger 8]

The Kiwis don't rate Sexton and NH fly halves in general. Here is the little snippet on Sexton from an New Zealand Herald article boasting about their fly halves.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10900947

Isn't that the same guy who wrote that wonderful overrated article which included Shane Horgan?

That's because rarely do NH fly halves look any good against NZ...

Which is quite a limited and impractical point of view which really shouldn't be adhered to or else you'd rate Farrell over Sexton which would just be wrong and silly very silly.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Which is quite a limited and impractical point of view which really shouldn't be adhered to or else you'd rate Farrell over Sexton which would just be wrong and silly very silly.

It's just guys like BOD, Shane Williams etc. have all performed fairly consistently against NZ (as good as any NZ player would perform against other opposition). It's not like NZ is against saying other nations' players aren't good - it's just we don't see anything from Sexton to indicate he's actually a great fly half, contrary to the two guys I've listed above, who have proven themselves time and time again against the All Blacks.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I think Sexton is insanely good...for Leinster. Decent at international level, but never really that impressive. The new Ireland coaches could change that though.

 

[lynam1104]

I think Sexton is insanely good...for Leinster. Decent at international level, but never really that impressive. The new Ireland coaches could change that though.

Considering it's the same coach he's been "insanely good" under I quite like the chances of him showing more of his club ability and form at Ireland.

 

[Gavin]

That's because rarely do NH fly halves look any good against NZ...

 

[big ginger 8]

I think Sexton is insanely good...for Leinster. Decent at international level, but never really that impressive. The new Ireland coaches could change that though.

If Argentina 2012 for one example isn't impressive then I don't know what is.

 

[gaston le gaff]

Sexton will find it slightly more difficult in the TOP 14, much more physical and more games in a season, but there is absolutely no reason why he should not be successful he is an excellent10 maybe not the very best but with Racing their 2 new coaches who are excellent, and the recruitment that the team has signed this close season, it can only be beneficial for him. i will look forward to a Trinh-Duc v Sexton duel at the end of Nov. in Paris.

 

[Peat]

If Argentina 2012 for one example isn't impressive then I don't know what is.

Consistency is impressive. Sexton has shown what he can do at international level sporadically, but mostly he's been frustrating to watch in the international arena. There are really good reasons why this might be without it being Sexton's talent level, but that doesn't change the fact he hasn't consistently been impressive.

 

[big ginger 8]

Consistency is impressive. Sexton has shown what he can do at international level sporadically, but mostly he's been frustrating to watch in the international arena. There are really good reasons why this might be without it being Sexton's talent level, but that doesn't change the fact he hasn't consistently been impressive.

Luckily some of the biggest reason are gone now so I expect a lot to change. He was also beginning to show that consistency before injury vs England.