Transfers Rumours

[TRF_Olyy]

Rumours being chucked around that Chris Jones is off to Wasps next season
If true then someone needs to step the hell up from Sales locks, he's head and shoulders above the lot (apart from Kris Ormsby, but in reality, he's an 8 who plays lock because nooone else is good enough, unfortunately) - We'll have no lineout general either

 

[BRSTLDRGN]

Adrian Jarvis has left Bristol to play Premiership rugby at Leeds,so he may get 1 or 2 games before hes back in the championship. Was a solid player for us, now means finding a quality 10 is a priority

 

[munstermuffin]

Saints set to sign Sean Henry from Munster and Ger Sla is expected to sign with a club in UK.
Ger Slattery is captain of Young Munster and a part of the Munster set up

 

[Teh Mite]

Who?

 

[Conal]

sean henry a munster academy hooker one or two years below sherry looks like a great prospect

 

[Teh Mite]

He'd best be good if he's ever going to get ahead of Hartley or Sharman.

 

[munstermuffin]

Bullit he is a very mobile and strong hooker. I'd say he'd be similar to Sean Cronin and his darts are good. I think in a year or 2 he will compete with Hartley. This deal isn't tied up yet but looks set

 

[Teh Mite]

Saints have Tom May next season confirmed.

Odd signing IMO, must purely be to cover the 23 shirt.

 

[franklin]

Saints have Tom May next season confirmed.

Odd signing IMO, must purely be to cover the 23 shirt.

agree tiss an odd one this does shed a bit of light on the ansbro thing though..be interesting to know if tom may was lined up before ansbro's decision, i know which one i would prefer..

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

The Galway Independent has now joined the Irish Indo in saying Jamie Hagan has backed out of a deal with Connacht and signed for Leinster:

http://www.galwayindependent.com/sport/sport/sports-matters--09th-february-2011/

There will be considerable disappointment in Connacht at the news that prop Jamie Hagan is heading to Leinster on a three-year deal, just weeks after it was announced that he had agreed to stay with Eric Elwood’s side. Connacht knew from pre-Christmas that established players such as Sean Cronin, Ian Keatley and Fionn Carr were on their way out of the Sportsground but had started building next season’s squad with Hagan as a key figure, so his return to Leinster is a blow.

3 years is great news for Leinster. If Hagan has indeed signed, Leinster figure to have he, Mike Ross, Stan Wright, Simon Shawe and Stewart Maguire on their books at tighthead next season. I could see at least one of them moved on along with Clint Newland who is on a short term deal at present.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Awesome!!!

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Yeah, I'm pretty happy with it too. Basically he was loaned to Connacht for 2 years, they polished him up and he comes back to Leinster in good shape to make the 23 each week all while Leinster chose the more proven CJ van der Linde, Stan Wright and Mike Ross. I'd be more than willing to loan Connacht Stewart Maguire for a couple of seasons and see him come back in 2013 to compete with Hagan for the #3 shirt.

From Connacht's point of view, losing Jamie Hagan, Ian Keatley, Fionn Carr and Sean Cronin all at once is disastrous. Having said that, none of those players are from Connacht and they were always likely to leave when a better career opportunity came along. Connacht need to promote players from within the province more and rely on players from other provinces less. People like Aaron and Shane Conneally, Eoin McKeon, Danny Qualter, Tiernan O'Halloran and Eoin Griffin should be fast tracked into the setup.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Connacht are screwed for next season, basically
They've lost pretty much all of their best players

 

[munstermuffin]

Connacht will be wondering what exactly the IRFU are doing for them and let's not forget if Leinster win Heineken or Munster the Amlin then Connacht are in with the big fish next season.
On Hagan - that's a superb signing and well Leinster are well set for next 6/7 years. Only thing they miss is a polished back up 10 and they'll have a complete squad they can rotate

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

It's unfortunate for them but every team suffers from losing players. At the end of the 08/09 season for example, Leinster lost Felipe Contepomi, Chris Whitaker and Rocky Elsom from their starting XV to either other clubs or retirement. Leinster got on with it and made a Heineken Cup semi final and Magners League final. Connacht must regroup too.

As I see it, Tiernan O'Halloran has the talent to replace Fionn Carr while Mark McCrea will add decent depth out wide- as it is Brian Tuohy has already picked up a lot of their try scoring slack. Sean Cronin will be missed at hooker but he's being replaced by a better thrower in Adrian Flavin and a ball carrying number 8 in George Naoupu. The replacements for Ian Keatley and Jamie Hagan aren't as good but if Connacht can add a decent second row and inside centre, they should be no worse off than this season.

 

[Teh Mite]

I Wouldn't be entirely shocked if the IRFU don't pull the plug sooner or later. They're draining them so much now.

 

[Feicarsinn]

With us getting Cronin and Hogan off him I can see a far few of our boys going west on two year deals. JHW, Maguire, maybe Eoin Sheriff, a backrow or two and some outside backs would see them in good stead from a Lwinster point of view.

 

[munstermuffin]

Just to throw in that point it has been agreed that any players crossing from Munster Leinster and Ulster to Connacht won't be talked about until May June as there is no urgency in terms of competition and they are straight forward regards terms etc

 

[Feicarsinn]

I Wouldn't be entirely shocked if the IRFU don't pull the plug sooner or later. They're draining them so much now.

The Connacht situation is no different than it has been for a good few years. It's only a shame that all four of their big players' contracts ended at once. The fact of the matter was that Leinster sent Keatley, Hogan and Carr out to Connacht with a view to getting them some first team experience and then bring them back. That's what's happened and Connacht should have expected it. Ditto Cronin with Munster.

It's tough, but they are Leinster players who want to come home.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Exactly. Hagan came through the Leinster system and wants to return. What's the problem?

Leinster academy players Ian Keatley, Fionn Carr, Jamie Hagan and Shane Monahan went to Connacht. It looks as though only one of those is returning to Leinster. Keeping that in mind, Leinster can feel just as ****** off as the westies.