Ryan or Ruddock?

[Peat]

I never saw rumours about Ulster looking at Macken and Conway - and I'd rather have Spence and Gilroy anyway. I did see rumours about DOCv2.0 and Butler mind.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Whats the betting more players will switch between provinces. Leinster might take a lock from Munster and Munster might take some Leinster backs.

The downside of academy Leinsters success is that many teams will be watching them closely and offer contracts to sub academy players which will force Leinster to sign them like what happened with Conway. Leinster should max out their academy with potential players. During the summer they lost 2 sub academy players. Jones to Ospreys and Stephen McAuley to Leicester Tigers.

Theres even talk now about English clubs wanting to sign deals with some Leinster schools.

Good post.

Talking about Ross Jones and Stephen McAuley, although they came through the Leinster schools system, they're Welsh and Northern Irish respectively.

I think player movement between the provinces is becoming far more fluid.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

I never saw rumours about Ulster looking at Macken and Conway - and I'd rather have Spence and Gilroy anyway. I did see rumours about DOCv2.0 and Butler mind.

Leinster were apparently also interested in Dave O'Callaghan. Mike Sherry was on the hitlist too.

I accept it's better to have homegrown players like Gilroy and Spence to Conway and Macken. Is it better to have Tommy Seymour, Mark McCrea and David McIlwaine though?!

 

[coonor]

From what I've seen of Buckley this season he's not lazy. Technically not a good scrummager but he's still alot better than Hayes or most props in Ireland. He's over 20st and I'd imagine its hard for somebody of that size to run around the field like a 14st back.

He may be 20st+ but i'd put my money on Healy to make more ground in contact even though he's almost 3 stones lighter. Buckley's good when you need someone to break the try line and his handling can be quite good aswell but none of that matters when we don't have the ball and when we have such a poor scrum we rarely get over 50% of possession. Buckley would make a better impact sub as he could come for 20mins when he won't get tired.

 

[profitius]

So Leinster were after Dave O'Callaghan too! He's a very good player so I'm glad Munster hung on to him. Maybe thats why he was brought into the Munster academy half way through last season.

 

[Peat]

Leinster were apparently also interested in Dave O'Callaghan. Mike Sherry was on the hitlist too.

I accept it's better to have homegrown players like Gilroy and Spence to Conway and Macken. Is it better to have Tommy Seymour, Mark McCrea and David McIlwaine though?!

Hahaha, not really.

Although to be fair - McCrea has talent but has had a horrible run with injuries so no one's sure how much and McIlwaine has only just stepped into the professional game and is clearly short of real gym time. I don't think he'll ever be a superstar but he's a big lad and quite secure, he could be useful in time. Seymour I just don't rate.

But the likes of Conway aren't going to move up North to take McIlwaine's place as 5th choice winger/3rd choice full-back. And Ulster don't have the money to spend on decent players for those sort of positions.