Leinster players In and Out

With the news that Leinster tight head prop Nathan White is off to Connacht next season I thought i should do up a thread to track all incoming, outgoing and re-contracting players.

At the moment, all we know for sure is:

Out:

Nathan White – Prop – Connacht
Mat Berquist – Out Half – Biarritz
Stephen Sykes – Lock – Sharks?

In:

Brad Thorn – Lock – Fukuoka Sanix Blues (3 month contract)

Players whose contract ends this season:

Avua'a
Boss
Browne
Carr
Cooney
D'Arcy
Dundon
Fitzgerald
Flanagan
Macken
Madigan - new 2 year contact
O'Connell
Reddan
Ruddock - new 2 year contact
Tom Sexton
Van Der Merwe

According to this article in the Times the deal with Fitzgerald is in danger.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0327/1224313955286.html

in better news Madigan has signed a new 2 year contract.

what do you guys make of the rumours surrounding Donnacha Ryan possibly making a move to Leinster. Schmitt has said he would be keen to make a bid for him.

Whos Fukuoka Sanix?

Would have liked for white to stay on as i don't think Hagans ready to be 2nd choice. Is that the plan or will there be another prop coming in?

Donnacha Ryan would be a great signing but hes just past DOC in the pecking order at Munster so I wouldn't say its too likely. we should have went for him 2-3 years ago when he wasn't getting his game for Munster

Cullen, Horgan, McLaughlin & Dave Kearney could be out of contract too.

Cullen. Surely another year or 2.

D Kearney & Kev McL.... MMmm yes please.

Horgan........? Hope he's not finished. Could get another year if he can get back to fitness.

D'Arcy looks like he is going for a 2 year contract.

Ruddock staying put for 2 years too

Van Der Merwe may get another year with White leaving.

Madigan & Fitzgerald need to be re signed asap

Boss & Reddan also need to be re signed. Unless........

O'Connell in year 2 of the academy

Browne & Carr..... Dunno

Dundon & Avua'a probably be extended. Leo definitely. He's playing a stormer

Flanagan, Tom Sexton, Macken, Cooney are on development contracts and will probably be extended

Sanix are the Japanese team that Thorn plays for btw.

Ryan would be a great signing but he's just broken in to the Munster first team so he'd be mad to move. The rumours are saying that with POC and DOC on central contracts the IRFU wouldn't want 3 locks at the same province, which i suppose makes sense, but giving DOC a central contract doesn't.

"Would have liked for white to stay on as i don't think Hagans ready to be 2nd choice. Is that the plan or will there be another prop coming in?"

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Why does everybody presume that Hagan is ahead of Jack McGrath. McGrath is currently next in line after White.

Also has it been confirmed that Thorn is moving because it dosen't say anything on Leinster's website

McGrath is a loosehead, Hagan is a tighthead. McGrath is behind Van Der Merwe.

McGrath has played loosehead and tighthead but he hasn't played TH at senior level as far as I know.

On Thorn - apparently its as good as confirmed, the Japanese club won't sign anything until their season is done, which is this weekend.

Mickado wrote:McGrath has played loosehead and tighthead but he hasn't played TH at senior level as far as I know.

On Thorn - apparently its as good as confirmed, the Japanese club won't sign anything until their season is done, which is this weekend.

They have a game on the 3rd of March.

Hmm so it finishes next week. Schmidt said he would be here on the 5th March in his post match interview last week.

Mickado wrote:Hmm so it finishes next week. Schmidt said he would be here on the 5th March in his post match interview last week.

Yup. Straight on a plane.

Doubler.

With Browne not able to last a full game, Cullen under the knife and Sykes sent packing, the sooner Thorn comes in the better. Otherwise we might be looking at a running in the season with Toner and McL/Flanagan.

White going to Connacht smacks of Leinster agreeing with Ulster/Munster that they will step aside in the 'who wants the sole NIQ TH position'.

thebandwagonsociety wrote:With Browne not able to last a full game, Cullen under the knife and Sykes sent packing, the sooner Thorn comes in the better. Otherwise we might be looking at a running in the season with Toner and McL/Flanagan.

White going to Connacht smacks of Leinster agreeing with Ulster/Munster that they will step aside in the 'who wants the sole NIQ TH position'.

Which is fair enough Band, Botha and Afoa are far more valuable to Munster and Ulster than White is to us.

It also gives us leverage to stake a claim for keeping Van der Merwe.

I'd welcome Ryan for sure but have doubts about how likely it is.

I think getting a lock is a must at this stage, not sure from where and Ryan would be idea but someone like Nathan Sharpe could be a good bet too.

Horgan will be doing well if he gets another year I'd say.

Heard talk that Englaish and French are looking at D.Kearney, really hope he stays.
They can take Darcy though

I would be amazed if it was true. IMO he is bigging himself up to earn a top spot at Munster.

thebandwagonsociety wrote:With Browne not able to last a full game, Cullen under the knife and Sykes sent packing, the sooner Thorn comes in the better. Otherwise we might be looking at a running in the season with Toner and McL/Flanagan.

White going to Connacht smacks of Leinster agreeing with Ulster/Munster that they will step aside in the 'who wants the sole NIQ TH position'.

If the rules don't change it is already been decided.

Afoa has a contract for 2013/14 Botha doesn't

I think Nathan Sharpe has announced that he is going to retire at the end of this season.

Im not especially worried about those rules. What will the IRFU do if Munster have just Stephen Archer at tighthead? Let them off. Tell them to suffer? Not a chance they will. It will be fine.

geoff998rugby wrote:

thebandwagonsociety wrote:With Browne not able to last a full game, Cullen under the knife and Sykes sent packing, the sooner Thorn comes in the better. Otherwise we might be looking at a running in the season with Toner and McL/Flanagan.

White going to Connacht smacks of Leinster agreeing with Ulster/Munster that they will step aside in the 'who wants the sole NIQ TH position'.

If the rules don't change it is already been decided.

Afoa has a contract for 2013/14 Botha doesn't

Cheers geoff. Just to make clear, when do the restrictions come into place? Is it from the start of next season? If so, could Munster offer Botha a contract into 2015?

What about someone like Yoann Maestri or Pascal Pape?

red_stag wrote:Im not especially worried about those rules. What will the IRFU do if Munster have just Stephen Archer at tighthead? Let them off. Tell them to suffer? Not a chance they will. It will be fine.

True, but they can't say that officially or in public because it undermines the purpose of the rule which is to put pressure on the senior side to take a punt on their academy (and put pressure on the academy to produce quality) rather than spending above average money on below average NIQs.

Mickado wrote:What about someone like Yoann Maestri or Pascal Pape?

thinking outside the box, are greg oden or yao ming doing anything?

thebandwagonsociety wrote:

Mickado wrote:What about someone like Yoann Maestri or Pascal Pape?

thinking outside the box, are greg oden or yao ming doing anything?

Wouldn't be wild on Pape but Maestri has looked good.

There are quite a few good locks in France tbh and most would be used to our style of play too which is a big thing for me. That would be the thing that would turn me off Ryan.

red_stag wrote:Im not especially worried about those rules. What will the IRFU do if Munster have just Stephen Archer at tighthead? Let them off. Tell them to suffer? Not a chance they will. It will be fine.

Surely the point is that Munster have 2 or 3 years to ensure that they won't only have Stephen Archer.

New system start in 2013-14.

The Provinces are trying to get a few components changed especially the bit about not allowing them to re sign a palyer and also the bit about restricting a player to one position.
I think the Provinces want it that say a player playes 75% in one position not 100% so in emergencies - Pienaer can go to 10, Nacewa can go to 15, Afoa can go to 1 etc etc.
The bit about 1 NIE per position will stay I believe.

I understand Dublin will not allow new NIE contracts beyond 2013 that break this rule so Munster cant re sign Botha.

It is interesting there are only 3 NIE in place for 2013-14 and they are all at Ulster - Payne, Afoa, Pienaer

geoff998rugby wrote:New system start in 2013-14.

The Provinces are trying to get a few components changed especially the bit about not allowing them to re sign a palyer and also the bit about restricting a player to one position.
I think the Provinces want it that say a player playes 75% in one position not 100% so in emergencies - Pienaer can go to 10, Nacewa can go to 15, Afoa can go to 1 etc etc.
The bit about 1 NIE per position will stay I believe.

I understand Dublin will not allow new NIE contracts beyond 2013 that break this rule so Munster cant re sign Botha.

It is interesting there are only 3 NIE in place for 2013-14 and they are all at Ulster - Payne, Afoa, Pienaer

Cheers geoff, you are always a great man on the details

Thorn confirmed

Any links,not that I don't believe you I just want to read the good news.

its on the leinster website.

Great chance of retaining the Heineken now imo

Doh,should have been my first port of call,thanks yeah this is a huge signing and shores up the one area I was worried about.

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/newsroom/9604.php

Get. Up. The. Fckin. Yard.

Hope he doesn't prove to be a Thorn in Leinster's side.

leinsterbaby wrote:Hope he doesn't prove to be a Thorn in Leinster's side.

I hope he does....

Over-the-hill has-been

Mickado wrote:

leinsterbaby wrote:Hope he doesn't prove to be a Thorn in Leinster's side.

I hope he does....

[justify]

He is already a Thorn in Leinsters side but unless he proves to be a thorn in other teams sides then he really will be a Thorn in Leinster's side if you know what I mean.

Ahhhhh yes. I see.

Lets not get bogged down in semantics. He's a class player who's won pretty much every trophy he's competed for in professional rugby, so lets hope he leaves with 2 more winners medals in his arse pocket.

If he does he will be the only player ever to have won Hcup, Super 15, World cup and Rabo Direct medals.

Nice haul.

leinsterbaby wrote:If he does he will be the only player ever to have won Hcup, Super 15, World cup and Rabo Direct medals.

Nice haul.

NPC. NRL. State of Origin. probably several more too.

My only concern is that he has been playing and training for the last 15 months flat out, no break post WC, which aparently is the longest stretch in his career and he is 36 or something. Hopefully he has the gas to put in another barnstorming three months without injury or loss of form.

Anyways it is creating a nice buzz round the club with 16k tickets sold for the Ospreys.

are u sure matt berquist is leaving i havent heard anythin about that?

leinsterbaby wrote:If he does he will be the only player ever to have won Hcup, Super 15, World cup and Rabo Direct medals.

Nice haul.

The most important one by far being the Robocop tin medal.

Definitely one to hang in the Thorn family toilet.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:are u sure matt berquist is leaving i havent heard anythin about that?

Not 100% sure but there was a report in Midi-Olympique that he is singing for Biarritz.

Rhys Ruddock has signed a new 2 year contract according to the times this morning. I'm glad he wants to stay with Leinster but he needs to improve a good bit before he's getting anywhere near the international jersey.

Should have come to the Ospreys. We could have used his versatility and who knows with a change of environment he could improve his game like Bowe did.

I don't know mate, Bowe was already a pretty well established international at that stage. In fact, i think he was the league top try scorer ever when he made the move. The reality is that playing in the Pro12 would help his international hopes, but playing for Leinster and playing well for Leinster would mean he's impossible to ignore. I'm glad he chose us and we're keeping him on because although he's far from the finished article, he's only 22 and clearly the management can see that he has massive potential.

Bowe won the IRUPA Player of the Season Award the year he left Ulster, remember.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

leinsterbaby wrote:If he does he will be the only player ever to have won Hcup, Super 15, World cup and Rabo Direct medals.

Nice haul.

NPC. NRL. State of Origin. probably several more too.

Grand Slam tourist 2008 & 2010, 3N winner 2003, 2008, 2010 (inc a Grand Slam 2010), Bledisloe Cup (we’ve had it since he started playing for NZ) winner....

His place in history is well and truly assured....

chewed_mintie wrote:

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

leinsterbaby wrote:If he does he will be the only player ever to have won Hcup, Super 15, World cup and Rabo Direct medals.

Nice haul.

NPC. NRL. State of Origin. probably several more too.

Grand Slam tourist 2008 & 2010, 3N winner 2003, 2008, 2010 (inc a Grand Slam 2010), Bledisloe Cup (we’ve had it since he started playing for NZ) winner....

His place in history is well and truly assured....

And an RL world cup too