Saili to munster

2 year deal. What are your thoughts?

Very good signing for them.

Thankfully he is from the post Schmidt era of the Blues so he should have a bit of individuality left in him

He's an excellent player. Considering he's a powerful centre his main skill is his distribution particularly the offload from the tackle. Behind a faltering Auckland pack he's suffered but that's not often the case for Munster.

Munster needed something to spark that midfield. When I've seen them this season the centre combinations did not look Munster standard. Not sure Saili really fits that Munster style of play and I hope they don't just use him as a bosh merchant. As a focal poi the of their attack his ability to tie in defenders could create a lot of space for Zebo and Earles if they are running clever lines and anticipating his offloads.

ME-109 wrote:Thankfully he is from the post Schmidt era of the Blues so he should have a bit of individuality left in him

A midfield of Saili-Earls is a very tasty prospect. However, I really do feel for NZ and their fans, players are being offered deals that they simply cannot decline, and it is going to ruin the national team in a number of years.

Possibly or the players will do two years in Europe and return home with increased bank balances.

Renee Ranger is returning and Kaino has reintegrated.

An natural offloader going to an Irish team????

Hmmmm.... he might find himself passing to ghosts

Like I said recently about another whizz kid blow-in going to another Province....let's wait and see before plotting what beautiful cutting lines he makes in the butter of soft bellied opposition he meets in either Pro12 or ERCC.

Sometimes things look like they should work from paper plans...but when you turn the thing on............................ zilch.  So we'll see.  I expected a tad more from Kirchner than we've gotten to date.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:

ME-109 wrote:Thankfully he is from the post Schmidt era of the Blues so he should have a bit of individuality left in him

A midfield of Saili-Earls is a very tasty prospect. However, I really do feel for NZ and their fans, players are being offered deals that they simply cannot decline, and it is going to ruin the national team in a number of years.

In the Indo they are saying that Saili is too small for the ABs. I think the Blues may not be the most attractive team to be at now. They haven't won a game this season yet. Thanks Joe Schmidt and Nucifora for breaking the spirit of one of the great teams in world rugby.

There is going to be some crack in Munster when Saili arrives in Munster - Zebo will have a new showman to act the maggot with and Peter O'Mahony has a rival for having the least notes in his head!

Show me the money!

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/show-him-the-money-munster-have-signed-a-showman-in-all-black-francis-saili-322450.html

Heard mention that Saili is on 1 million euro for 2 years. Yikes.

SecretFly wrote:An natural offloader going to an Irish team????

Hmmmm.... he might find himself passing to ghosts

Like I said recently about another whizz kid blow-in going to another Province....let's wait and see before plotting what beautiful cutting lines he makes in the butter of soft bellied opposition he meets in either Pro12 or ERCC.

Sometimes things look like they should work from paper plans...but when you turn the thing on............................ zilch.  So we'll see.  I expected a tad more from Kirchner than we've gotten to date.

You haven't heard of Denis 'Sonny Bill' Hurley then?

Munster made 24 offloads in their Pro12 game v Glasgow.

Hurley has done a great job for us this year and has a very tasty partnership developing with earls.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:

ME-109 wrote:Thankfully he is from the post Schmidt era of the Blues so he should have a bit of individuality left in him

A midfield of Saili-Earls is a very tasty prospect. However, I really do feel for NZ and their fans, players are being offered deals that they simply cannot decline, and it is going to ruin the national team in a number of years.

Yup its looking ominous for NZ. I hope they enjoy this period of success because in a few years time I can see more and more players leave which will weaken them.

Sin é wrote:

SecretFly wrote:An natural offloader going to an Irish team????

Hmmmm.... he might find himself passing to ghosts

Like I said recently about another whizz kid blow-in going to another Province....let's wait and see before plotting what beautiful cutting lines he makes in the butter of soft bellied opposition he meets in either Pro12 or ERCC.

Sometimes things look like they should work from paper plans...but when you turn the thing on............................ zilch.  So we'll see.  I expected a tad more from Kirchner than we've gotten to date.

You haven't heard of Denis 'Sonny Bill' Hurley then?

Munster made 24 offloads in their Pro12 game v Glasgow.

Oh yeah. That is right. Munster have become the offload kings now when offloading has become So Last Year.... The new Black, Sin, is plod'n'ruck.

Damn fine signing, really happy about this and too be honest after the JJ fiasco, a good signing was needed.

Anyone know what the story with Tyler Blyendaal is? Haven't heard a gog. Is he gone

ME-109 wrote:Anyone know what the story with Tyler Blyendaal is? Haven't heard a gog. Is he gone

Nope. He is now doing full contact training and we may seem him play rugby for Munster before the end of the season.

I'm getting the sense Irish sides are strengthening with a view to make sure they get top 4 places secured in the Pro 12 next year.

Got to be honest the Pro 12 has been ludicrous this year especially when you consider that Leinster wont even make the playoff's. Be interested to see how Leinster will combat the signings of Ulster and Munster. I know Sexton is coming back but given the age of some of the squad you would have thought they will need some top draw replacements at scrum half at the very least. Boss and Reddan cant keep going for ever.....or can they?

Irish provincial rugby going from strength to strength and leaving the welsh eating their dust yet again. Time for us to wake up.

Are Leinster signing any big names then? They seem to be left out. They could probably do with a centre themselves. They look pretty good everywhere else.

The Saint wrote:Irish provincial rugby going from strength to strength and leaving the welsh eating their dust yet again. Time for us to wake up.

Are Leinster signing any big names then? They seem to be left out. They could probably do with a centre themselves. They look pretty good everywhere else.

Getting Johnny Sexton back, along with keeping SOB and Heaslip were our big signings. We are set to announce 2 new signings in the coming weeks but they most likely will be Isa coming back and Mick Kearney from Connacht.

So that leaves you with centres as Madigan (who should be 10 cover), D'Arcy, McFadden (seems more of a utility?). You just seem a bit light in that area. I'm not familiar with Mick Kearney. Surprised you're not trying to steal Henshaw?

Good old Nacewa, where has he been?

The Saint wrote:So that leaves you with centres as Madigan (who should be 10 cover), D'Arcy, McFadden (seems more of a utility?). You just seem a bit light in that area. I'm not familiar with Mick Kearney. Surprised you're not trying to steal Henshaw?

Good old Nacewa, where has he been?

We also have Teo and Fitzy who can comfortably play in the center. But ye we are a bit light there but we have some good prospects in the academy that we need to give gametime to.

Nacewa was coaching with the Blues but is hopefully coming back to us as a player/coach

Ah, I forgot about those two guys. You don't seem bad there now. D'Arcy is surely retiring soon though? I think Leinster are pretty much covered then, it'll be good to see Isa again too.

The Saint wrote:Ah, I forgot about those two guys. You don't seem bad there now. D'Arcy is surely retiring soon though? I think Leinster are pretty much covered then, it'll be good to see Isa again too.

There are rumours that he is retiring at the end of the season but I would like to see him stay on for one last year as he would be handy to have for during the world cup.

Is there any chance of Ringrose making the senior squad next season?

The coach is the issue..... or maybe I should say coaches.   Obviously O'Connor is a big question mark - the guy with a great try scoring reputation with Leicester, moves to one of the best try scoring sides in Europe and seems to have a whole new philosophy of trying to win games by scoring no tries and then trying to cling onto said points through 80 minutes of defending!

No matter what player shows up, Leinster will do nothing unless this man either leaves or shows that he wants to develop the idea that it would be nice to win games again by scoring tries.

Cullen is in no-man's-land.  Not sure about him either.  I think both these coaches appear too laconic to offer a nice contrast of styles.  Leinster need an energetic coach who is going to hyperventilate in training.  They need a barker and a perfectionist that demands more of them.  I think in those two that I've mentioned, we have two 'it'll do' yawners.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:Is there any chance of Ringrose making the senior squad next season?

I hope so but you just can't say for sure that he will, giving how MOC doesn't seem to like playing inexperienced backs. For instance the likes of Kelleher and Marsh have been playing great rugby for the A's and haven't gotten 1 minute of senior action and both SCM and Mick McGrath have both impressed at stages but they are always behind Fanning (who has been good for us to be fair).

Welshmushroom wrote:I'm getting the sense Irish sides are strengthening with a view to make sure they get top 4 places secured in the Pro 12 next year.

Got to be honest the Pro 12 has been ludicrous this year especially when you consider that Leinster wont even make the playoff's.  Be interested to see how Leinster will combat the signings of Ulster and Munster.  I know Sexton is coming back but given the age of some of the squad you would have thought they will need some top draw replacements at scrum half at the very least.  Boss and Reddan cant keep going for ever.....or can they?

I'd say the IRFU have increased their funding with a view to competing in Europe. There'll need to be more signings to compete with the likes of Clermont and Toulon.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:

ME-109 wrote:Thankfully he is from the post Schmidt era of the Blues so he should have a bit of individuality left in him

A midfield of Saili-Earls is a very tasty prospect. However, I really do feel for NZ and their fans, players are being offered deals that they simply cannot decline, and it is going to ruin the national team in a number of years.

Its not New Zealand Rugby thats suffering, its Auckland Rugby (including fans) that are suffering, Aucklanders soon leaving for the Northern Hemisphere, that I can think of are Piutau (Munster) Frank Halai (Wasps) Luke Braid (Bordeaux) and Saili.

That is mental.

Is that because of the money or just that the Blues aren't doing so well