rugby365: Shaun Berne to Leinster???

thomond2006

"'Berne'-ing up Dublin
Heineken Cup semifinalists Leinster look set to win the race to sign Bath centre Shaun Berne who is out of contract this summer.
The goal-kicking Australian has told Bath he will be leaving them at the end of the season and Leinster are keen to take him to Dublin.
Berne had also been attracting the interest of Leeds Carnegie and Northampton Saints but is close to doing a deal with Michael Cheika."

Serenity Now!

thomond2006 wrote: »

lol:eek::eek::eek:

What are you laughing at exactly? He wouldn't be a bad signing. Was a great Waratah and has bailed Bath out on quite a few occasions. If you want a hard tackling ten with excellent distribution skills and a good boot then there's not much wrong with Shaun Berne.
He's got at least two seasons left in him yet.
Only downside is that he's not Irish. The two strongest provinces should be able to field decent depth of Irish players in this position

Podge_irl

Don't entirely see the point of the signing if true. Wouldn't like to ever see him line out in the centres with McFadden available. If he is there as back-up to Sexton then fair enough I guess.

waraf

Podge_irl wrote: »

Don't entirely see the point of the signing if true. Wouldn't like to ever see him line out in the centres with McFadden available. If he is there as back-up to Sexton then fair enough I guess.

I guess Cheika will be signing him as first choice out half to replace Contepomi. He's not going to waste one of the precious few foreign players he's allowed sign on a back-up player

myflipflops

Strikes me as another Whitacker type signing really. Cheika looking to pick up another one of his mates??? He needs to start having some faith in the younger Irish lads. Look at Munster over the last few years - Flannery and O'Leary go from bench warmers to Lions picks in a couple of years. Show some faith, give guys a chance and they'll often step up a level for you. Tell them you don't rate them by signing a journeyman (good GP player but not what Leinster need) is the last think Cheika should do. McFadden, Sexton and others would view a signing like this as statement of lack of faith.

Podge_irl

waraf wrote: »

I guess Cheika will be signing him as first choice out half to replace Contepomi. He's not going to waste one of the precious few foreign players he's allowed sign on a back-up player

Sure he might, he's done so many times before. If Sexton is our starting player next year then Leinster will need a solid, dependable, experience back-up and the only option for one of them is a foreign player. AFAIK some of the NIQ slots are specifically for squad players. I can't even see Cheika being daft enough to sign him as first-choice 10.

Serenity Now!

pwhite587 wrote: »

Strikes me as another Whitacker type signing really. Cheika looking to pick up another one of his mates??? He needs to start having some faith in the younger Irish lads. Look at Munster over the last few years - Flannery and O'Leary go from bench warmers to Lions picks in a couple of years. Show some faith, give guys a chance and they'll often step up a level for you. Tell them you don't rate them by signing a journeyman (good GP player but not what Leinster need) is the last think Cheika should do. McFadden, Sexton and others would view a signing like this as statement of lack of faith.

You've just explained WHY an experienced overseas player like Berne or Contepomi gets signed. Precisely to cover the spot left open by a potential international who would be away in national team camp for four weeks in november and 8 weeks for the 6N. The same as Munster signing Warwick or Ulster signing Schifcofske

anonymous_joe

Ex-Tah like most of our players. :pac:

Not sure how to take the signing, I'm hoping Sexton'll be given a chance at 10 next season if I'm honest.

myflipflops

Perfectly fine if Berne is there as cover to guys like McFadden and Sexton if they miss some time The reality is, I believe Berne is being signed to jump the queue ahead of those guys and will limit the time they get to evolve. McFadden could potentially go from getting plenty of Magners League time both starting and from the bench to being out of the squad completely for the majority of the season.

As a Leinster fan, I don't think it would be a particularly positive signing for a number of reason.

Serenity Now! wrote: »

You've just explained WHY an experienced overseas player like Berne or Contepomi gets signed. Precisely to cover the spot left open by a potential international who would be away in national team camp for four weeks in november and 8 weeks for the 6N. The same as Munster signing Warwick or Ulster signing Schifcofske

Podge_irl

pwhite587 wrote: »

Perfectly fine if Berne is there as cover to guys like McFadden and Sexton if they miss some time The reality is, I believe Berne is being signed to jump the queue ahead of those guys and will limit the time they get to evolve. McFadden could potentially go from getting plenty of Magners League time both starting and from the bench to being out of the squad completely for the majority of the season.

Based on? I'll admit that Cheika has brought in NIQ players to take the place of young Irish players before, but they've all been of a higher quality then Berne. There is absolutely no way I can see him being first choice 10, though I will admit I could see him getting ahead of McFadden in the centre rankings, though I would hope not.

He's simply not good enough to be starting for Leinster on any kind of consistent basis.

[Jackass]

Berne brings nothing new to the squad and isn't good enough to be justified. Start concentrating on Academy players and forget journeymen.

MC should be backing Sexton as a more senior guy in the squad now and having faith in him. He spent a lot of time in the shadow of Contepomi and sooner or later you just have to let the player blossom.

As said, with McFadden coming through, Berne shouldn't be signed. I suppose the advantage MC sees though is a kicking 12 and a goal kicker. but O'Malley can play that role.

stephen_n

Nacewa number 2

anonymous_joe

stephen_n wrote: »

Nacewa number 2

Nacewa's not a bad player.

Was very good at the start of the season before the arm break.

Micky Dolenz

The more I see of Sexton, the more I like. He needs regular time playing football, it's already been said we need Irish players filling pivotal positions.

stephen_n

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Nacewa's not a bad player.

Was very good at the start of the season before the arm break.

Sorry should have clarified that statement, Nacewa is not a bad player but MC's insistence on playing him at OH at the expense of Sexton when clearly he was not an outhalf and anyway it would have been better long term for Sexton to be getting game time, especially now Contepomi is leaving!

steelbar

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Nacewa's not a bad player.

Was very good at the start of the season before the arm break.

He is sh**e, total waste of money,how long more does he have left?

Size=everything

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

The more I see of Sexton, the more I like. He needs regular time playing football, it's already been said we need Irish players filling pivotal positions.

Cheika and a lot of posters on boards decided to throw Sexton to the dogs. He had an excellent first two seasons and then has one bad start not even a full season and people are talking about not renewing his contract and laughing at the prospect of him ever playing for Ireland. Sexton needs to get regular gametime for Leinster and if it was up to me he would be starting on Saturday (after all he has upstaged O'Gara in the past!) Also to the OP why laugh at the prospect of signing Shaun Berne by the way He would still be a solid signing.

crisco10

Am I an idiot for thinking this is a perfect type of signing?

A guy who has played a lot of rugby coming in to compete with Sexton for 10. I don't think Sexton should just be handed the jersey with no real alternative in the squad. Its been proven time and time again in pro sport that players perfrom better when under pressure for their place in the starting team.

This fella isn't exactly a "big money" signing either, so there is no need to always start him to justify his price tag if you know what I mean.

That being said, if Sexton doesn't get a fair craic of the whip I will be pissed. Ditto, if he starts playing ahead of McFadden.

bamboozle

Size=everything wrote: »

Cheika and a lot of posters on boards decided to throw Sexton to the dogs. He had an excellent first two seasons and then has one bad start not even a full season and people are talking about not renewing his contract and laughing at the prospect of him ever playing for Ireland. Sexton needs to get regular gametime for Leinster and if it was up to me he would be starting on Saturday (after all he has upstaged O'Gara in the past!) Also to the OP why laugh at the prospect of signing Shaun Berne by the way He would still be a solid signing.

as far as i know Sexton only agreed to sign a one year deal last summer.

danthefan

steelbar wrote: »

He is sh**e, total waste of money,how long more does he have left?

Oh dear.

bamboozle wrote: »

as far as i know Sexton only agreed to sign a one year deal last summer.

That's true, but he signed for another 2 years earlier this season.


If Berne was signed as 100% backup to Sexton then I don't have a massive problem with it.

Ciaran-Irl

In fairness, Cheika is bringing in an Irish Prop and an Irish Scrum Half at the expense of two foreign players. Bringing in an experienced 10 to have increased competition and cover is a smart move.

The only way Sexon will get to where we want him to be if if he gets to learn from more experienced number 10s.

Podge_irl

Ciaran-Irl wrote: »

The only way Sexon will get to where we want him to be if if he gets to learn from more experienced number 10s.

I don't agree. It used to be true, but he's at the stage where he absolutely needs to be getting consistent game-time to improve imo.

crisco10

Podge_irl wrote: »

I don't agree. It used to be true, but he's at the stage where he absolutely needs to be getting consistent game-time to improve imo.

Consistent game time - yes. we-have-nobody-else-but-you game time no. As I said before everybody needs competition (Well people like BOD, POC apart) for places.

Also, what if Sexton got injured? remember a few years back, we had no back up out half and ended up with D'arcy place kicking in a HC match? I know in theory Rob/Mcfadden could step in now but I think we need two front line kickers in our squad...

remus808

I'm a big fan of Sexton, but only with a goalkicker somewhere else in the 15 (e.g. conters at 12) because I'v never seen anything to suggest his goalkicking is better than rubbish (see: churchill cup last season). Though you could argue he's never been given much chance to kick at Leinster with Felipe around..

anonymous_joe

crisco10 wrote: »

Am I an idiot for thinking this is a perfect type of signing?

A guy who has played a lot of rugby coming in to compete with Sexton for 10. I don't think Sexton should just be handed the jersey with no real alternative in the squad. Its been proven time and time again in pro sport that players perfrom better when under pressure for their place in the starting team.

This fella isn't exactly a "big money" signing either, so there is no need to always start him to justify his price tag if you know what I mean.

That being said, if Sexton doesn't get a fair craic of the whip I will be pissed. Ditto, if he starts playing ahead of McFadden.

If he's there to replace Sexton it's a terrible signing.

If he's there as backup and possibly to offer guidance to the likes of Sexton, McFadden et al when the international lads are away then I like it as a signing.