Elsom coming back to Leinster???

Son of Stupido

After a mare of a season, poor form, his team out of the super 15 already, followed up with another injury on his comeback, Elsom seems set to leave his club (according to reports in Oz).

As he hasn't performed as well as when he was with Leinster, and following the World Cup (the only reason he left in the first place), what are the odds he will decide to up sticks and come back?

I think it is a distinct possibility.

It would be some backrow, although he would probably slot in at No. 5.

mikedragon32

Links to those reports from Oz?

myflipflops

Son of Stupido wrote: »

what are the odds he will decide to up sticks and come back?
.

Nearly zero? Last summer it may have appealed but with the back row options available to Leinster, why would you spend a massive chunk of your foreign player budget for a player in your strongest position? Even less likely as he will be at the world cup and miss the first few months of the season. I believe the IRFU can veto these deals (am i right in this?? they would not allow Hines to be re-signed when player/province wanted it) which they would certainly do here.

Do Leinster even have any spaces left for NIQ players?

I'd love to see Rocky back at Leinster at some stage but I fail to see the need for next season. I'll lay you 25/1.

justsomebloke

Given we're losing Nathan Hines I'd love to see this.

However France and the money is that way

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CIARAN_BOYLE

myflipflops wrote: »

Do Leinster even have any spaces left for NIQ players?

I understand they have

Strauss
VDM
Sykes
Bergvist
Nacewa

Yeah thats the lot signed so one more spot, I reckon it is being kept to make a temporary signing during the World Cup depending on Joe's squad.

If Kidney brings Boss and Redden Leinster will sign a short term SH. If Jamie gets a spot on the plane as TH (ahead of Buckley) Leinster will sign someone like Newlands for the WC.

There are a couple of other spots that Kidney could pick maybes in and leave Leinster very light so I reckon the 6th NIQ is being kept for temporary world cup signing.

Son of Stupido

mikedragon32 wrote: »

Links to those reports from Oz?

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/ankle-injury-ends-elsoms-brumbies-run-20110525-1f3n5.html

Whatever about the money, the impact he had in 08/09 was immense, and probably helped generate multiple times his salary for the IRFU.

I would love to see him back!

Stev_o

You don't need him and it's not worth the purchase. Since he left Leinster he's managed to develop a glass frame. In fact he's out injured again after being out for 8 months.

Save your money and buy a Hooker if needs be backrows are the last thing Leinster need to be shopping for.

Tomtom364

Wouldnt be a good move for Irish rugby if this happened.

It it went ahead then leinster would have:
Heaslip
SOB
Jennings
Elsom

so what about locky and rudduck?
and is there a another backrower called ryan coming through?

Unless 1 or 2 of those developing players were sent to Connacht to bolster their HEC squad then I think it would be very unfair on those young players trying to push into the team.

andrewdcs

Elsom O'Brien Heaslip
hmm.... shure tell everyone else to take a bath!

If he had a great WC (hopefully not for our sakes! ) could work, but would be desperate waste of an NIQ when you consider (edit: prop not hooker (forgot Cronin)) / lock (as others have said).

GerM

As great as he was I'd hate to see him coming back. He'd take a massive chunk of cash and we already have the best back row in Europe. Bloody hell, our second choice back row is probably one of the top 20 in Europe.

We've money to spend on a NIQ player but I really don't know where to spend it. We're covered everywhere. I'd rather see us invest behind the scenes in the academy or the new training set up than fork out on an unnecessary NIQ player. We only really needed 4 NIQ players this season with Berne and Wright missing the vast majority of the season through injury. Hines has been replaced already.

d'Oracle

Stev_o wrote: »

You don't need him and it's not worth the purchase. Since he left Leinster he's managed to develop a glass frame. In fact he's out injured again after being out for 8 months.

Save your money and buy a Hooker if needs be backrows are the last thing Leinster need to be shopping for.

Indeed.

Cronin the Barbarian is in the post.

myflipflops

Son of Stupido wrote: »

Whatever about the money, the impact he had in 08/09 was immense, and probably helped generate multiple times his salary for the IRFU.
!

His worth in generating money was as the biggest single factor in Leinster winning the Heineken Cup. They just won it again without him.

Don't get me wrong, as a fan I'd love to see the man back again. He is a complete hero but it makes no sense from a financial or squad perspective unless you are dumping 1or 2 out of McLaughlin/Ryan/Ruddock. Syles has been singed to replace Hines. You can't just sign up every great, available player without thought.

Stev_o wrote: »

Save your money and buy a Hooker if needs be backrows are the last thing Leinster need to be shopping for.

Strauss, Cronin and Harris Wright. I'll take that cover.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Tomtom364 wrote: »

Unless 1 or 2 of those developing players were sent to Connacht to bolster their HEC squad then I think it would be very unfair on those young players trying to push into the team.

You mean the team with 9 backrow forwards contracted for next season?

Muldoon, JOC, Naoupu, McCarthy, Swift, Ofisa, Anderson, McKeon, Grace

Ulster could do with bolstering though if any of the young Leinster men want to find another team.

Tomtom364

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

You mean the team with 9 backrow forwards contracted for next season?

Muldoon, JOC, Naoupu, McCarthy, Swift, Ofisa, Anderson, McKeon, Grace,

Oh really? wow didnt know that.
Ireland has alot of backrowers...

thebaz

as a leinster fan, and massive admirer of all he achieved at leinster , i'd hate to see him back - rarely do players re-kindle impact of superstadom at same club - elsom was class when he was here - simple as - but going forward , and from an Irish perspective it would be bad too - in particular when we are so strong with young back rowers, do we lose ryan, ruddock - so please - NO

cython

Personally I'd think there's as good, if not better, odds on Cheika trying to draw him to Stade in the hope that as a pair they can work some of the same magic as happened for them at Leinster, but then there's the idea of lightning striking twice and all.....

Podge_irl

What in the name of ****e would Leinster want to sign another backrower for?

justsomebloke

another question is, is it worth buying him just so we don't have to play against him:D

PhatPiggins

He hasn't played a decent 80 minutes since he left Leinster. A player best left in the 'wonderful memories' category.

porterbelly

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

You mean the team with 9 backrow forwards contracted for next season?

Muldoon, JOC, Naoupu, McCarthy, Swift, Ofisa, Anderson, McKeon, Grace

Ulster could do with bolstering though if any of the young Leinster men want to find another team.

McCarthy and Swift are our 1st choice 2nd row pairing.

profitius

cython wrote: »

Personally I'd think there's as good, if not better, odds on Cheika trying to draw him to Stade in the hope that as a pair they can work some of the same magic as happened for them at Leinster, but then there's the idea of lightning striking twice and all.....

I think so to. Cheika is buying up all his old players and Rockys an obvious one.

CIARAN_BOYLE

porterbelly wrote: »

McCarthy and Swift are our 1st choice 2nd row pairing.

I know but they can both play backrow as well so I just wanted to make the point that Connacht are stacked in the backrow for next season and that there is no real point signing more backrow forwards

thomond2006

No need for him at Leinster.

yimrsg

From reading other websites I thought he was going back to the Waratahs. I can't really see the point of him returning back to Leinster as he'd likely lose the aussie captaincy and he'd lessen game time for Leinster youngsters like Ryan, Ruddock, and McLaughlin. I think others here have mentioned that one of the reasons he came north was to get out of debt.

His latest run of injuries might also scare any suitors away but he would be a cracking signing for the other 3 provinces if he was fully fit.

Rocky we loved you, and we wouldn't swap our time together for anything in the world, but coming home would be a terrible move for us both.

we hope you understand.

love,

Leinster.
xx

profitius

When Elsom first came his lines of running were better than most Irish backs. With Schmidt there this season the Leinster forwards have improved in that.

hardCopy

I don't see much benefit to signing him for Leinster.

Best case scenario, he comes for a year or 2 plays ridiculously well and leaves.

We end up with a local backrower who's missed out on a starting place for 2 years or moved to another province/club.

But I'll never forget the difference he made for us when we needed him.

Dr.Evil

Doubt he'll come back to Leinster, if anything it's more likely Munster would opt for him.

Leinster have enough backrows at this stage, and he left on such a note that there's no need to come back and risk ruining such a great reputation.

twinytwo

Dr.Evil wrote: »

Doubt he'll come back to Leinster, if anything it's more likely Munster would opt for him.

Leinster have enough backrows at this stage, and he left on such a note that there's no need to come back and risk ruining such a great reputation.

we have bigger problems right now...

sock puppet

yimrsg wrote: »

From reading other websites I thought he was going back to the Waratahs.

I was a little confused about that. A few weeks ago Hickey said he was looking to bring him back but this week it's been reported that they aren't interested. Doesn't seem to be much interest from the other teams either.

Phonehead

He pretty much said on Ruggamatrix a few weeks ago that he would be going to France! well he ruled out Leinster saying they don't need him, so I take that as he will be in France.

Badgermonkey

He said just two weeks ago on the Ruggamatrix podcast (show 114) he wouldn't return to Leinster.

Sounded unequivocal.

http://www.ruggamatrix.com/podcast/2011/4/26/ruggamatrix-show-114-classic-rock.html

From 26mins 20sec in.

PhatPiggins

sock puppet wrote: »

I was a little confused about that. A few weeks ago Hickey said he was looking to bring him back but this week it's been reported that they aren't interested. Doesn't seem to be much interest from the other teams either.

Has anyone watched him play in the last season and a half. He's been either injured or really average(by his standards). No doubt some French lunatic will give Lyon or the likes a truck load of money to sign every over the hill big name on the planet.

Stev_o

PhatPiggins wrote: »

Has anyone watched him play in the last season and a half. He's been either injured or really average(by his standards). No doubt some French lunatic will give Lyon or the likes a truck load of money to sign every over the hill big name on the planet.

Toloun are said to be interested.

thomond2006

Stev_o wrote: »

Toloun are said to be interested.

They surely can't sign another non kolpak passport holder. They've already signed Mason who has an Aussie passport to go along with Hayman and Lobbe who are also non kolpak.

danthefan

While I will forever remember what Rocky did for Leinster, I'm kind of glad he's not coming back. He would definitely start, which would probably push one of the younger Irish guys down the order. Glad Schmidt isn't going down that road.

[Jackass]

Zero chance.

We wouldn't pay massive wages and give up a NIQ spot in an area where we have substantial depth with many excellent young players looking for game time and also he said it on that rugby podcast that if he comes to Europe it wont be Leinster.

porterbelly

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

I know but they can both play backrow as well so I just wanted to make the point that Connacht are stacked in the backrow for next season and that there is no real point signing more backrow forwards

The way things are looking we'll have to convert one or 2 of them back rows into a centres or a tighthead !! Very short in these areas and only scope in the budget for one more signing despite Heineken Cup qualification. We may see Naoupu at 12 yet or even tighthead, you heard it 1st !!

WeeBushy

It would make no sense whatsoever for everyone involved. He will rightly be adored and remembered as a Leinster legend who had a profound effect in just one season, but his time at Leinster has passed.

GerM

thomond2006 wrote: »

They surely can't sign another non kolpak passport holder. They've already signed Mason who has an Aussie passport to go along with Hayman and Lobbe who are also non kolpak.

Mason already sorted himself clearance for a Tongan passport when he joined Hull so he won't be taking up a non-EU spot when playing with Toulon.

anonymous_joe

Nobody anticipated McLaughlin and O'Brien coming on as much as they did.

Hell, most though Locks was going to permacrocked until he retired, and SOB was always talented, but nobody thought this talented.

Son of Stupido

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/super-rugby/waratahs-pull-out-of-the-race-for-elsom-20110616-1g672.html

wixfjord

Son of Stupido wrote: »

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/super-rugby/waratahs-pull-out-of-the-race-for-elsom-20110616-1g672.html

Not a chance of this happening. Not even a remote chance of it happening.
We'd have to play him at Second Row or something!

irishbucsfan

wixfjord wrote: »

Not a chance of this happening. Not even a remote chance of it happening.
We'd have to play him at Second Row or something!

Even that wont happen considering we let Hinesy go because of his nationality.

justsomebloke

wixfjord wrote: »

Not a chance of this happening. Not even a remote chance of it happening.
We'd have to play him at Second Row or something!

I don't think that article suggests that he would be coming here though? It just suggests a European team is after him