Or could you list some Irish props who would fall into your idea of the elite category?
elite props can hold their own at international level against the top teams. Very simple.
In that case we probably have 5
Right, but Finlay, Tadgh and Cian Healy are coming in to land over the next few years. If we have prop anxiety its about the next 5 off the rank.
The Molecast released an excellent podcast on the central contract situation today. Well worth listen.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-molecast/id1347232071?i=1000653689074
Listening to it now. It's all over the shop. Bunch of lads having an unstructured waffle. Not great at all.
I got halfway through and stopped.
They described Munster’s decision not to sell stadium naming rights in 2008 as “pompous”.
When discussing Ravenhill, said “sure the Queen built that for them”.
I switched off when I got to the point of them suggesting people wanted John Hodnett on a central contract. I haven’t heard a single person suggest as much, complete strawman.
Love the Molecast. A welcome tonic to the spoofery of Provincial State of Mind.
So the bar for "good rugby international personality" is "agrees with Leinster fans" while the bad, clickbait, nonsense talking internet personalities are the ones who talk about Munster.
There's no such thing as a good rugby personality. Well has been poisoned in that regard.
You love it for the same reason Munster fans love PSOM. They tell you what you want to hear. It's a complete Leinster echo chamber.
It seems to me that there won't be much room for new players in the squad for the Tests against South Africa. It'll probably look something like the following
LH: Andrew Porter, Cian Healy, Tom O'Toole
H: Dan Sheehan, Ronan Kelleher, Rob Herring/Tom Stewart
TH: Tadhg Furlong, Finlay Bealham, Oliver Jager
SR: Tadhg Beirne, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Iain Henderson
BS: Peter O'Mahony, Ryan Baird
OS: Josh van der Flier
No. 8: Caelan Doris, Jack Conan
SH: Jamison Gibson-Park, Conor Murray, Craig Casey
OH: Jack Crowley, Harry Byrne, Ciarán Frawley
LW: James Lowe, Jacob Stockdale
IC: Fua Leiofi Bundellu Aki, Stuart McCloskey
OC: Robbie Henshaw, Garry Ringrose
RW: Mack Hansen
FB: Hugo Keenan, Jimmy O'Brien
So I can't see too many of the following players breaking in:
LH: Jeremy Loughman, Michael Milne, Jack Boyle
H: Lee Barron
TH: Scott Wilson, Jack Aungier
SR: Kieran Treadwell, Thomas Ahern
BS: Cian Prendergast, David McCann
OS: Will Connors, John Hodnett
No. 8: Nick Timoney, Gavin Coombes, Max Deegan
SH: Nathan Doak, Matthew Devine
OH: Ross Byrne, Sam Prendergast
LW: Shane Daly
IC: Jamie Osborne, Cathal Forde
OC:
RW: Calvin Nash, Jordan Larmour, Robert Baloucoune, Shane Jennings
FB: Stewart Moore, Michael Lowry
Even some experienced players who've featured recently are likely to miss out. I'd like to see them tack Osborne on as a fifth travelling centre because of the age profile of the established options and because he looks so good.
I think that's harsh. They've favoured Coombes over Conan for a long time, backed Crowley as Sextons successor since November 22 and have called out issues in the development system that have led to a lack of elite athletes, particularly in the backs. You would never hear those points made in a Leinster echo chamber.
Ive only got a chance to listen to the first 20 minutes of the most recent podcast but I think it's one of the worst they've put out. They start out acknowledging that you can't really attribute the 2014 or 2015 6 nations wins to Nucifora as he just took the job in June 2014, but if you count the 2015 title (won 8 months after he took over), he has a 133% better record than the 10 years before he joined. An absolutely absurd point. It would be like crediting Humphries with the 2025 6 nations if we were to go on and win it. Realistically there were 3 titles won via the systems put in place before he joined; 2009, 2014 and 2015 and three won with his systems in place; 2018, 2023 and 2024. Maybe he will end up with a better record if we win in 2025 but saying he has a 133% better record than the 10 years before he joined is ridiculous.
Not so sure about that, I find most of the calls they make unbiased and they have no problem calling for Munster players in Ireland team
When talking about Bala for years they championed him to start in the Irish jersey and couldn't see why Ireland wouldn't do a NZ and just play him for his speed…..less so in last while because of his form
No idea what PSOM is so can't make a call on that
Three Red Kings is on it, not sure much else needs to be said.
Well based on the Twitter account alone I find that the most biased view on rugby in Ireland…..so won't be flicking that on
Of the media I like OTB because of the content they have from SA, ROG, etc, also James Tracey has surprised me and I find good, now he is Leinster biased of course but the detail he goes into is very good
Molecast I find great
The 42, Murray Kinsella is excellent and Jackman coverage, Jackman then ends up repeating the same stuff on other pods so I don't bother
saw this posted on Reddit:
So how many central contracts worth are Munster getting every year from being delinquent on their massive, massive debts to the IRFU?
mod: warned.
Dunno, but they're repayments are for the next 53 years before they clear the debt. So quite a few I'd say.
They're not delinquent, it was restructured.
Potato, patato
Is it roughly the same amount pissed away renting the RDS?
Well we don't know how much the RDS costs, but given renting the RDS doesn't leave Leinster on a permanent IRFU bailout so I'm going to go with no.
How much were Leinster bailed out recently? was it 15 million for making a complete shambles of their redevelopment plans? Stalled for so long a 26 million cost went up to over 50 million? Who pays for that incompetence?
Oh dear god, you're just flailing all over the place here in your desperate attempts at deflection and whataboutery.
You stated literally one post of yours up that Leinster are renting the RDS. So who do you think is responsible for rebuilding the stand exactly? I'll give you a clue - not Leinster and not the IRFU.
You have no facts but all you are doing is trolling the thread about your hatred for Munster. How much did Leinster get to renovate Donnybrook? They can't even hold a match their now. When you have a figure about how much is wasted on redeveloping a stadium that you don't own, and how much rent you piss away every year, come back and let us know.
Donnybrook is one of the most used grounds in the country. It holds god knows how many club and schools games every year.
When you have a figure about how much is wasted on redeveloping a stadium that you don't own
I do have a figure, it's €0.00. Leinster are not paying for the redevelopment, the RDS are paying for it, because the RDS own it. How can you possibly not understand that?
genuine question - what's this about a Leinster bailout? I hadn't heard anything about it
this is all too high brow for me. equating central contracts with stadium repayments..
truly staggering
Primarily because it's imaginary.
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