Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Most definitely not. Given his age RB would surely be getting a multi-year CC compared to Aki who is only getting one year so far less of a long term risk. No doubt about it Aki’s form has dipped but he was a test Lion less than a year ago. Not saying it is totally deserved but I can see the logic in giving him a one year deal with the RWC next year.

Edit. Meant to say it wasn’t more hasty!

@Packrat - sums up the entire problem. He's done now, will get worse, shouldn't have been given a central contract extension, and the idea of him being nailed on in the squad this far out is absurd. The fact part of your justification is he played well at the last World Cup says it all really.

It was always the case but the last six months have proved that having a CC does not guarantee selection so who cares?

Whether Aki renews his central deal or moves to a provincial contract is an accounting exercise with zero on-pitch impact.

I know 2 years can seem like a long time in sport but there is zero evidence of age being in any way detrimental to his performance to date. Quite the contrary in fact but who knows

Mack is on a central contract through until the end of the 26/27 season.

I'd say provinces trying to balance their books care. And by extension, then, their fans.

I mean, there was all kinds of upset on here when it was announced that provinces were to pay up to 40% of CCs, despite no changes to who was getting one.

Some guys never got central contracts despite being mainstays in the Irish side for years - James Lowe, a guy with 45 caps in the last 5 seasons or so and a Lions tourist never had one, Jack Conan - the Lions starting test #8 for the last two tours has never had one, so I don't really see the argument for Rob Baloucoune or Stu McCloskey being bumped to one right now.

If McCloskey had an expiring contract then he may get one, or he'd certainly get a bumped up PONI at a minimum given his current importance, but it's hard to think of a time in the past when there was a strong argument for him to have one, and it's not even a discussion for Baloucoune.

Leinster already have nearly their entire starting XV on CCs, so actually having to pay the wages of a couple of guys on their team isn’t that big a deal for them. Other provinces don’t have that.

Crowley, McCloskey and Baloucoune have now proven themselves as key players for Ireland. The IRFU should be rewarding Munster and Ulster for producing them by putting them onto national contracts, just as Leinster have been rewarded by having their whole team payed for.

What was the original reason? I thought it was to keep particular players playing in Ireland. Topping up their wages so they didn't go to abroad for more money and avoiding placing that financial burden on the provinces.

Fair enough. Aki fits that bill if the plan is to bring Aki to the world cup.

As an older player he'll probably have his minutes managed pretty strictly. So Connacht will be without him for much of next season and will need to pay for replacements.

Plus they needed to pay to keep him in Ireland and prevent him going abroad for more money.

As you explain it, the Aki CC makes more sense than I originally thought

The amount of central contacts at Leinster doesn't just mean that they have to "pay the wages of a couple of guys". They have to pay 40% of those salaries on the central contracts for players who aren't available for vast amounts of the season either on player management breaks, training camps or during international game windows and also pay salaries for guys who of a significant level to remain competitive when those players on central contracts are unavailable.

The near absence of key Ireland players moving abroad suggests the IRFU’s model has ways and means of keeping top players happy whether it's a central contract or not.