Either Pat sends him down to play with the Eagles for the rest of the season and he just packs him off to his new club now. its clear he does not want to play for us so why play him.

Because, unfortunately, he is too good not to play him - remember Thomand Park last November.
He is still being paid by Connacht and it is a professional club. Everything has to be used to ensure we finish with a Euro Cup place and aim even high as possible in the Pro 12. It's a professional game and we should use him now to further our cause - as someone else said play him at every opportunity. He won't be here next season. Why give him a holiday?
Imagine making the play-off's, . . big ask but these are the ambitions Connacht need to be looking to for this season and the future.
I believe Robbie is too professional to not give his all for the rest of the season

Browser wrote: I think the biggest problem Connacht Rugby have is the lack of facilities in comparison to the other provinces and clubs that we come up against week in, week out. The players and fans would have to go a long way (probably Russia) to find a similar set up as what's on offer at the Sportsground. A new or redeveloped ground would make it a lot more attractive to sponsors etc and increase the commercial viability of the brand/product. Until we have a stadium that reflects the passion of the fans, the professionalism of the players/staff and most importantly a pitch (pardon the pun) that businesses would be proud to showcase their product in, Connacht unfortunately will always play second fiddle to the other provinces when it comes to clout. It's Catch 22 but we literally have to start from the ground up and create a business that can compete with the rest. Field of Dreams comes to mind, "Build it and they will come".........as for future star players, they'd more likely stay too.

I totally agree. For me so many fundamentals that were non-existent for years have been developed. Describing the professionalism in Connacht now as against 7 or 8 years ago is night and day. We have a quality coach who is 100% committed to the cause and a good backroom team. Pat has the contacts and the pull to bring in overseas players who complement the group perfectly, our academy is churning out players at a fantastic rate, we have a strong core of home grown players, we have the whole Connacht setup in one location and there is none of the Munster style dual location setup etc.

However, regardless of what more we do on the field of play or in terms of recruitment if we are going to make the next step we need to have the facilities to comfortably house a crowd of up to 10k on a regular basis. Bigger would be great but we need to smart in what we can achieve and try and grow stage by stage. I don't want a big soulless 20k stadium where the crowd is too dispersed to create an atmosphere and where we end up paying for it forever more. The Clan Stand is perfect in terms of getting a real bond between supporters and the team but there needs to be more comfortable seating areas (not just behind glass), there needs to be a good view for all supporters who attend. We need to try and take this to the next level while things are going good on the pitch.

If we get the facilities in place I think we have the product to push our average up another couple of thousand. Until we are able to generate more revenue we will always be hamstrung in what we can achieve. We're unlikely to ever have the ability to generate revenue as Leinster but we can try and give ourselves the best chance of holding on to the players we want and getting in the players we need to complement them.

I think the biggest problem Connacht Rugby have is the lack of facilities in comparison to the other provinces and clubs that we come up against week in, week out. The players and fans would have to go a long way (probably Russia) to find a similar set up as what's on offer at the Sportsground. A new or redeveloped ground would make it a lot more attractive to sponsors etc and increase the commercial viability of the brand/product. Until we have a stadium that reflects the passion of the fans, the professionalism of the players/staff and most importantly a pitch (pardon the pun) that businesses would be proud to showcase their product in, Connacht unfortunately will always play second fiddle to the other provinces when it comes to clout. It's Catch 22 but we literally have to start from the ground up and create a business that can compete with the rest. Field of Dreams comes to mind, "Build it and they will come".........as for future star players, they'd more likely stay too.

Shelflife wrote: Dont have to outbid merely match, but at the end of the day if there was a central contract on offer of €250k to stay and a provincal offer on the table of €225k and you really wanted to leave you would I imagine take the provincial offer.

GT in the IT says he has moved on a central contract ( which he was getting anyway) and that the IRFU would have preferred him to stay in Connacht. If true, then it's Robbie's decision and it's his perception of rugby rather than money. It will be bish bash to free up der wunderkind, Ringrose, and that is less and less the role needed in Connacht. We play ball, which is why I would like a player like Noel Reid or similar to join.

looking at the bright side, hes left for cold hard cash rather than not believing in the direction connacht are going. the irfu were never going to compete with leinster and they are probably secretly delight hes moved. at least now they have plausible deniability.... stay in connacht get a central contract, move to leinster 'only' get a provincial contract. leinster have acted deplorably here and i dont think it will serve irish rugby well..... the are much better suited to the spivs in the Bt premiership

hes an impressionable young lad, whos had BOD, the kearneys and schmidt in his ear to move but all the dennis o'brien top ups and all the lunch you can eat in wagamamas and nandos wont make up for the sub standard coaching he'll get from cullen et al.

He'll be shoe horned into 12 (which is his third best position) to accommodate the second coming and golden child, garry ringrose at 13. As an outsider, fans will be quick to blame him if things start going wrong (look what happened to jimmy gopperth and teo in his first season). I would also be very surprised if sexton lasts much longer and without sexton leinsters backline is almost as bad as munsters.

i wish you well robbie but the grass isnt alsways greener. you could have been a legend, now youll just be another superstar in an aging, poorly coached team but at least your wallet will be full and your tan will be immaculate

im bitter yes but in the long run our team will be better off with people who want to give something back

While I feel let down by the move it is only a fraction of the sense of loss my 11 year old son feels. I believe the long term loss to Connacht lies in the feelings of the junior Connacht rugby supporters. Here was a world class player that they were quite rightly proud to call one of their own, now he is gone, just like that. I can't explain to my son why he left when I can't understand the reasons myself. If Robbie signed a two year deal with Connacht he would still be a young 26 year old with the world at his feet when the contract ran out.
The core Connacht rugby supporter has to be the most loyal supporter in Ireland for the most part we go into games wanting to win not expecting to win. Would it be too much to ask to expect a small bit of that loyalty in return.
I will find it hard too watch him now even in the green of Ireland.

So sorry Robbie but for my sons sake I cannot in good conscience wish you luck in your move.

My lad plays for the u9 buccaneers team and robbie is his hero. I should say was as when I told him the news yesterday evening he wouldn't believe me and Googled it himself for verification. He shrugged his shoulders and just said traitor.
What the irfu don't seem to realise is that the growth in interest has been largely fuelled by gaa principles. That is we support and follow our own. The worse thing you can do in gaa is swap your club and/or county for another in pursuit of medals/success or even a job. That mentality prevails with provincial rugby fans also and throughout the 4 provinces. Yes we will tolerate a squad player moving for gametime or that squad player returning home but not top homegrown players being poached /chasing medals. I think that this is a good mentality to have. Some will lecture that it's pro sport bla bla but identity is everything imo.

Both the irfu and robbie have gotten this one wrong imo.

My 8 year old had his picture taken with Robbie a few years back and on hearing the news went to his room, took the photo down and threw it in the bin. that is what he thinks of Robbie now and I don't blame him . Robbie is after the bucks, Ireland caps he would have got with Connacht. I cannot see why anyone would go to Leinster while Cullen was coach, Ulster yes but not Leinster.

He has had his head turned by the Gender Fluid boys Healsip and Kearney and wants a bit of the "Irish" Supermodel action and to become a star. He came right through the system and seeing my little boys reaction to the news, I hate to think what it might do for the promotion of the game in Connacht when your star player pisses off after a few years for the bright lights.

I hope its Ulster he has gone too, but with the disquiet in the press I suspect its Leinster and I hope one other thing. Either Pat sends him down to play with the Eagles for the rest of the season and he just packs him off to his new club now. its clear he does not want to play for us so why play him.

Good point Furlo. From what I had heard back in September/October, the deal was as good as done back then.
Not saying I have insider knowledge, but the rumors had been there for a very long time

Lads, can we get back to the point that when he signed this deal, which was was probably last year, he didn't see the long term project here as one that served him better than whatever Leinster propaganda he was being fed. It's not entirely beyond belief that the delay in announcing is that he's had severe doubts over that but having said he would sign, he now has to.

Also strange if how playing with Jonny is so important, the IRFU stopped anyone moving to Stade

Wasn't Bundy Aki offered deals by 3 of the provinces and Connacht outbid the others?

rossie wrote:

Shelflife wrote: Dont have to outbid merely match, but at the end of the day if there was a central contract on offer of €250k to stay and a provincal offer on the table of €225k and you really wanted to leave you would I imagine take the provincial offer.

Agreed , but you can't do that AFAIK. Munster couldn't with earls anyway. Ian Costello said so when heaping the pressure on nucifora and irfu to get it done.

Nothing to stop them doing it. They cant out bid another province. If a central contract is offered and rejected hes a free aganet to go where he wants and Leinster are perfectly entitled to offer him a contract.

Shelflife wrote: Dont have to outbid merely match, but at the end of the day if there was a central contract on offer of €250k to stay and a provincal offer on the table of €225k and you really wanted to leave you would I imagine take the provincial offer.

Agreed , but you can't do that AFAIK. Munster couldn't with earls anyway. Ian Costello said so when heaping the pressure on nucifora and irfu to get it done.

I'm disappointed for sure. I wonder will he actually end up at Leinster, or is there a surprise in the offing?

Dont have to outbid merely match, but at the end of the day if there was a central contract on offer of €250k to stay and a provincal offer on the table of €225k and you really wanted to leave you would I imagine take the provincial offer.

We all knew it was coming so no point crying over spilled milk. Onwards and upwards. On a plus side it should release a bit of cash to sign up a decent player or 2.