There's a big difference people are over looking here

Maybe, Cooney wanted to move on to get starting game time, where as other players, playing at other provinces, do not want to leave
The IRFU cannot force any player to sign a contract with any of the provinces. The players have to be interested too.
I'm sure the IRFU instigated the move, or at least had some part to play, but if Cooney had turned around and said he didnt want to play with Ulster, there isn't much the IRFU can do.

I'm sorry to see him leave, because I think he's a great player, but I completely see why he is leaving. All the best to him

The reserve Leinster backrow is:
Leavy
Ruddock
Conan

Pretty much each of those guys would start for any other team on the island but even Dom Ryan isn't moved on from Leinster. The IRFU have to sanction every contract and it's not an even playing field.

This isn't anything to do with Cooney though- I'm sad he's leaving as I could genuinely see him displacing Marmion from the 9 shirt and really hope he pulls up trees for Ulster, who are my second Irish team anyway.

Decadence wrote:
Until we are completely self-sufficient in producing enough quality players to fill out our squad this is just a reality we have to face. You can't compare Cooney leaving Connacht to McCloskey staying at his home province.

I'm not comparing Cooney going to Ulster with Mccloskey staying with his home province. I'm comparing a player who is not first choice but an Ireland international being allowed to stay with his club when he would be first choice at another province to another player who is not an international and is not first choice with his province being moved to another province where he will be first choice.

Ps there is a comparison of an international who was first choice at his province being moved from his home province to another province and it happened only last year...

Betty Swallocks wrote: Jesus EvoGeo, I wouldn't have said the likes of Quinn Roux was fourth choice or a reject, and we did take Cian Kelliher from Leinster last season. I do agree with other posters round here that this isn't nearly as egregious as Henshaw moving last year because his girlfriend was based in Dublin!
I wish Cooney all the best.

You don't think Quinn was 4th choice? **Removed by S_P** We've had to rebuild his confidence and he is only now starting to show the player he can be.

Was kelleher even close to 4th choice? There is no way he would get in ahead of the likes of O'Loughlin and Byrne who have obviously broke into the leinster team this year while they also had a plethora of other backs ahead of him. I love Cian he has great potential but he is raw and some of his mistakes cost us games earlier in the season (but it's OK for young players to go and make their mistakes at connacht).

I'm sorry but this to me after Henshaw and ah you moves last year and the lack of recruitment in the summer (compared to the backing the likes of Munster got after not losing anyone of significance) just shows how the irfu regard connacht. I think there was a lot of the frustration Pat Lam had with this attitude that was one of the main reasons for us not being able to retain him too. The IRFU are p**sing all over us imo, foot on throat for daring to upstage some of the bigger provinces.

Don't get me wrong re Cooney, I wish him all the best and have no ill will towards Ulster over the move but it is a huge blow to Connacht imo.

EvoGeo wrote: What about the likes of Dan Leavy? Stuart Olding, mccloskey? There are loads of players (some even internationals) that are not first choice 15 starters at their provinces but connacht can't be allowed to have this kind of depth?

Until we are completely self-sufficient in producing enough quality players to fill out our squad this is just a reality we have to face. You can't compare Cooney leaving Connacht to McCloskey staying at his home province.

sea_point wrote:

ConnachtCows wrote: Can't see why anyone would be getting upset about this.
Cooney has done a great job for us, and is too good to not be a starting number 9.
I completely understand why he is moving on to Ulster. Definitely dont see this as a slight on Connacht.
If he was our first choice scrum half, i'd be upset, but he's not, and he deserves to be first choice somewhere.

All the best John. He will move on with my best wishes, and I'll be watching out for him every week with Ulster.

Ah no, you want players to be ambitious, they've got to be if the are to maximise their potential. It's just disheartening to lose a play of his ability especially as his stay has been punctuated by injuries.
But Ulster are able to offer what we can't, a starting place if he's fit.

If he stays fit and Ulster find some consistency when he's there, he'll definitely be in the mix for Ireland caps. He's a far better player than McGrath, or any of the other provincial options.
Can certainly see him getting Ireland Sevens caps, at the very least think he has great potential in that format also..

Wish him the best, but selfishly wish he was staying naturally...

By this logic all the players who are not first choice for leinster, munster, ulster as well as connacht should be moving for a first team spot.
Leinster would be seriously hit if this happened as would ulster. Why not send Stockdale down here as he would be starting 15? Leinster have 3rd and 4th choice players that would get a lot more game time at the other provinces maybe even be first choice in certain positions.

What about the likes of Dan Leavy? Stuart Olding, mccloskey? There are loads of players (some even internationals) that are not first choice 15 starters at their provinces but connacht can't be allowed to have this kind of depth?

Jesus EvoGeo, I wouldn't have said the likes of Quinn Roux was fourth choice or a reject, and we did take Cian Kelliher from Leinster last season. I do agree with other posters round here that this isn't nearly as egregious as Henshaw moving last year because his girlfriend was based in Dublin!
I wish Cooney all the best.

ConnachtCows wrote: Can't see why anyone would be getting upset about this.
Cooney has done a great job for us, and is too good to not be a starting number 9.
I completely understand why he is moving on to Ulster. Definitely dont see this as a slight on Connacht.
If he was our first choice scrum half, i'd be upset, but he's not, and he deserves to be first choice somewhere.

All the best John. He will move on with my best wishes, and I'll be watching out for him every week with Ulster.

Ah no, you want players to be ambitious, they've got to be if the are to maximise their potential. It's just disheartening to lose a play of his ability especially as his stay has been punctuated by injuries.
But Ulster are able to offer what we can't, a starting place if he's fit.

If he stays fit and Ulster find some consistency when he's there, he'll definitely be in the mix for Ireland caps. He's a far better player than McGrath, or any of the other provincial options.
Can certainly see him getting Ireland Sevens caps, at the very least think he has great potential in that format also..

Wish him the best, but selfishly wish he was staying naturally...

salmson wrote:

Accidentally Onside wrote: Good move for Cooney and, as we all know, Ulster have got themselves a hell of a player.

Think this emphasises that we are still a development province unfortunately though For all the progress we've undoubtedly made second choice players, or even starting players for that matter, don't move between provinces unless it is from Connacht to somewhere else. Only move I can think of is Boss years ago, and they had Pienarr coming in. This isn't a criticism of us just a reality check of where we are in the pecking order sadly.

Ah lads, the fella isn't even from here and he's never going to be first choice. There's a history of second choice players moving between provinces - like when Roux and Cooney came here. Ulster have padded out their squad (and starting lineup, to their detriment) with Leinster academy rejects like O'Connor, Ross, and a couple of their scrumhalves. Felix Jones and Conway went to Munster. The Fella From The Bar and Stephen Keogh moved the other way back in the day. Let's keep our powder dry and opprobrium at the ready for genuinely scandalous moves e.g. Henshaw.

I'm afraid I completely disagree Salmson, all those examples you gave were either rejects or were 4th choice or worse with very little prospect of game time at their province. Cooney is a prospective international scrum half who would be nowhere if we hadn't have taken him on. We are already light here due to Marmion's game time being managed and we're going to really struggle if we get an injury to one of our 9's next season now.

Can't see why anyone would be getting upset about this.
Cooney has done a great job for us, and is too good to not be a starting number 9.
I completely understand why he is moving on to Ulster. Definitely dont see this as a slight on Connacht.
If he was our first choice scrum half, i'd be upset, but he's not, and he deserves to be first choice somewhere.

All the best John. He will move on with my best wishes, and I'll be watching out for him every week with Ulster.

Accidentally Onside wrote: Good move for Cooney and, as we all know, Ulster have got themselves a hell of a player.

Think this emphasises that we are still a development province unfortunately though For all the progress we've undoubtedly made second choice players, or even starting players for that matter, don't move between provinces unless it is from Connacht to somewhere else. Only move I can think of is Boss years ago, and they had Pienarr coming in. This isn't a criticism of us just a reality check of where we are in the pecking order sadly.

Ah lads, the fella isn't even from here and he's never going to be first choice. There's a history of second choice players moving between provinces - like when Roux and Cooney came here. Ulster have padded out their squad (and starting lineup, to their detriment) with Leinster academy rejects like O'Connor, Ross, and a couple of their scrumhalves. Felix Jones and Conway went to Munster. The Fella From The Bar and Stephen Keogh moved the other way back in the day. Let's keep our powder dry and opprobrium at the ready for genuinely scandalous moves e.g. Henshaw.

Delighted for Cooney but sad to see him go, sound sound guy who gives generously of this time outside of rugby. Has a real gra for the west of Ireland and Mayo so I'll always have good time for him. Hope to see him in Irish jersey in future

I'm disgusted by the IRFU over this move.

Cooney is developing nicely at connacht, getting plenty of fame time and providing great cover for Marmion through his player management, injury and international absences.

Why is it every other province are allowed to keep top class back up cover in key positions except Connacht?

First we lose Robbie, then ah you (granted didn't seem as big a loss before white's retirement) and now Cooney.

Basically what they are saying is stay down Connacht we don't want any of the other three provinces missing out on Europe which almost happened to Munster last season. We'll throw you a few bones of potential players so they can get experience and make all their mistakes with ye and if you produce any top players we'll shift them to one of the proper provinces.

This means we are now an injury away at scrum half from not being able to compete next season too.

Sickened but wish Cooney all the best, he's given us great service.

Good move for Cooney and, as we all know, Ulster have got themselves a hell of a player.

Think this emphasises that we are still a development province unfortunately though For all the progress we've undoubtedly made second choice players, or even starting players for that matter, don't move between provinces unless it is from Connacht to somewhere else. Only move I can think of is Boss years ago, and they had Pienarr coming in. This isn't a criticism of us just a reality check of where we are in the pecking order sadly.

This is probably a good move for John. I thought Shanahan had a good game yesterday though.
Also, I wonder will the Ulster fans be happy having to replace Pienaar with Cooney?
I see Ulster signed Arno Botha as well. Busy day for them today.

all the best for john cooney at ulster gr8 player and always has time for fans