salmson wrote: Dooley is just the sort of signing we should be looking at. He'd be behind Bentlase as well as Healy and McGrath so he might be amenable to a move.

Biffo77, can you sort out that deal so?

Connachta - Ryan may become available if Agen are relegated, as seems likely.

Rossie - Dooley is just the sort of signing we should be looking at. He'd be behind Bentlase as well as Healy and McGrath so he might be amenable to a move.

salmson wrote: ambipropsterous

Sir, I salute you.

Peter Dooley is coming out of leinster academy at end of season. He's a LH but would free up bealham to concentrate on TH. He will be behind healy and mcgrath at leinster and is a birr man so connacht might suit him.

salmson wrote:

rossie wrote: then it might be worth looking at (one of the many) Ryan (brothers) who is first choice TH for Agen this season.

No as I said in the 1st post, he's just re-signed.
Any other idea to avoid having just one and a half TH??

rossie wrote: John Andress has struggled for gametime everywhere he's been. Munster are signing a project TH apparently and moore is now reportedly staying in ireland and probably leinster. Ross hasn't signed anything yet AFAIK. I'm not sure how relevant nucifora is to connachts recruitment but it's unlikely he will allow 3 project THS at the provinces at the one time.

Widely reported in the media that Ross signed a one-year extension a couple of weeks ago (on the back of Moore leaving). Leinster announce their contract extensions in one tranche in April so no official confirmation yet. Agreed Andress not a runner at all, likewise a project player.

If Bealham is to concentrate on the TH side we're fairly well covered with O'Donnell's emergence, in which case a LH mght be the priority. f he's going to be a LH or stay ambipropsterous then it might be worth looking at (one of the many) Ryan (brothers) who is first choice TH for Agen this season.

John Andress has struggled for gametime everywhere he's been. Munster are signing a project TH apparently and moore is now reportedly staying in ireland and probably leinster. Ross hasn't signed anything yet AFAIK. I'm not sure how relevant nucifora is to connachts recruitment but it's unlikely he will allow 3 project THS at the provinces at the one time.

You know my opinion about this, we can't play the biggest european Cup next year with a 36 y.o (White), a 20 y.o (O'Donnell) and Bealham who isn't sure which side of the scrum suits him. Would be a disaster

So the main and maybe only recruit we should target is here
The issue is, with Moore gone, Lutton and Ryan re-signed, Ireland is short for available TH overall

by order of preference I'd go for

1) a project player on low money, that Pat met and highly rated when he was U20, four years ago in NZ for exemple. 3 year-deal, good for Ireland because he'd be qualified for RWC 2019 if needed

2) John Andress, barred by Nel in Edinbugh, could be motivated by a new challenge

3) No-one is TH and available IQ in England or French 1st and 2nd divisions AFAIC.. Worrying

any ideas, or opinions about TH spot for next season?