Keane must see something in Carty too as he'll start the season as pretty much undisputed no. 10 given the experience levels of the backups.

Carty - 81 caps/63 starts across league and Europe.
Crosbie - 5 caps/2 starts (Pro12) plus some B&I Cup.
Deegan - 9 caps/8 starts in ANRC plus club rugby with Randwick.

Great opportunity for Jack with Keane and Carolan clearly backing him, but on the other hand it really is p*ss or get off the pot time.

connachta wrote: project player à la Bleyendaal 4 years ago, not much more to expect this season. Carty must avoid waterslide

To be fair we didn't really have an option last year other than Carty with Boschofs situation re injuries and personal circumstances, so if he can stay fit has potential and can kick on we may be in a stronger position overall than last year, as I also liked the little glimpses I seen of Crosbie last season.

project player à la Bleyendaal 4 years ago, not much more to expect this season. Carty must avoid waterslide

Seems to have good hands.

Accidentally Onside wrote: So our new 10 is a guy who has never been able to get on the park for one of the worst teams in super rugby

Hope the guy tears up trees for us but this is a throwback to when we used to recruit unheard ofs from the southern hemisphere......not many of those worked out too well.

Agree 100% slightly underwhelming but Keane is a big advocator in giving youth its chance and obviously sees something in him

So our new 10 is a guy who has never been able to get on the park for one of the worst teams in super rugby

Hope the guy tears up trees for us but this is a throwback to when we used to recruit unheard ofs from the southern hemisphere......not many of those worked out too well.

Here's our new 10 maybe

Connacht set to sign promising Australian out-half Deegan
the42.ie/3512672

salmson wrote: According to latest reports Banks is off to Treviso now the Highlanders are out of the playoffs.

www.odt.co.nz/sport/rugby/highlanders/mauger-appears-favoured

A slightly more relevant article Salmson

According to latest reports Banks is off to Treviso now the Highlanders are out of the playoffs.

www.odt.co.nz/sport/rugby/highlanders/mauger-appears-favoured

Things are quiet so just said I'd throw this in here . Corey Brown seems to suggest that Banks move to Treviso didn't work out ! If that's the case could we be targeting him given the Connacht connection. Grant it that the article is from January.

i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/88...s-italian-club-waits

I never said you could just move them there with no prep, but I'd compare in to converting a 12 to a 13 rather than a scrum half to a flanker.

The days of tight five players getting by just hitting rucks and making tackles is long since gone.

Edit: and according to Wikipedia Masterson played underage in the second row

sea_point wrote: Big George was an example, but effective 6'5 and 17.5/18st backrowers are not ten a penny.....

George captained NZ U-20 from lock, so he was as much a second row with the athleticism to play 8 as a backrow who moved to lock. But I'd agree that the idea that moving a 6/8 into the second row just because they're big & slow is simplistic in the extreme.

Accidentally Onside wrote: The second row has less specialist skills than any other position on the park, it's why you see players move there when they slow down.

If you're big, can offer an option in the lineout and get around the park then you can play second row. People are talking about moving backrows to second rows, not full backs to prop.

And I didn't say I wanted it just suggested it as an option as we're rumoured to be bringing in an 8.

Completely disagree, second row is very.much a specialist position at any level of rugby. You don't just get popped into the second row, it requires lots and lots of training sessions and even then there are no guarantees. Demands of 80 mins of tight play are very different to loose forward play. And no, it's not just about being big,

There are only a few examples of backrowers being able to transition effectively into the second row and for good reason. Big George was an example, but effective 6'5 and 17.5/18st backrowers are not ten a penny.....Macca moving from 6 to second row took three seasons for him to become properly effective...

And no way Masterson is even close to 115kg, 110kg absolute max..he's down as 106kg currently....

Can't understand why we would not need two new back rows. Muldoon will be phased out this year as it is his last year, we have lost Fox Matamua, SOB looks like he is going to 2nd row and we do not know if Masterson will ever get back to the same level after that horrific injury. Also it is a hugely attritional position in which we regularly get injuries. If the Fox lad arrives, will be great for him to have a year watching Muldoon. The more the merrier. A quality back three player and a loose head would be great if they can be found. Boschoff is gone and we are on the hunt for a 10-12 apparently.

The second row has less specialist skills than any other position on the park, it's why you see players move there when they slow down.

If you're big, can offer an option in the lineout and get around the park then you can play second row. People are talking about moving backrows to second rows, not full backs to prop.

And I didn't say I wanted it just suggested it as an option as we're rumoured to be bringing in an 8.

So you'd prefer a slightly smaller guy who never played there rather than SOB?

Masterson is 6'4 and think I remember reading he'd bulked to 115-120kg during the injury so he could maybe move to the second row?