AFAIK he's signed up for rest of this season

Very exciting player, his strategy seems to be accelerate past any other players. Works in 7s, not sure if it'll be as effective in RU. Still tho, could be a great signing.

Really?? I thought he was playing for an NFL team now. Would be good to see him in the PRO12(?) next year. Exciting talent.

Glasgow lose scrum half Chris cusiter to sale sharks and prop Murray low to Exeter but are reported to have signed USA 7s star Carlin isles.

Ok for youth but we can't compete with an U-20 team! If we're broken, we've to pick "A" irish players, ProD2, reliable Islanders (not Erza/So'O), not only 19 years old lads

connachtexile wrote:

We also have that young lad in Corinthians his name escapes me.

Sean O'Hagen?

That young lad will pass a lot of people out next year. Think him, SOB, Rory Maloney, Ciaran Gaffney, Masterson and Parata can make a step up.

That's him. Ronaldson and Carthy as our first pics and the other 2 as back

We also have that young lad in Corinthians his name escapes me.

Sean O'Hagen?

Heffernan and Nikora. We probably cannot afford a big name 10 that we do need but I'd go with the three 10s we have dropping. Parks. We also have that young lad in Corinthians his name escapes me.

Squad page has the latest status:

connachtclan.com/stats/squad-2013-2014

Conneely, Duffy, Fafita, Griffin, Heffernan, Murphy (B.), Murphy (F.), Nikora, Nolan, O'Donoghue, O'Halloran, Parks, Qualter, Rael, Swift, Tonetti all unsigned.

After Griffin, Heffernan, and O'Halloran (and I may be on my own on this last one) is there anyone you expect us to keep?

ya there will be a big clear out in the summer I would expect parks, frank murphy, brian murphy tonetti(retiring) o donoghue, nikora swift,Dave Nolan, not sure who else is out of contract but massive changes are needed!!

we do need a proper clean out at season end.

i'd be going to the irfu with a list of players identified across the other 3 provinces.

ireland need more henshaws, marmions, etc....

I thought he was here on a one year deal with him going back to Munster at the end or was that his 'plan' rather than Munsters?

We signed Rael on a one-year development contract. He's a distant 4th of 4 hookers here, and if he's managed to get himself a Munster contract fair-play to him, I haven't heard a whisper of one for him at Connacht.

Ummm wrote:

Nagle would still be 4th or 5th choice here even on loan. Would be a waste of time for him here.

I don't want Nagle per se but I don't understand why there isn't more loan movement between provinces even when we were a 'developmental side' there was bugger all loans.

Salsom wrote:

If he did well here he might want to stay, whereas however well he does at Newcastle, he can't stay if he has Ireland ambitions.
In a similar vein, Munster don't want a precedent for fringe players moving an hour up the road.
Conversely, why would Connacht develop a Munster player when we have the likes of Kearney and Browne on our books?

In short, there could be any number of reasons, and I'll bet they're rooted in hard nosed practicality rather than pride.

It's a good argument and I can see the logic but then why did we sign James Rael for a year who is meant to be heading back to Munster after? The simple answer is if Connacht do well it is good for there players and us. 3 months gives someone ahead of our guys some gamtime while not stunting our guys. I'm not talking a huge amount of players but one or two who could make a short-term difference before going back to there own team. For example having Nagle sit on the bench for Browne and Kearney might give Muldowney the kick in the ass he needs to play better. Or having a Josh Van der Flier on the bench when Heenan, Faloon and Coneelly were out would have being beneficial then him leaving when one of the three were fit again.

Nagle would still be 4th or 5th choice here even on loan. Would be a waste of time for him here.