We are an exception due to our low budget and with ah you having been taken off us I'd say their is a fair chance we would be allowed sign a NIQ th if the news is true.

I really don't think we should be speculating on this though as it is a persons career we are taking about based on a rumour.

Surely if Munster weren't allowed to sign an NIQ tighthead we won't either when we have Finlay, Loughney, JP, Conan and Conor Carey?

I'd say, at best, we'll be permitted one NIQ signing and I'd prefer if that were a lock; especially if Quin Roux is going to be joining Ultan at Irish camps.

Amsterdamage wrote: Hearing that Nathan White is retiring on medical grounds. If that is the case a prop will need to be recruited also, we are quite thin now with Rod and Whitey gone.

Can you link to your source? Someone's health is not something we should really be speculating on. This is how rumours get started!

If it is true, then I hope he's making a pragmatic decision based on recovery time at his age and the rest of his life won't be affected. He wasn't at the homecoming because of his injury but I hadn't realised it was potentially career ending.

Hopefully it's not true but if it is I wish him the best in the future. We definitely need another prop or 2 if that is the case. We will need Buckley and Finley starting and 2 of similar quality on the bench in the Champions cup. Loughs and JP won't cut it at that level.
With the race quotas in South Africa maybe we could do well recruit front row options there but I'm sure Pat is well down the road in that area.

Whitey has had a good career with Ireland world cup paramount moment. It's not like he is 25, he has more to lose than to win taking risks with his health. Will be forever a good servant in both Lenster's and Connacht's memories, anyway!

Wow I really hope for his sake this is not the case.

I'll hold further comment until official confirmation on news like this.

Hearing that Nathan White is retiring on medical grounds. If that is the case a prop will need to be recruited also, we are quite thin now with Rod and Whitey gone.

The thing is people would have said the same about muldowney, muldoon, loughney etc before these past couple of seasons. If they don't sign a marquee second row who can offload then it will be because lam sees something in roux, marshal, Qualter or possibly sob to make him think they can fulfil that role. I'll trust his judgement over my own or anyone else's tbh

i wonder when we'll hear about any new signings, it should be an easy sell for Lam if and when he makes his trip back home, although the super rugby teams have upped the anti in terms of keeping their best players and offering them better deals. it's not going to be easy to find a like for like replacement for Ali, neither Roux or Dillane offer the same off-loading skills.

I'd imagine if he's going to stay it'll be to play for Ireland too and with that level of committment from him he'd want a 3 year contract

/HopesAndDreams

green13 wrote: Nucifora explained that they were aware of the interest internationally in Connacht’s Bundee Aki but should the player indicate that he wants to play international rugby with Ireland, the union would move swiftly to extend his contract that is up next summer.
Aki qualifies for Ireland on the three-year residency rule in October next year.

(From today's Irish Times, last paragraph of article re Joe Schmidt contract renewal).

I assume from that they are looking at a one year extension initially.

I don't think he is as good as POM or Henderson right now, but if he starts more regularly next season, I just feel he has more potential than them.

He was extremely influential against a very decent Leinster back row in a big stage final. They couldn't really handle him I felt.

It all depends on where he is on the development curve perhaps.

Having said all that, no doubt both other guys are class operators.

Good position to be in.

I agree with that Darragh and that is the problem for me.

Is he as good as POM or Henderson? Probably not. Will he get in second row ahead of Dillane and Ryan long term? Probably not although if he could develop as a second row he would certainly have a shot at getting game time in the second row easier than the back row imo. He has all the defensive attributes of a top class 6 and if he can add a bit of mobility to it he may just be there to take over from POM/Henderson when either of them retires or misses out through injury.

Re injury to players I think Connacht's style should result in less impact injuries for our players as they are not looking to win collisions all the time. I know that did not turn out to be the case this season but I think we were just seriously unlucky this season with most of the injuries not concussion or impact related. In a way I'm nearly glad not too many of our lads are going over to SA as some of those lads could be coming back carrying limbs in plastic bags.

I think Nucifora is good for Irish rugby. He is that impartial voice the IRFU never had.

It is quite difficult to argue with his brief and how he is trying to take Irish rugby forward.

With four pro teams, players have to move about more.

I would like to see a national policy adopted on how the game should be coached and played though. If we as a nation are ever to develop, this would be a game changer.

I see SOB 2.0 as a 6 really. He can certainly make it there.

He probably needs to offer a bit more with ball in hand in terms of influencing games.
Peter O'Mahoney, Ian Henderson, Rhys Ruddock, etc do offer a bit more with ball in hand but I can't help but think SOB 2.0 has better potential than all of them, particularly if Henderson remains a second row.

His influence on that second half at the weekend was eye opening. 14 tackles and he only played one half.

I am also not convinced Henderson is as mega as everyone first thought. I think Dillane will be a better second row and then there is James Ryan to come through.
Ruddock only plays in fits and starts.
POM is a fine player but how will he come back from injury?

Injury is the biggest threat to players these days. Threat to both longevity and form. Look at poor Cian Healy as a good example.

Exciting times ahead all the same.