clanman wrote:
Craig could have gone to a foreign club for decent money if he had wished but delighted he has decided to stay with us.

TBF Craig hasn't played that much in the past two years, very injury prone and not a prospect like Heenan.
Don't misunderstand, really happy he stays, just saying he shouldn't have had that many offers..

considering a lot of pressure will be placed on our forwards in the champions cup, i'd like to see 2 gnarly SH signings a backrow and a lock. we have guys coming through the academy but it's a bit soon for Romaine and Gallagher(only18 but some talent)

certainly FB is another position but i think i read somewhere Boschoff has played there before.

Craig could have gone to a foreign club for decent money if he had wished but delighted he has decided to stay with us.

I would like to see who from our year 3 academy guys come through. This will be interesting.

Also interested to see how academy recruitment goes for next season. I.e. who will be the next Dillane or Masterson for example.

I still feel we badly need an overseas 8. There is a tremendous wear and tear on back rows and we have a very talented, but similar blend (similar physical profiles) of young talent in our back row.

Now I would also like someone like Jack Conan too but he seems to have his own wear challenges.

Still kind of feel we need a 13/ winger. A lot of our centres are more 12 than 13. Not got a lot of faith in Griffin but who knows.

The list hasn't changed a lot, but it makes it clearer

In red "still uncertain", which will be sorted out within next weeks
Into bracket those who will need to step up in case of injury crisis

1) Buckley, O'Donnell, Loughney (JP Cooney)
2) McCartney, Heff, Delahunt, (Dineen/O'Toole)
3) Bealham, White, Carey (JP Cooney)
4) Roux, Another strong ball-carrier 4/8 , (Qualter or Romaine)
5) Dillane, Marshall, Browne, (Qualter or Romaine)
6) Muldoon, SOB 2.0, Connolly, (Heenan)
7) Heenan, Nepia, Connolly, (McKeon)
8 ) McKeon, Masterson, Another strong ball-carrier 4/8
9) Marmion, Blade, Cooney, (Kerrins/Lowndes)
10) Boshoff, Carty, Ronaldson, (O'Leary)
11) Healy, TOH, Another winger/FB, (O'Keefe)
12) Aki, Ronaldson, Robb, McSharry (Brennan)
13) Griffin, Parata, Finn
14) Poolman, Leader, Niyi, (Gaffney)
15) TOH, Leader, Another winger/FB, (Gaffney)

pinky wrote: Sorry to see George go.
Sene is staying though, right?
#crisis=danger+opportunity

Yeah I was talking to people and more than likely they will be staying in Galway I'd say

Pretty much the list I expected TBH. Had just doubts about JHW and Api.
Best news are Heenan and Craig probably kept

Now as Salmson said above : 39-men squad, two NIQ to come, I guess one n°5/8 à la Naoupu, one utility back.
Georges + JHW + Carr + Muldowney freed cash must enable 2 very decent signings, and Jake contract raised closer to what French teams offered him...

Couple follow-ons from this:

1 - It would appear (JP) Cooney, Qualter, Heenan, Ronaldson, O'Leary & Finn are all staying on.

2 - That leaves us with 39 senior pros signed up for next season. We had 40 this year and carried 41 the previous 2 years, and if memory serves me correctly, during the 2 HEC seasons prior to those. So at least one, more likely 2 signings to come. Edit: Of the 39 signed or presumed re-signed for next year, 22 are Connacht men and/or came through our academy.

3 - We're losing 3 of our 6 NIEs/NIQs - George and AJ leaving, with Jake becomes IQ, while gaining one in Boshoff. Finances permitting I'd be hopeful of a couple of SH imports then. Certainly there doesn't seem to be much of anyone moving from the other provinces this year.

Sorry to see George go.
Sene is staying though, right?
#crisis=danger+opportunity

Aren't too many decent IQ hookers around so could see JHW go to Munster or Ulster
Wish all the lads the best in what ever they do.

Special shout out to Carr (in 08/09 Season we finished bottom of Celtic League with only 20 Tries scored- he got 8 of them) and George Noupou (too many memories)- they seen some dark days in Connacht Green and deserve to enjoy their final season here..

Shame Aly Muldowney will never get an Irish Cap- the past two seasons he has been the form lock in Ireland

Guessing Ronaldson, Heenan, Qualter, Finn, O'Leary and JP Cooney will all be getting new contracts seen as they not on the list?

Sorry to see Fionn's and George's Connacht careers coming to an end, they both made some big contributions especially their first goes around, but it is clearly time. Suppose a lot of the others are hoping to catch on somewhere else where they will see more game time as for one reason or another they have not feature much here especially of late. As I have said in other threads, I think Muldowney is, in many ways, going to be a bigger loss than Robbie. Wish them all best of luck going forward.

Well we knew about AJ and the reasoning behind the move so no big shock there. Gutted that Aly is really going, I was hoping for a miracle to keep him here. George has been a great servant for us, thought he might get another year. Fionn's biggest mistake was leaving the first time, he wasn't the same when he came back after the coaching he got in Leinster.
Jason HW has been cursed with injuries, hope he gets a contract and an injury free run.

Good luck to the 7 of them, hope everything works out well for them

RonanL wrote:

connemara man wrote: Players not back next season

Fionn Carr
Jason Harris-Wright
AJ MacGinty
Aly Muldowney
George Naoupu
Api Pewhairangi
Ian Porter

www.connachtrugby.ie/connacht.../#ConnachtNews

Aly is clearly the biggest loss in that list. Can we assume the likes of Jake and Craig are signed up for next year in light of this announcement?

I'd hope so, but I've been wrong with my presumptions before.

Obviously, the biggest loss is Aly, but I think we all knew that it was coming.
AJ has been discussed at length previously.
Api, surprised he's finishing after 1 season. Never got a look in
Fionn, it never really worked out for him since he came back. Can't see many clubs being too interested in him unfortunately
Porter, never got to see too much of him
George, you big, beautiful friendly man child. Deserves a huge send off. I think he might call it quits, and stay coaching, and let his wife continue to run her business and play Internationally
Sorry to see Jay go too. Thought for a little while, that he could make a long career for himself with Connacht, but injuries seem to have seriously hampered him. Hope he gets a contract somewhere else. A year or two playing in the English Championship, and staying injury free, and he could still end up with a good career

All the best to all 7 of them

connemara man wrote: Players not back next season

Fionn Carr
Jason Harris-Wright
AJ MacGinty
Aly Muldowney
George Naoupu
Api Pewhairangi
Ian Porter

www.connachtrugby.ie/connacht.../#ConnachtNews

Aly is clearly the biggest loss in that list. Can we assume the likes of Jake and Craig are signed up for next year in light of this announcement?

Aly is going to be a massive loss and I assume Porter got a better offer elsewhere

Thought George might get another year as a utility lock/back row

Players not back next season

Fionn Carr
Jason Harris-Wright
AJ MacGinty
Aly Muldowney
George Naoupu
Api Pewhairangi
Ian Porter

www.connachtrugby.ie/connacht.../#ConnachtNews

Shame for TOH. Think he is a better fullback than Henshaw.

I can see now why JS is turning Henshaw into a 12.

On another note, I really hope we will hear of more signings for next season. The squad does need some strengthening.

Expectations for next season will be huge.