sligsup wrote: If having players on central contracts, means you haave to take them off at half time in an important European match I'd rather not have any centrally contracted. Do you think Cullen withdrawing Sexton and O'Brien was instructions from International management, seems a strange one to me.

I think the press are making a bit more out of this than it is. Sexton was not fit enough to take the kicks, IMO he should not have started. Hamstrings need time. Same with SOB. How much game time has he had since coming back. We all know in Connacht what a lack of game time can do ...........just look at our first few games this season before we got up to speed.

sligsup wrote: If having players on central contracts, means you haave to take them off at half time in an important European match I'd rather not have any centrally contracted. Do you think Cullen withdrawing Sexton and O'Brien was instructions from International management, seems a strange one to me.

Hardly unexpected that Sexton & O'Brien were withdrawn, neither made an impact 1st Half.

O'Brien just back from latest injury issue was always going to play a reduced role anyway, and Carberry's form has been good enough this season to warrant minutes way more mobile than Sexton and suited option of moving huge Montpellier pack around the pitch..Don't think Joe had too much of a hand in either decisions in fairness...

sligsup wrote: If having players on central contracts, means you haave to take them off at half time in an important European match I'd rather not have any centrally contracted. Do you think Cullen withdrawing Sexton and O'Brien was instructions from International management, seems a strange one to me.

Well having players on the national team will do that anyway their game time is practically micro managed to the minute sure look at Dillanes game time

If having players on central contracts, means you haave to take them off at half time in an important European match I'd rather not have any centrally contracted. Do you think Cullen withdrawing Sexton and O'Brien was instructions from International management, seems a strange one to me.

I wouldn't want to have set numbers of ccs per province, but I'd like if a player could only be offered a cc after at least 1 full senior contract with that province, the fact that Leinster could sign Henshaw straight onto a (probably topped up) cc still bugs me. Currently the cc is used to compensate the province, it would be more positive if they were also a reward for developing the player.

I always thought it should be something like; 12 central contracts, 3 per team....no exceptions.

That means each team should have at least 3 marquee Irish players, or in the worst case scenario 3 contracted players who are off your book. If you want a central contract but there's no room at the Inn in Dublin....well, there's three other teams out there you can sign for too lad!

Or if the above would be too restrictive; 15 central contracts, at least 3 in each province.

The sacred cow that is a player on a central contract is a double edged sword.

You get a marquee name and 12 games for province (6 interpros and 6 European Games on average). And they are nearly always injured for some reason. Curse of a Central Contract.

But wrapped in Cotton Wool besides that.

I think Connacht Branch need to commit IRFU to having a central contract (maybe 2) based out of Connacht from 2018-19 onwards/or post RWC 2019 (because the contracts cycle usually starts again).

Let the IRFU as the Money men call the tune and dictate that there is a lucrative Central Contract in Galway.

Instead of the current situation where the IRFU offer a Central Contract and its up to the player in which Province they want to take it up.