Someone on the Leinster site came up with the good point that Cronin is getting a Leinster/Connacht contract and not a Central contract and neither apparently is Strauss which leaves just Best as the only Centrally contracted hooker. There looking to cut some more as well.

There's also rumours of Stringer heading to Bath on a loan deal again. Really think we should grab him. He's a lot better than POD and could be a great no. 2 for Marmion.

Does Cronin on the bench have any significance regarding whether he's leaving Leinster or not? If it doesn't then maybe its too late but it should be a sign to him, been playing great the last few weeks and now straight back on the bench.

It is going to become more the norm for us, getting players who are Leinster underage but do not make their Academy. The Irish underage teams are dominated by Leinster players hugely and the Academy there can't take them all. We will give more and more opportunities to them as some players rejected by them will be probably better than what we are producing locally. It does leave us a bit vunerable when they succeed here though as they will always have a draw to return to their home provinces

theCulk wrote:

salmson wrote: You could have said poor record of developing backs, period. Zebo last year, Earls a few years before that, and <strong>Hurley</strong> in 2006. That's yer lot.

A back? :lol: :whistle:

Ouch...that's the Hurley Fan Club christmas card list shortened for next year... :lol:

salmson wrote: You could have said poor record of developing backs, period. Zebo last year, Earls a few years before that, and Hurley in 2006. That's yer lot.

A back? :lol: :whistle:

sea_point wrote: Would be more concerned with our friends down south to be honest, they have a poor record of developing any centres at all, and Downey and Laulala aren't long term solutions (certainly not on current form anyway)....

You could have said poor record of developing backs, period. Zebo last year, Earls a few years before that, and Hurley in 2006. That's yer lot.

phatguerilla wrote: There is a decent amount of 12 cover for when Darce eventually retires if Leinster wish to use it, and I hope that between basically being rejected by their academy and seeing Carr, Hagan (and to a lesser extent Cronin) experiences that McSharry might hold off going blue. That's the hope anyways. However I feel an awful lot of responsibility for who stays put will be on Lam, he has to show the young guys its worth staying at Connacht and that means becoming more competitive.

Would be more concerned with our friends down south to be honest, they have a poor record of developing any centres at all, and Downey and Laulala aren't long term solutions (certainly not on current form anyway)....

There is a decent amount of 12 cover for when Darce eventually retires if Leinster wish to use it, and I hope that between basically being rejected by their academy and seeing Carr, Hagan (and to a lesser extent Cronin) experiences that McSharry might hold off going blue. That's the hope anyways. However I feel an awful lot of responsibility for who stays put will be on Lam, he has to show the young guys its worth staying at Connacht and that means becoming more competitive.

Wasrednowgreen wrote: ...while I am delighted and proud of Henshaw & McSharrey - well deserved recognition for the level they play at..... Both super players ... why do you get the sweaty, sneaky feeling that Leinster etc will be marking them down as another bunch of targets to strip us of

To be fair it is only a matter of time before McSharry heads back to Leinster, which you would not begrudge him of seen as he is a native Leinster man. D'Arcy is not going to be around forever. But here is hoping he stays in the long run.

If Henshaw left, that's a paddlin...

...while I am delighted and proud of Henshaw & McSharrey - well deserved recognition for the level they play at..... Both super players ... why do you get the sweaty, sneaky feeling that Leinster etc will be marking them down as another bunch of targets to strip us of

Hopefully Dave McSharry getting called up to the Irish squad will be a positive sign to other Irish Qualified players, that game time at Connacht is better than squad time at bigger clubs

Porterbelly wrote: Troy was nearly the cause of TOH being cut loose before last season.

no secrets that toh was no angel, well before his days at connacht. if you know what im talking about poterbelly you'll know that!
maybe troy didnt help that but it didnt start it. enough said

Sheepsean wrote:

ConnachtCows wrote: I really like Troy, but I dont think he's better than any of the centres that we have personally. Big boot on him though. We cant just go out looking to sign all our ex players.

Agreed -good bloke and good player.But we have good enough centres who need to be tweeked a bit here and there.Bringing back Troy just because there's the option,wouldn't benefit us really.Jees he had a great boot though.

Troy was nearly the cause of TOH being cut loose before last season.

A very bad influence around the club along with a certain Ezra Taylor

There's no way he'd be resigned

salmson wrote: So who's left unsigned of those who've featured repeatedly in the first team this year - just Fetu, Browne, Reynecke (probably leaving), Swift (wants to stay), JOC, and Flav (probably retiring)?

2015 - White, Loughney, Wilkinson, Marmion, Poolman, Buckley, george, harris wright
2015 - mckeon, kearney, henshaw,

2014 - Tonetti, O'Donohoe, Faloon, Parks, Duffy, McSharry, Griffin, O'Halloran, Muldoon

2013 - Gannon, Moore, Ah You, Anderson, McCrea, Brian Murphy, Reynecke, Flavin, Swift, Fifita, Browne, O'Connor, Vainikolo, Frank Murphy, Grace, Healy, Jarvis, Loxton, Nikora

Unknown - Nolan, Cooney,

So who's left unsigned of those who've featured repeatedly in the first team this year - just Fetu, Browne, Reynecke (probably leaving), Swift (wants to stay), JOC, and Flav (probably retiring)?

Anyone got any idea what the story with them is (particularly Browne)?

ConnachtCows wrote: I really like Troy, but I dont think he's better than any of the centres that we have personally. Big boot on him though. We cant just go out looking to sign all our ex players.

Agreed -good bloke and good player.But we have good enough centres who need to be tweeked a bit here and there.Bringing back Troy just because there's the option,wouldn't benefit us really.Jees he had a great boot though.