ConnachtCows wrote: The Indo are reporting that Ulster are looking to re-sign Willie Faloon

www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/ulster-ea...faloon-30949568.html

Wouldn't like to see that happen

They can be as eager as they want. He's contracted til the end of next season.
No by-line on the article and they didn't even bother to claim it was from a "well placed source" they just went ahead and said it.
I reckon they have a couple of roulette wheels in there with names of players and clubs to randomly generate rumours to fill copy.

salmson wrote:

ConnachtCows wrote: The Indo are reporting that Ulster are looking to re-sign Willie Faloon

www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/ulster-ea...faloon-30949568.html

Wouldn't like to see that happen

Faloon is contracted until 2016. Nice to see the Indo has sunk to publishing forum posts uneditted

Such lazy journalism. It might make for an entertaining challenge sometime - see who can have the most far fetched story printed by a national newspaper.

ConnachtCows wrote: The Indo are reporting that Ulster are looking to re-sign Willie Faloon

www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/ulster-ea...faloon-30949568.html

Wouldn't like to see that happen

Faloon is contracted until 2016. Nice to see the Indo has sunk to publishing forum posts uneditted

The Indo are reporting that Ulster are looking to re-sign Willie Faloon

www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/ulster-ea...faloon-30949568.html

Wouldn't like to see that happen

Bayern wrote:

connachta wrote:

Bayern wrote:

connachta wrote:

menacethedenis wrote: Yeah that's great news about Cooney, pleasantly surprised to hear it, really didn't think it was on the cards

Was about to say the same. Connacht's becoming a long-term solution?

How's it any different than Paul O'Donohue?

Totally different, Cooney is a good prospect, POD was average

Both didn't make it at Leinster and moved to Connacht.

So that means they're at exactly the same level talent wise?

connachta wrote:

Bayern wrote:

connachta wrote:

menacethedenis wrote: Yeah that's great news about Cooney, pleasantly surprised to hear it, really didn't think it was on the cards

Was about to say the same. Connacht's becoming a long-term solution?

How's it any different than Paul O'Donohue?

Totally different, Cooney is a good prospect, POD was average

Both didn't make it at Leinster and moved to Connacht.

connachta wrote:

Bayern wrote:

connachta wrote:

menacethedenis wrote: Yeah that's great news about Cooney, pleasantly surprised to hear it, really didn't think it was on the cards

Was about to say the same. Connacht's becoming a long-term solution?

How's it any different than Paul O'Donohue?

Totally different, Cooney is a good prospect, POD was average

POD was a poor mans Isaac Boss

Bayern wrote:

connachta wrote:

menacethedenis wrote: Yeah that's great news about Cooney, pleasantly surprised to hear it, really didn't think it was on the cards

Was about to say the same. Connacht's becoming a long-term solution?

How's it any different than Paul O'Donohue?

Totally different, Cooney is a good prospect, POD was average

Injuries aside McLaughlin would suit our needs nicely. Mul won't be able to keep up this level of gametime for much longer. McLaughlin can cover lock as well.

The problem with McLaughlin is that he's always injured. Along with Fitzgerald and Donnacha Ryan he must have the worst injury profile of a current Irish International. Would much rather have one of the younger guys who is less injured. Also with MOC's penchant for preferring older veterans than giving new talent a try I can see him erring on the side of caution and letting one of the younger guys go and retaining McLaughlin.

RogueXV wrote:

salmson wrote: I guess now we know why Matt O'Connor said there'll probably be no further loan deals: Leinster won't be happy with losing Cooney, what with Boss and Reddan in their mid-30s now.

Certainly these loans worked out better for Connacht, but if MOC is claiming Connacht poached a couple of his rising stars under the guise of a short term loan than he is being disingenuous. Certainly in Roux case Leinster saw little value in him until he started to come good at Connacht. O'Connor is just happy to have a ready made excuse for the next time another province comes calling to loan a player. "Why should we if they are just going to sign the player away from us while he is out on loan?" The IRFU should step in and say use them or lose them, it's for the good of Irish rugby that's why.

Whatever about loan deals I wonder if Nucifora will bear any influence on which backrow players leinster re-sign for next season.
O'Brien, Heaslip, Conan, Ryan, Ruddock Murphy all in extended 6 nations squad. McLaughlin would be there too if wasnt for the injury he picked up against us. Jennings and van der Flier also soaking up some gametime.
Contracts are up this year for Ryan, Murphy, McLaughlin and Jennings. 3 backrow academy graduates as well: van der flier (7) dan Leavy (6/7) and Peadar Timmons (6/ 8 ).
A bit of chat over in babbling brook on this. Some thoughts that McLaughlin would suit Connacht with Van der flier to Ulster. Injuries aside McLaughlin would suit our needs nicely. Mul won't be able to keep up this level of gametime for much longer. McLaughlin can cover lock as well.
They're a bit jealous over there as well about our line up of 9's for next season.

Good news all round. With Marmion likely to be gone to the World Cup and probably 6 nations in 2016 we won't see a huge amount of him so having adequate back up is very important for next season and beyond. Cooney and Blade give us good options both while Marmion is gone and off the bench.

Also longer term Marmion may not be with us forever so its important not to lose the likes of Cooney and Blade at this stage. For a long time we had no depth at scrum half so happy with how we stand there at this stage.

Glad Carty has re-signed. He wouldn't be my option at 10 but he has accumulated a fair bit of experience this season and adds depth to the squad.

Still some business to tidy up but to be fair they are getting through it. Hopefully gone are the days of the 13 or 14 player turnovers. We have the guts of a good squad, just need to keep hold of our key players and keep trying to add a couple of quality additions each season. Lam's recruitment has generally been good, hopefully he has another couple of quality players lined up.

connachta wrote:

menacethedenis wrote: Yeah that's great news about Cooney, pleasantly surprised to hear it, really didn't think it was on the cards

Was about to say the same. Connacht's becoming a long-term solution?

How's it any different than Paul O'Donohue?

galway_gas wrote: In "specialist" positions i.e front row and SH where we always have 2 on matchday we should have 4. With Blades promotion we will have no SH in academy unless we get Lowndes.

Id say Lowndes is a safe enough bet to join the academy.

To be fair to Porter he was first choice back up to Marmion before he got injured- i dont think he will be concerned about the signings great to have quality options and if blade and cooney kick on from there progress so far it can only be a good thing.

galway_gas wrote:

connachta wrote: I guess it's over for Porter now. Would have like to see more of him kicking, but we'll have 3 high quality SH, for the future and starting now. Glad for Cooney and Blade, who will be motivated by a lot of guaranteed gametime during RWC next season

Porter's contracted till 2016. He's been unfortunate with injury so I see no reason to write him off. Its not as if we have a lot of competent kickers around.

Got a little lazy there, I had a feeling either Porter or Nikora was contracted for next season. I'm not necessarily writing him off, agree we haven't seen enough of him, but you might wonder what your playing prospects are after Connacht sign two players in your position. Is Porter up for the fight to make his way up the pecking order or does he say feck it and look to be released from his contract?

In "specialist" positions i.e front row and SH where we always have 2 on matchday we should have 4. With Blades promotion we will have no SH in academy unless we get Lowndes.