connachta wrote: 4 hookers in the main squad meas we don't need hooker in the Academy IMO

Centre is different. But I've hope for senior squad, Farrell/Griffin were on the good trajectory in the final games of the season, Brennan can cover too.

Conroy + a really good NIQ LH (if Coulson can't come) will be a decent minimal base

My only worriness is the overall youth of the squad :

At this date only 15 are above 25 y.o. One third.

I'm not sure what the consensus is about whether all must be positive in this forum or not. But I am not enthralled with Tom. He is fantastic going forward but in a defensive capacity I wouldn't be so sure. I think Eoin has offered little as a centre option after a disappointing time at London Irish. And since his return nothing has changed my mind. I think letting young Rory Parata go was a huge mistake. As for the signing Scholes, well we need to sort a basic problem. If everybody is up in the line, with nobody sitting back and changing the angle of attack, then it really doesn't matter who the winger is. Is it left for Tiernan to invent something or is it, more appropriately, up to the outhalf to change the angle of attack.

I appreciate we were destroyed last year as teams forced the line. But if you watched Ali and AJ, they simply switched the point of attack. It simply went back in the pocket and the ball was moved in the opposite direction. So the sweeping offence from the opposing team was nullified. What I saw from last year was none of this.

4 hookers in the main squad meas we don't need hooker in the Academy IMO

Centre is different. But I've hope for senior squad, Farrell/Griffin were on the good trajectory in the final games of the season, Brennan can cover too.

Conroy + a really good NIQ LH (if Coulson can't come) will be a decent minimal base

My only worriness is the overall youth of the squad :

At this date only 15 are above 25 y.o. One third.

Bazzo wrote: Boyle is a good steal imo (though I'd rather just have Doris...)

Definitely has one eye on the Leinster back row and can't see a future for himself there. Surprised Ulster weren't sniffing around, or maybe they were and he just preferred us.

Yeah exactly, he mightn't even have been offered a place to be honest but there's no shame in that with the quality up there. Ulster took Greg Jones instead.

Boyle is a good steal imo (though I'd rather just have Doris...)

Definitely has one eye on the Leinster back row and can't see a future for himself there. Surprised Ulster weren't sniffing around, or maybe they were and he just preferred us.

Apparently Paul Boyle (Ireland u20 openside and captain for a few games) is joining the academy. So we can assume the intake will include:

Paul Boyle (Backrow)
Harley Fox (Backrow)
Sean Masterson (Backrow)
Luke Carty (Outhalf)

Has anyone heard about anyone else? Hooker and centre are the only positions without an academy player.

Going to Edinburgh with their ugly forward style of play was unlikely to go well for a winger. I'm not sure he's at the standard to improve on what we all ready have so I'd not be too excited if we signed him to be honest.

connachta wrote: Rory Scholes released by Edimburgh.
If we don't sign Conroy...
If we do, he could replace the latter for Irish 7's

rory scholes was flying at ulster when he left. I thought he was spreading his wings when he left for scotland. There were too many winger options at ulster, at the time, so I really had thought he made the right decision. Obviously not.

Rory Scholes released by Edimburgh.
If we don't sign Conroy...
If we do, he could replace the latter for Irish 7's

Bazzo wrote:

dobby wrote: Heard rumour that Luke Carty has been training with the the squad this weather. Would it be possible he is also under consideration for the 10 spot?

He's a cert for the academy. Been with the Irish u19s and 20s(I think?) And in our sub academy and no other 10s coming through at the moment that I know of.

Was in and around the 20s but didn't play a game. Probably too soon for him to be playing regularly for the senior team but he'll be 4th choice by default so who knows what'll happen.

dobby wrote: Heard rumour that Luke Carty has been training with the the squad this weather. Would it be possible he is also under consideration for the 10 spot?

He's a cert for the academy. Been with the Irish u19s and 20s(I think?) And in our sub academy and no other 10s coming through at the moment that I know of.

Heard rumour that Luke Carty has been training with the the squad this weather. Would it be possible he is also under consideration for the 10 spot?

EvoGeo wrote: I think we'll have another two added when kk comes too.

I have a feeling we have players lined up but because they are still involved with their club sides they are being kept quiet.

Signings are announced in that situation all the time, like Fardy, Lowe, Van Der Merwe, Botha, Cloete, and Butler this season alone.

Is that just your opinion or do you have info ? Not looking for names but if it's inside info I'm sure we all would like to hear if there are more coming into the squad.

Shelflife wrote: Topic has been opened again, we have tidied up a lot of the off topic conversation.

Try to remain on topic folks and keep it civil.

Personal attacks on players, staff and forum users are never tolerated, by all means criticism is allowed but lets not go overboard.
If you wouldn't say it to the persons face , don't say it here.

We want to keep our moderation to a light touch, we dont be on here all the time and only pop in the same as everyone else, if you have a problem with a post drop us a PM .

I'd also ask anyone who doesn't want to have to read repetitive and pointless abuse of players to ignore it completely and let the moderators handle it, rather than derail the topic further as happened here.

I think we'll have another two added when kk comes too.

I have a feeling we have players lined up but because they are still involved with their club sides they are being kept quiet.

I'm guessing Fox hasn't been announced because it'll be in among the academy 17/18 confirmations... Which is due any day now...