connachta wrote:

Mark Mostyn wrote:

connachta wrote: Knowing how tight our budget is, I still found the perfect solution IMO

1) He isn't contracted anywhere yet, even now he is not in super rugby, so available probably on low money
2) He is an international player, though
3) He covers the spots we need : 4 5 and 8
4) He's a good good ball carrier, good passes/offloads too (Aly 2.0?)
5) He seems to jump very well in the lineout
6) And last but not least he played under Kieran Keane with Tasman in 2015

This gem does exist
vimeo.com/198389402

Wow don't know how you found him, very impressive! I do wish we aim for quality rather than quantity with our NIQ recruitment this year.

If you wanna see more, here he was only a few days ago for Brisbane 10's. Very mobile, too...

(wearing n°5)

It's not this guy, it's just I'd much rather one Boshoff/Aki/Heenan type signing than signing 3 players like Ili/Dawai/McCoy/Pewhairangi.

Although we've had success bringing in lower profile NIQs (MacGinty, Fox), it has been very hit and miss.

connachta wrote: Knowing how tight our budget is, I still found the perfect solution IMO

1) He isn't contracted anywhere yet, even now he is not in super rugby, so available probably on low money
2) He is an international player, though
3) He covers the spots we need : 4 5 and 8
4) He's a good good ball carrier, good passes/offloads too (Aly 2.0?)
5) He seems to jump very well in the lineout
6) And last but not least he played under Kieran Keane with Tasman in 2015

This gem does exist
vimeo.com/198389402

Aly was very underrated he had a lot of smarts to allow him to play as the linking forward which you also need to be really effective in line out if your not just 9 foot tall.

Just caught a look at Lepa in recent France v Samoa (Samoa are very poor in that game) Lepa comes on at 57 min no 19 looks busy alright and decent but I didn't see him make the impact I was looking for but that could have been just that one off and he hadn't that long must check out another few games online. Ah I can I'll have a look at the crusaders game instead probably a much better view.

We will probably be releasing a few locks too this year. I was hoping to see romaine turn into our own Courtney lawes soon.

Mark Mostyn wrote:

connachta wrote: Knowing how tight our budget is, I still found the perfect solution IMO

1) He isn't contracted anywhere yet, even now he is not in super rugby, so available probably on low money
2) He is an international player, though
3) He covers the spots we need : 4 5 and 8
4) He's a good good ball carrier, good passes/offloads too (Aly 2.0?)
5) He seems to jump very well in the lineout
6) And last but not least he played under Kieran Keane with Tasman in 2015

This gem does exist
vimeo.com/198389402

Wow don't know how you found him, very impressive! I do wish we aim for quality rather than quantity with our NIQ recruitment this year.

If you wanna see more, here he was only a few days ago for Brisbane 10's. Very mobile, too...

(wearing n°5)

I just wonder does Messam have the right age profile (32) to want to move on now, especially given he has done it all down there and there will be wholesale changes in the Chiefs next season.

Rennie did sign that Hurricanes 8 for Glasgow so perhaps Messam has no interest......or......it's already known he is coming to Connacht!!!!!!!!

Think he would bring our back rows on hugely too.

connachta wrote: Knowing how tight our budget is, I still found the perfect solution IMO

1) He isn't contracted anywhere yet, even now he is not in super rugby, so available probably on low money
2) He is an international player, though
3) He covers the spots we need : 4 5 and 8
4) He's a good good ball carrier, good passes/offloads too (Aly 2.0?)
5) He seems to jump very well in the lineout
6) And last but not least he played under Kieran Keane with Tasman in 2015

This gem does exist
vimeo.com/198389402

Wow don't know how you found him, very impressive! I do wish we aim for quality rather than quantity with our NIQ recruitment this year.

Knowing how tight our budget is, I still found the perfect solution IMO

1) He isn't contracted anywhere yet, even now he is not in super rugby, so available probably on low money
2) He is an international player, though
3) He covers the spots we need : 4 5 and 8
4) He's a good good ball carrier, good passes/offloads too (Aly 2.0?)
5) He seems to jump very well in the lineout
6) And last but not least he played under Kieran Keane with Tasman in 2015

This gem does exist
vimeo.com/198389402

Devils own wrote:

Mark Mostyn wrote:

Devils own wrote: Those are two class looking suggestions shame one is gone to rebels, great speed and footwork too hopefully Keane can do a great job of whispering in ear of a player or two like that but we really need to add that big serious power play aspect to our backrow

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanro_Liebenberg

This guy sounds like a second coming of C.J. Stander, eerie..

Have to get you on the Connacht Scouting team another beast, great age profile as well would be difficult to pry away must find him on twitter and tell him Connacht is place to be

Haha I'm just going through squad lists and talking sh1te, think there'd be an international incident if the Bulls lost another number 8 to an Irish team!

Mark Mostyn wrote:

Devils own wrote: Those are two class looking suggestions shame one is gone to rebels, great speed and footwork too hopefully Keane can do a great job of whispering in ear of a player or two like that but we really need to add that big serious power play aspect to our backrow

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanro_Liebenberg

This guy sounds like a second coming of C.J. Stander, eerie..

Have to get you on the Connacht Scouting team another beast, great age profile as well would be difficult to pry away must find him on twitter and tell him Connacht is place to be

Devils own wrote: Those are two class looking suggestions shame one is gone to rebels, great speed and footwork too hopefully Keane can do a great job of whispering in ear of a player or two like that but we really need to add that big serious power play aspect to our backrow

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanro_Liebenberg

This guy sounds like a second coming of C.J. Stander, eerie..

Those are two class looking suggestions shame one is gone to rebels, great speed and footwork too hopefully Keane can do a great job of whispering in ear of a player or two like that but we really need to add that big serious power play aspect to our backrow

Devils own wrote: Now you're talking that would be 24 carrot purchase that's another area I think we are a bit light. A Billy vunipola player would be such a great addition get us over the gainline to let Aki, Kelleher and Co do some damage.

Absolutely. Amanaki Mafi would have been my pick but he has signed for the Rebels and seems to have personality issues anyway. I'm sure there's plenty of players who fit the bill in Super Rugby.

Edit: Akira Ioane would be perfect but I doubt he's gonna give up the chance to play for the ABs with his little brother in a hurry

Now you're talking that would be 24 carrot purchase that's another area I think we are a bit light. A Billy vunipola player would be such a great addition get us over the gainline to let Aki, Kelleher and Co do some damage.

Darragh wrote: On a slightly different note, last night I had a dream we signed Liam Messam.

There may have been a wet patch in the morning.

Thank you.

That would be amazing, Pundit Arena will be running this as a rumour now with your wet dream as the "source".

Does anyone know anything about any of the Chiefs locks? Retallick aside obviously

On a slightly different note, last night I had a dream we signed Liam Messam.

There may have been a wet patch in the morning.

Thank you.

It's obviously up to Keane and Ruane has distanced us but maybe playing down any link may be a good way to make our hand very strong in any negotiation.
Id agree with Evo of course we shouldn't blow big cash on any deal nobody is saying that but he clearly wants to play for Ireland again and he knows nobody in Ireland is scrambling for his signature right now, so we are in a very strong position. That said he is arguably Ireland's best place kicker his stats were impeccable in pro12 and his line attack and step are top class his field and touch finding abilities were not the greatest but as he did for Ireland he can slot into 12 too easily. I think there is a lot of guys about who just have dislike for mads for no really good reason. We would be pretty stupid to turn him away if we got a great deal like Evo mentioned with us only paying half of any contract maybe 80-100K. Not to be negative but I'd rather have Boshoff & Madigan getting lots of pitch time than paying 3-4 guys that if we are being honest are not going to help us push on to even higher levels, does anyone think that Carty, O'Leary or Crosbie will be Ireland internationals?.
Tyler Bleyendaal is the major reason munster are a real outfit this year without a international level 10 running the show you will be hurt bad. Mcgintey has shown he has some serious skills in his locker we would not have won the pro12 without him, his place kicking was weak initially but improved as he cemented the 10 position. This season we have literally been shutting our eyes at every kick or wondering who won't have a horror show today.
I would release a large amount of the previously mentioned out of contract players just to get a player of henshaws calibre back.
I know I keep saying it and we have definitely moved way up the value list but it's now diamonds we need to get, zirconia won't cut it anymore

Darragh wrote: For the benefit of argument (because that's what we do on forums!!!!), I wouldn't take a Cipriani over a Madigan.

The drink driving charge did it for me in the end with him which is sad as I am sure he is a nice fella and he is a good player. I would rate Madigan as a better player though to be honest too.

Also people who feel Madigan has yet to fulfil his potential or just hasn't 'made it', I am not sure what to think of that. I can see the logic, but in a way also, he has fulfilled his potential. He is a top European fly half with many international caps.

I am not sure I see him at times, struggling to effect complete control and domination a la a Sexton, means that he has not fulfilled his potential. That just means he is a few points off the very best game managers in the world!! Maybe only 5-6 fly halves in the world like that.

Anyway, you get the gist!

It's impossible to objectively determine what potential a player had at some point in the past. Subjectively, I would say that he had the potential to at his prime (now) be a key player for a top club team, and a first choice international. He is, at 27, backup at an average club team, and is not and has never been first choice at international level. Those are facts.

For the record I would like us to sign him if we didn't have budgetary and other issues.