Rodney to Ulster confirmed

www.connachtrugby.ie/rodney-ah-you-to-join-ulster/#ConnachtNews

I fully agree with Salmson on this. There is a world of difference to me between losing an overseas player and losing a player actually from Connacht. Losing local lads Johnny O'Connor, Damien Browne and Gavin Duffy in 2003 was the most disappointing setback in my time supporting Connacht. It is incomparable with losing the likes of Keatley, Cronin, Carr and Hagan who really only came to play for a couple of years.

Losing Henshaw is a massive blow. Losing Rodney is a second choice foreign import moving on. Good luck to him but I'm not bothered to be honest.

In my view, Rodney leaving us is not a major concern. His handling has been generally poor and his scrummaging skills remain under-developed, costing us a number of recurring penalties. He has become more peripheral to the squad of late. No doubt he will improve in Ulster under the guise of Less Kiss and co. but I think we will survive if not prosper without him. I'm in the minority on this forum I know with this view. Good luck to Rodney and his family. Always will be welcomed back to the Sportsground.

I know what your saying Salmson and I understand. But to progress on and off the field as both are equally important Rodney is the type of player we should be busting a gut to keep and get more of. Over the years for various reasons we have let go players that have went on to be stars with other teams , some we asked to leave others our hands were forced and we must stop both of these from happening into the future if we are to gain momentum.

With the small investment that was the clan stand, and what it is, and what it gives us it was a small investment . It invited and received a new fan, increased numbers and gave the ground a good look. We need to go another step on the facility investment again, so we can fit in more for the big games, but more importantly make extra money to allow us to compete for players and allow us to keep players. This investment must come from Galway itself, it reaps the reward in revenue it needs to put something back from time to time.

On Dave McSharry, with his history on concussion, I hope for his sake he either calls it a day or takes a year out and re valuates after that. He has a lot of living to do, and rugby is not the be and end all.

menacethedenis wrote: Has there been any word on Dave McSharry lately? Don't recall hearing anything since he had to go off in the Newcastle game, that's over a month ago.

No, he had a lot of concussions last year, one in Spring and 3 I think (Eagles, AIL, Newcastle) towards the end of the year, so I wouldn't expect to see him any time soon unfortunately.

menacethedenis wrote: Has there been any word on Dave McSharry lately? Don't recall hearing anything since he had to go off in the Newcastle game, that's over a month ago.

I was wondering the same thing earlier. I have no idea, but my fear would be this could be a case of no news being bad news.

Fourdogs wrote: I know I am going to invite an absolute storm of critics for what I am about to say but I can not believe the amount of comments that are sighting loyalty as a reason a professional sportsmen should stay with one employer.
A rugby players career is short enough and they need to capitalise on their earning potential. He also has to think of his family, schools etc.
None of the people actually suggesting that Rodney should stay out of loyalty would think twice about changing their own jobs if they were offered an opportunity to move for more money.

If I was mediocre at my job with low earning potential, and then a company spent a lot of time and money training me up, I personally would feel feel a sense of loyalty to the company, and assuming I was being paid in the same ballpark I think I'd be inclined to repay that loyalty by sticking around. Having said all that, none of us know the ins and outs of the Rodney situation. As someone else pointed out, it may well be that Connacht think they can manage with other lower cost players. I'm mostly just sad to see him going as he had become a fan favorite for many reasons. And if he has to go, I'm happier to see him go to another province rather than England or France.

Has there been any word on Dave McSharry lately? Don't recall hearing anything since he had to go off in the Newcastle game, that's over a month ago.

I know I am going to invite an absolute storm of critics for what I am about to say but I can not believe the amount of comments that are sighting loyalty as a reason a professional sportsmen should stay with one employer.
A rugby players career is short enough and they need to capitalise on their earning potential. He also has to think of his family, schools etc.
None of the people actually suggesting that Rodney should stay out of loyalty would think twice about changing their own jobs if they were offered an opportunity to move for more money.

While I understand clover and others disappointment I don't think it's fair to say it's sloppy business, it's economics.

The IRFU give a maximum of 90K per year per provincial contract, the provinces have to fund any amount over that themselves. Development contracts are of the order of 20K per annum (I know of one player who got less) and are funded by the provinces. Given Rodney's position and the strength of sterling, keeping him would have been an equivalent cost to most of what's spent on the 5 development contracts announced this year.

We just don't have the income stream/numbers coming through the gates to justify multiple big-money contracts in the same position, which leaves us vulnerable to injury crises and unable to be competitive throughout a season. Bit of a chicken and egg thing unfortunately.

Sorry I disagree. I don't see the difference if he is native our not. Over the years we have seen some very good non native players leave and make big impacts for other provinces. I don't care where a player is from, be it Galway or Samoa as long as he does his stuff in the Connacht Jersey. Rodney has the potential for many more Ireland Caps in him and it should be Connacht who get the benefit of this and not Ulster. We need players of his std and above three deep in every forward position, pushing each other stepping up when one is injured etc. This year we are all to aware of injuries and what they do to a squad. I would be sad to see Henshaw go, but it has been accepted he would leave from the day his star started shinning. I would be gutted to see Rodney go, the potential is there. The same goes for Bealham, for Niyi for James Connolly, Dani and many more like them in the squad we need to nail them down and reap the rewards for the work that went into them and not let other provinces benefit. just my opinion.

I for one will be sad to see Rodney go, clearly a very popular member of the squad and I think the work he does is very underrated. When fit (bit of a disclaimer there :lol: ) I think he runs White very close for the starting spot. He's our most offensive tackler too and his close in carrying is probably the best in the squad (granted not an area of strength for us).

There's been grumblings on other forums that this was a Nucifora move (no inside knowledge myself) and I can see that to be honest as in any interview he always talks up Galway and how happy his family are there in a way that comes across as genuine (not always the case, often you can tell players are just doing their PR bit) so upping sticks to Belfast seems odd to me.

Anyway- I've always liked him so I hope the move works out for him though it's a pity he couldn't have stayed with us

Apologies it was of course the Independent not the Irish Times.

To Answer Salmson, I for one do not think we should be losing players of Rodneys std, we should have two to three of them for every position on the pitch. This is not always possible I know, but in this case it is within our capabilities to keep Rodney and the other props for many years to come. His best years are ahead of him and its sloppy business if we have let him go. We saw this year with the injury crisis how we need 3 good players for every position and Rodney has the potential to get many more caps for Ireland if he keeps his head down and improving. Les Kiss sees the potential in him, why let Ulster reap the rewards for Connachts hard work. it makes no sense to me.

Not as bothered about Rodney leaving as some are here. There's a lot of things we don't know - Herbst hasn't been brilliant this season, does Rodney have a shot at a starting spot he doesn't have here?; did we just decide not to match Ulster's offer because Rodney wanted more than we're willing to pay a second-string player?; do the management view Bealham and/or O'Donnell as a better medium/long term bet (as it is I'm inclined to think Bealham's already at Rodney's level, his carrying and passing isn't as good but his scrummaging is at least as good and his workrate/tackling/turnover rate are all better)?

There's a world of difference between a foreign player moving from a provincial contract with X to a provincial contract with Y and a player native to our province (please spare me the Westmeath/Leinster nonsense, Athlone is Connacht for rugby) being transplanted to a rival province on a central contract, thereby subsidising them at our expense, so I'll definitely be more worked up when Henshaw leaves.

RonanL wrote: Very disappointed to see him go. As others have said, a lot of work went into him, and if it's his decision then it shows a lack of loyalty, but then this is professional sport so perhaps that's not to be expected.

I'd doubt very much that it was his decision. This just stinks of Nucifora trying to look busy whilst Rome burns.

This isn't a good move for Rodney, Connacht, Ulster or Irish Rugby.

Anyway, best of luck to him, I'm sure he'll get some cheer on the last day.

Step up Conan O'Donnell.

Stephen wrote: "Irish Times say Ulster have signed Rodney, if that really is the case I for one will be gutted. My faith in Willie is rapidly ebbing away. Losing Henshaw I can accept, I don't like it but I can accept it but losing Rodney is sloppy very sloppy. To me it sends out a bad signal on recruitment."


Could you add the link? Couldn't find it anywhere on their website.

Not sure about the times, but there's a footnote about it here in the independent: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/ulster-ru...adwell-34366227.html

Very disappointed to see him go. As others have said, a lot of work went into him, and if it's his decision then it shows a lack of loyalty, but then this is professional sport so perhaps that's not to be expected.