That's what I was trying not to say, I live in hope!!

greyingbeard wrote: TOH signed an extension and Eoin Griffin is returning next season

Great to have him back but it's an extra centre

I would say its not an extra centre but Henshaws replacement

TOH signed an extension and Eoin Griffin is returning next season

Great to have him back but it's an extra centre

There's talk on boards about Denis having to have surgery with a lengthy (I think 3 months was mentioned) spell on the sidelines. Terrible news for us and him. I genuinely believe he will be an international if he can just get an opportunity.

Craic Head wrote: I have always thought that Griffin was a potential Ireland player. He has had bad luck with injuries over there and when he has been playing it will have been in a team that is hanging on to premiership life.

I really don't think it would be a positive move for both the player and the club to have a "back to the future scenario". if henshaw leaves, and there's a chance he won't, fingers crossed, there are alternative solutions

IMO the perfect one is to target intensely Ian Whitten

1) his contract with Exeter is over, and he's IQ
2) he played very well yesterday against Clermont stars
3) he's got little gametime with the Chiefs, with Slade, Hill, Campagnaro, Nowell in the mix
4) we can promise him much more gametime, and probably in the biggest European cup next season
5) he's 28, perfect age to be competitive AND transmit some experience to young Parata/Robb
6) he can cover wing too
7) we have a good relashionship with Exeter, having played friendlies, exchanging guys like Muldowney, Vaiinikolo...And we have the same background, small clubs becoming bigger, fervent fans

Final Year Academy players James Connolly, Shane Delahunt and Rory Parata have signed Senior Contracts

Senior contracts next season for Academy trio James Connolly, Rory Parata & Shane Delahunt.

“Their journey epitomises the vision we have at Connacht Rugby and we believe there are plenty more young players in our system who have the potential to follow the same pathway and go on to represent Connacht and Ireland in the future.” - WIllie Ruane, CEO

Ross won't be coming west, thank God.

"It is a big decision, I have a house, my kids are in school. Moving isn't a great process. For a younger lad it might be a bit easier. It depends where you are in your life."

www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/leinster-...e-irfu-34271981.html

what annoys me most about the possibility of losing Rodders is that he came here as a young lad, was given time at Connacht to improve his scrummaging and all-round game, time that he would not of been afforded at the other 3 provinces. And now that he's in his prime as a tighthead our investment in him will be stolen from under us. You hang on to your tightheads we've seen that at the other 3 provinces, you don't let them go or at least not until they get to 37 years of age, the 2 older IQ tightheads spoken of already are nearing the end of their careers and having to sign a younger untried tighthead will leave the scrum exposed. I don't see any of the other younger irish tighheads that we have or at the other provinces developing to be as good as Rodney who i rate very highley and competely understand that why he would be in demand.

phatguerilla wrote: I would rather we took no prop in place of Rodney rather than allow Connacht's budget be drained to fill Ross' pension pot. At international level Rodney has not made it yet but Ross has never been the 'destructive scrummager' that would make his inability around the field worthwhile. In addition he is 36 this month and only going to continue to slow down. White is currently 34, 36 at the end of his contract. Barring the continued explosion of O'Donnell, Rodney will be clear first choice at that point, if he is not already at the end of this season and White is quite likely on his final contract.

Munster can take Ross, they can't afford to be as fussy about THs as we can. I'd rather keep Rodney too, but losing him wouldn't be disastrous either given the level we've built to in that position.

I would rather we took no prop in place of Rodney rather than allow Connacht's budget be drained to fill Ross' pension pot. At international level Rodney has not made it yet but Ross has never been the 'destructive scrummager' that would make his inability around the field worthwhile. In addition he is 36 this month and only going to continue to slow down. White is currently 34, 36 at the end of his contract. Barring the continued explosion of O'Donnell, Rodney will be clear first choice at that point, if he is not already at the end of this season and White is quite likely on his final contract.

menacethedenis wrote: The 'Rodney to Ulster' rumours seem to be getting louder and louder. I have to say I'd be absolutely raging if he goes after the time we invested in him. For all the IRFU's talk of backing Connacht what does it say if we lose 2 homegrown Internationals next year?

I wouldn't like to see Rodney go but this - unlike the Henshaw issue where the IRFU are paying him from the international pot regardless and should be directing him to Connacht to help build a 4th strong Irish team - isn't a straightforward case of the union screwing us. Two thoughts come to mind...

(1) Credibility: the most likely source of such rumours is usually the player's agent. We've seen this with marquee Irish players, we see it in the other provinces, and as we're better now we'll see it more here.

(2) Budget: White and Bealham are signed to 2017; O'Donnell looks the business. Can we afford to give one of our bigger contracts (to which Rodney is perfectly entitled) to retain a player in a position we have depth in, or is that money better directed to another position?

If there is any truth to these rumours, our supporters and Connacht rugby need to live by their slogan of #FURU and make sure that the IRFU get the message that if true we won't stand for this type of regime any longer. It doesn't work if it's grassroots plundered to blue and white shirts.

Ulster squad has less injuries but key ones in them. Should come to the Sportsground without at least Hendo, Nelson, Payne Tuohy and probably Cave

Smaller squad with less potential to rotate I guess

CONN8 wrote: The other provinces had mentioned their injury worries, I think looking at injury table we are way ahead of the rest.

www.balls.ie/rugby/injuries-calendar/318482

Interesting article. Any theories about why Connacht seem to have so many injuries in comparison to the other Irish teams? I seem to remember a fairly similar situation last year. Are we doing anything differently, should we be doing anything differently, is it just bad luck, are we the Arsenal of the rugby world? I appreciate the artificial pitch in Cardiff took its toll but we had a lot of injuries before that game.