Impressive how the independent managed to write a full article around Foley going "I wouldn't say no to Henshaw" and "I don't really want to talk about one of Pat Lam's players."

salmson wrote: One in the eye for the Denis O'Brien daily and their shower of [strike]trolls[/strike] journalists.

www.connachtrugby.ie/marmion-extends-con...l-2018/#ConnachtNews

woo-hoo!

You'd have sworn with all the sources and inside knowledge that the media has they'd have been able to get a scoop before Connacht announced it..

One in the eye for the Denis O'Brien daily and their shower of [strike]trolls[/strike] journalists.

www.connachtrugby.ie/marmion-extends-con...l-2018/#ConnachtNews

woo-hoo!

There are 4 articles in the Independent today about this. 2 explicitly about it and another 2 that heavily reference it. Unbelievable. I'm sure they'll claim there's no agenda though....

Hate to see the odd gutless comment. I despise the Dublin biased media, hate the foppish fools who constantly stir the pot on newstalk etc and I live in the city. Why the hell shouldn't we expect the same loyalty from our home grown players that the other provinces do, he is already an established international and pay shouldn't be an issue on a central contract, the uproar should be deafening at the mere suggestion even George hook realises it's a disgrace. Leinster have Kelleher, Ringrose and Mcgrath in the backs Stuck on the bench all quality players. They have a rubbish coach with no experience and a poor forward coach. They have no right whatsoever to come after one of our best. Damn right Robbie should be loyal to his province just like BOD etc were, I wouldn't begrudge a player a new experience after repaying his home club but Robbie is just out of diapers. It would be a massively bad move by the IRFU to sanction it what kind of signal would it send out to prospective connacht fans. I certainly will let the brats in the Dublin media know that they should jog on and get over themselves. If he wants to go fine but don't ask me to accept it or think it's okay.

Banm wrote: I agree with CountFurlo,

I all for players choice etc but I can't see why at this point he'd want Leinster where not much happening and they have plenty of players.

Stay another year ta feic!

While another year would be good in terms of the quality he offers, the downside to that would be the inevitable circus that would come around next September or October again. We need to be able to work away building our squad without unnecessary sideshows. I really hope we can keep hold of him but if he does re-sign it has to be for 2 years (or in an ideal world more!!) for me. Its either a firm commitment to Connacht for the next couple of seasons or a case of thanks and we wish you well.

I think unfortunately he will end up with Leinster but either way I really hope this story won't be hanging around for the next few months. Like Zebo's contract situation it gets a bit tiresome reading about all the bartering and negotiating.

I agree with CountFurlo,

I all for players choice etc but I can't see why at this point he'd want Leinster where not much happening and they have plenty of players.

Stay another year ta feic!

Saddens me to say but I can't see him staying with Connacht.

Warning- This will annoy a lot of peole

Am I the only one who feels Robbie is a bit naive in all this? This is all based on a media based assumption that a) moving is in the best interests of his career b) he needs to be 'playing against the best players in the world' & c) this is best accomplished at Leinster

Let's look at all of these a) It's in the best interests of his career. Well is it? It's is proven again and again that moving from Connacht especially to Leinster is NOT in a boost. Simply put, Robbie will be in Dublin not playing because the IRFU tells him to, rather than in Galway not playing(or Limerick or Belfast). And then, there is no guarantee he will be play those games he is let play in. He'll be rolled out for maybe 6-8 Pro12 & another 4-6 Cup games so maybe a maximum of 14 games a season. I thought players wanted to play(of course this is a bigger issue about the balance between club & country). Then there is the issue of whether Leinster are a good fit for him. Munster are perceived as a 10 man team yet are playing more fluently than Leinster who are going through a period of upheaval- there may well be another new coach next year- these rumours of player departures are not all plucked from thin air & while there is certainly no guarantee of Champions Cup for Connacht, it's no gimme it's guaranteed with the Goys. Which brings me to B

Why is assumed that to have an international career, you must play in the Champions Cup. Apparently that's the way to play against the best players. Two issues with this(Part C is a doozy on this). One is that if you are playing in the Challenge Cup, it is detrimental to your international career. Here are other players playing in the 2015-16 Challenge Cup

Warburton, Anscombe, Jenkens Lloyd Williams, Cuthbert, Richie Gray, Kockott, Ford, Nel, Hidalgo-Clyne, Fife, Morgan, May, Barcella, Marler, Robshaw, Brown, Visser, Atonio, Cowan, Maitland, Lawson, Welsh, Faletau, Amos, T Morgan, Cipriani and all of Zebre.

I await all of them moving next year as not all of their clubs will be in the Champions Cup

Or is it possible that this Dublin media meme(dont really hear this call from the other Celtics or even the Saxons) that insists that the national team can only benefit if players play in the Champions cup is surely undermined by the number of internationals of 6 Nations countries playing in the challenge cup. And if the Champions Cup is the best of the best why are these same NH nations failing so miserably

BTW, if it's good enough for Conrad Smith...etc..... which leads me to C

C) Leinster is where it's at. Well now, surely it must be because that's what we've been told BUT surely playing in a winning team is better than playing in a losing one. Winning while not playing in Europe has been of more benefit to soccer clubs than losing in the Champions League so why not apply the same logic to rugby. We know only too well that losing can be habitual but it's a phenomenon unique to the Wesht. Likeways, there is no evidence that the tactics being pursued by Cullen will be beneficial to Robbie's game plan. And if Cullen is forced out, will that automatically mean Robbie starts anyway? What if a new coach doesnt want to play him at 12 or heaven forbid prefers a different non-Robbie centre partnership? (There's also the point of Leinster players going, sod this for a game of soldiers & hightailing it but that's their problem).

BUT the real thing is if he wants(or the Ireland management wants him to play the best players), he should NOT go to Leinster OR France. He should go to Argentina or Japan or Cape Town or Auckland or Perth. That's where he'll play the best players in the world(or at least the ones who havent retired yet).

So anyway, that's my rant over. Unlike most of you, I would be narked if he did go to Leinster. It would be two fingers to us, an improvement of Leinster & the possible start of the breaking up of decent squad. However, it would also be a stupid move based on criteria that dont stack up.

So I want him to stay but if he has to go, then he should head South, very very far South

I wonder if where Robbie ends up depends on the IRFU's plans to get Munster and Leinster competitive in Europe again. Do they have the wherewithal, the players at their disposal, the money to get them both challenging for titles at the same time or do they concentrate on one first and then move on to the other? Leinster make a lot of sense for him, but he probably would have a more noticeable impact at Munster. Maybe they decide Robbie is better of at Connacht with Pat for another season or two while they decide if Foley and Cullen are really going to pan out.

Stephen wrote: As an Everton supporter, all of this rhetoric coming from Leinster fans, media, and seemingly some of the players about how us Connacht fans should let Henshaw go for the "good of his career" is starting to sound an awful lot like Chelsea's chase for John Stones. Two teams used to getting what they want whenever they want it. Funny both Chelsea and Leinster are enduring pretty rough starts to the season.

It's nothing new, the exact same craic was happening when we lost the likes of Macca, Keatley, Carr, Cronin etc.. or even when they decided that Eddie O'Sullivan had a divine right to the Connacht job before Pat took over. It drives me nuts, I think its massively disrespectful. Imagine the uproar if Pat and the coaches started openly stating their admiration for the other provinces best players. The only way it'll ever stop is if we start beating the other provinces regularly. Starting with Munster on Saturday.

As an Everton supporter, all of this rhetoric coming from Leinster fans, media, and seemingly some of the players about how us Connacht fans should let Henshaw go for the "good of his career" is starting to sound an awful lot like Chelsea's chase for John Stones. Two teams used to getting what they want whenever they want it. Funny both Chelsea and Leinster are enduring pretty rough starts to the season.

mary hinge wrote: ....
As for where Robbie plays next season, I still think the likelihood is that he will remain at Connacht but it really does all depend on us continuing to improve incrementally this season.
....
Why on earth would he want to go and play for a Leo Cullen-coached team anyway?

Where we finish will have no effect on a contract that will be signed and sealed before Christmas. Though I take your point about the Fás trainee (and Jabs4DaBys at Munster).

You may have hit the nail on the head there columoc. I thought it was interesting that Robbie played 15 in his first game back after the World Cup and Rob Kearney's game is definitely on the decline. Short term it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Robbie play 15 in the forthcoming Six Nations with Ulster's McCloskey given a run out at 12 inside Fitzgerald or Payne.
As for where Robbie plays next season, I still think the likelihood is that he will remain at Connacht but it really does all depend on us continuing to improve incrementally this season. That means qualifying on merit for next season's HEC (whether that's by winning the Amlin or finishing Top 6) and even more importantly by making some inroads in the Interprovincials. This means winning at least 3 and one of those away. The next step in our development is to win this season at any of Ravenhill, Thomond, or the RDS and where better to start but by beating a Munster side we are every bit as good as next Saturday evening.
If Robbie is to be centrally contracted next season then Nucifora will have a huge say in where he plays and it's my view that he will be asked to play for another two years with Connacht, either as FB or as Aki's partner in the centre, and play his part in this exciting young club that Pat Lam is building.
Why on earth would he want to go and play for a Leo Cullen-coached team anyway?

If Robbie does go, it may be as a FB. This position has been weakened in Ireland, since Felix Jones had to retire. Kearney is getting old and is in decline. Nacewa has only this year and maybe next in him. Leinster have many centre options, T'eo, Luke, McFadden, Reid, and no question, Ringrose is the real deal, a smashing player. Joe will have many other centre options with McCloskey and Aki coming through, and he will not want to keep using wingers as FB cover. So my guess is a Leinster move for Robbie, but as a FB.

My other guess is that one of Cian Healey or Sean O'Brien will move next year. IRFU might be happy to create central contract space and both are past their best. My guess is that Healey will go to England or France. This would create space in Leinster and I would watch if they try to fill it with Buckley. Leinster make also make a play for James Hart in Grenoble. Boss and Reddan will probably retire or drift away, and effectively only Marmion can be considered back up to Murray and while he is a very good player, I'm not sure he is of international quality yet. Hart may well take the bait if International rugby is an option, he is very solid and a good place kicker also.

Rumours about Madigan make sense. I think Sexton has a negative effect on Leinster (the moody Roy Keane, nothing is good enough type) but that deal is done, thus Madigan for his own sake, needs to move. Someone like Wasps who play heads up rugby would make sense or Gloucester. I've always said he should go to Munster, as Keatley is inconsistent, but he may find that a bridge too far (not to mention for Munster fans). Zebo is not Munster's problem, that is their Academy, and with large debts and two stadiums to fill, they are the real structural problem for the IRFU. My guess is that they will hold him.

Whew! Almanac over. Back to work.

Let's not post any of the articles from today's papers.

"Amid mounting speculation that Ian Madigan and Simon Zebo might follow the path paved by JJ Hanrahan and leave Ireland, Irish media joins clamour to parachute Robbie Henshaw in front of Gary Ringrose at Leinster"

Paddy Power getting involved ...
www.paddypower.com/bet/rugby-union/rugby...v_oc_grp_ids=2214980
1/9 Leinster
But Connacht is a void bet so they chickened out on the main issue.