Worst Leinster signing?

[leinster4life13]

Thread on here a few days ago,http://forum.leinsterfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=23288 , people commenting to the effect that CJ Van der Linde was the worst signing we have ever made. I utterly disagreed, but it got me thinking, who is the worst player of the professional era to pull on a Leinster jersey? The criteria they have to meet is Pay+Performance-Injury= Ranking. So while guys like CJ rank highly on the pay and performance scale, injury gives them a massive discount. You cannot rate a player for factors beyond his control, then there are fabled signings like Juan Gomez, Hekenui, but their relatively low pay(I'm assuming/hoping) would knock them down the list, compared to say Sykes or Finegan. So, who are the worst Leinster signings, lets make it a top ten.

[ratpack]

Owen Finnegan in my books, he was utter cr@p when he was here.

Harry Vermaas not too far behind. But Finnegan shades it as he had a higher profile.

[simonokeeffe]

By those criteria Tuqiri could be a contender

[BlueArmyOriginal]

Gomez maybe?

[hugonaut]

Steven Sykes and Useless Ed O'Donoghue. Both were signed on three year deals. Useless Ed played eight Pro12 games and was gone after a season, Sykes played four and was gone before six months.

[Logorrhea]

CJ was the biggest disappointment for me. I expected a World Cup winner and we got absolutely nothing close to that.

Got paid a lot + didn't perform when fit - then got injured and didn't perform at all = massive massive disappointment.

[mtleinster]

I think the title of worst leinster signing is a bit unfair, but there were a few people who come to mind who didn't reach their potential, Mariano Galarza comes to minds

From a non "signing" stand point, I'm also a bit disapointed that andrew conway didnt make the step up to H-Cup level player

Leinster's policy of recruitment is to get in players who have no interantional experience, so by and large we havent really been disappointed with who has arrived. did we really expect that much from Sykes?

ZK is the only person who is in a position to disappoint, but so far i have been very happy with what he has provided

[Degz]

Obviously not his fault, but Matt Berquist was a bit of a bust.

[[Jackass]]

Finnegan will win all worst signing threads, regardless of criteria.

Tiquri was probably up there on the disappointment scale. I think I'm the only Leinster fan in denial about how bad CJ was. I thought he was good, just injured all the time, which isn't really his fault. Good call on Ed O'Donoghue due to 3 year deal above. I think Clint Newland was doomed ever since his first interview on "Leinster TV", not only did he leave a suspicion in everyones mind that he had already gotten one too many concussions, but he also commented on how delighted he was to be playing in the UK if I recall correctly. There'll always be the usual names as well, Gomez, that Argentian second row, can't remember his name and the pacific islander 10 fella, can't remember his name either, which would kind of sum up what kind of signings they were!

Here's a wild card though, what about Fionn Carr? Maybe I was the only one, but I had high expectations after his performances (pr at least scoring record) at Connacht and at one point there were calls for him to play for Ireland, so I thought when he was back in the Leinster colours, he'd be our answer to Dennis Hickie.

I was wrong.

[neiliog93]

Fosi Pal'amo was terrible, hardly played a game and was an unfit 145 kg. That being said, I'm assuming he was relatively cheap. I have to agree with the consensus and nominate Owen Finnegan as the worst singing overall. Australian world cup winner, huge ball carrier, leadership skills etc....was utterly useless. And wasn't injured. And was well paid.

[Blue not red blood]

Lets end it here with the immortal words,

Declan Kidney

[Donny B.]

Fosi Pal'amo was terrible, hardly played a game and was an unfit 145 kg. That being said, I'm assuming he was relatively cheap.

A but harsh. Think he was in Ireland playing club rugby and they gave him a run. Was apparently going quite well in training too until he bent down to tie his lace and cut his knee badly on some glass on the pitch. Went on to play for Samoa in the 2007 World Cup and for Leeds in the Premiership. Think he's settled in Dublin too, met him a few times, very nice chap.

[Logorrhea]

Lets end it here with the immortal words,

Declan Kidney

That never happened.

EVER!

[Dave Cahill]

And was well paid.

But not by us. Newcastle Falcons had to cut their wage bill so the remaining year of his contract was on offer with them paying half his wages - it was in essence a load deal. Tigers and ourselves were in for him, but he was an Irish national so plumped (apt word perhaps) for us. Ironically, after his year was up, he signed for Tigers on a short term contract to cover the RWC.

[johng]

Fosi Pal'amo was terrible, hardly played a game and was an unfit 145 kg. That being said, I'm assuming he was relatively cheap.

A but harsh. Think he was in Ireland playing club rugby and they gave him a run. Was apparently going quite well in training too until he bent down to tie his lace and cut his knee badly on some glass on the pitch. Went on to play for Samoa in the 2007 World Cup and for Leeds in the Premiership. Think he's settled in Dublin too, met him a few times, very nice chap.

Playing for Monkstown up til last season AFAIK.

[leinster4life13]

Lets end it here with the immortal words,

Declan Kidney

Have to include him, terrible, Scott Johnson-esque, also, didnt he essentially cost us Cullen and Jennings?

So far, we have:
Finegan
Sykes
Kidney
Useless Ed
Tuquiri, past it, semi fit when signed, semi fit for duration, bad bad buy.
Fosi/Gomez and Vermass(legend that he is, "could play all three front row positions, none of them well." © whoever came up with that line)
Galarza

[glenageary]

Kidney!!

[leinster4life13]

Here's a wild card though, what about Fionn Carr? Maybe I was the only one, but I had high expectations after his performances (pr at least scoring record) at Connacht and at one point there were calls for him to play for Ireland, so I thought when he was back in the Leinster colours, he'd be our answer to Dennis Hickie.

I was wrong.

Yeah, Fionn Carr, what a waste, it pains me to say it, but his time in Leinster was below average, couldnt get into the Pro 12 team with average wingers by the end.. I suppose he was a bigger flop than tuqiri being honest, we knew Tuquiri was washed up and still paid for him, whereas Carr was seemingly on top of his game ready to break into the Ireland squad with the superior service he would get in the Leinster jersey. Pity.

[neiliog93]

Very surprised no-one's mentioned Eddie Hekenui. Suppose he wouldn't have been too expensive. Adam Byrnes? Cameron Jowitt after 05/06 too.

[Flash Gordon]

Very surprised no-one's mentioned Eddie Hekenui. Suppose he wouldn't have been too expensive. Adam Byrnes? Cameron Jowitt after 05/06 too.

Eddie Heineken never missed a kick. I'm surprised he hasn't been nominated for a T-shirt, definitely a Leinster legend.......

I'd have to say CJ. He was serious money and I'm not sure he could be arsed, he always seemed to miraculously recover whenever the Springboks played. London Irish signed him recently and its same old same old.