Hooker options going forward

[carlow man]

The reason our youngsters are better than their equivalent at munster is simple. COACHING..

We have better coaches and our players are pushed every week meaning they have to earn their right to get that jersey. Munster have the team named before training even starts.

[dw7]

Has anyone seen McKee play club rugby since the 2019 U20s?

[mildlyinterested]

Has anyone seen McKee play club rugby since the 2019 U20s?

club rugby I dunno?

but he played some for the 20's in 2020 and he played recently for leinster a

[riocard911]

It's exactly the type of signing Munster should go after in fairness.

A massive ball carrying young IQ hooker.

Would be a no brainer.

But I'd hope (and assume) that Sheahan would see far more opportunity to pair with RK for the next 10 years than head south.

I’ve always suspected Munster would target Dan Sheehan.

It’s still utterly shameless for Tom Savage to do it so publicly.

Hopefully Dan tells them where to go.

All the more reason to stuff them amárach!!!!

[wixfjord]

It's exactly the type of signing Munster should go after in fairness.

A massive ball carrying young IQ hooker.

Would be a no brainer.

But I'd hope (and assume) that Sheahan would see far more opportunity to pair with RK for the next 10 years than head south.

I’ve always suspected Munster would target Dan Sheehan.

It’s still utterly shameless for Tom Savage to do it so publicly.

Hopefully Dan tells them where to go.

It’s utterly shameless for a Munster fan blogger to say Munster should try to sign a player that would clearly be a great option for them?

Like what are you on about?

[fourthirtythree]

Worse, some of our own agreed he would be a good signing for them!

The world may end in a singularity created by me clutching my pearls so hard they create a black hole.

[blockhead]

The attraction to them lot of a Dan Sheenan is not just that he would a great signing for them but that it would also be a big blow to us. That's a major factor when this shower sniff a chance to sign one of ours. It's double your money. McCarthy and Salanoa are good examples, do we need him? Not sure. Sign him anyways.

[fourthirtythree]

We know they are better off here. Any player that Penney hasn't dropped for might not be the best option anyway

[Dave Cahill]

We know they are better off here. Any player that Penney hasn't dropped for might not be the best option anyway

Most of his players are retiring

[Jonny tight lips]

It's exactly the type of signing Munster should go after in fairness.

A massive ball carrying young IQ hooker.

Would be a no brainer.

But I'd hope (and assume) that Sheahan would see far more opportunity to pair with RK for the next 10 years than head south.

I’ve always suspected Munster would target Dan Sheehan.

It’s still utterly shameless for Tom Savage to do it so publicly.

Hopefully Dan tells them where to go.

It’s utterly shameless for a Munster fan blogger to say Munster should try to sign a player that would clearly be a great option for them?

Like what are you on about?

Shameless ... would they talk about another mans attractive cousin like that

[elephantman]

It's exactly the type of signing Munster should go after in fairness.

A massive ball carrying young IQ hooker.

Would be a no brainer.

But I'd hope (and assume) that Sheahan would see far more opportunity to pair with RK for the next 10 years than head south.

I’ve always suspected Munster would target Dan Sheehan.

It’s still utterly shameless for Tom Savage to do it so publicly.

Hopefully Dan tells them where to go.

It’s utterly shameless for a Munster fan blogger to say Munster should try to sign a player that would clearly be a great option for them?

Like what are you

[elephantman]

It's exactly the type of signing Munster should go after in fairness.

A massive ball carrying young IQ hooker.

Would be a no brainer.

But I'd hope (and assume) that Sheahan would see far more opportunity to pair with RK for the next 10 years than head south.

I’ve always suspected Munster would target Dan Sheehan.

It’s still utterly shameless for Tom Savage to do it so publicly.

Hopefully Dan tells them where to go.

It’s utterly shameless for a Munster fan blogger to say Munster should try to sign a player that would clearly be a great option for them?

Like what are you on about?

Haha, I see your point

Not a great choice of words by myself.

Silly thing to say.

[mildlyinterested]

James Tracy(31/Newbridge/UCD) - signed contract in 2021
Tadgh McElroy(25/Dundalk RFC/Lansdowne) - short term contract
Ronan Kelleher(24/St. Michaels/Lansdowne) - signed contract in 2021
Dan Sheehan(24/Clongowes/Lansdowne) - signed contract in 2022

Might Tracy be calling it a career at the end of the season given his neck issue and his age? Stanger things have happened, Kelleher and Sheehan will be world cup bound unless injury prevents it. Could McElroy earn a contract for the world cup and beyond?

Academy
John McKee(22/Campbell/Terenure) - Academy Yr 3
Lee Barron(21/St. Michaels/DUFC) - Academy Yr 2

McKee has generally impressed when given a chance, could he be tempted back to his home province? Stranger things have happened, but not as strange as him being tempted to move to Limerick. I'd be surprised if he wasn't in the leinster senior squad next season. Barron has been under the radar during his time in the academy thanks to him missing out on irish u20 due to covid and injury, he has yet to fill out physically and looks a bit light at the moment for pro level given his frame.

Sub-Academy
Gus McCarthy(U20/Blackrock/UCD)

McCarthy is favourite to be 1st choice irish u20 hooker and will be aiming to join the academy next season. It would be a surprise as this stage if he didnt.

[Blue Man]

James Tracy(31/Newbridge/UCD) - signed contract in 2021
Tadgh McElroy(25/Dundalk RFC/Lansdowne) - short term contract
Ronan Kelleher(24/St. Michaels/Lansdowne) - signed contract in 2021
Dan Sheehan(24/Clongowes/Lansdowne) - signed contract in 2022

Might Tracy be calling it a career at the end of the season given his neck issue and his age? Stanger things have happened, Kelleher and Sheehan will be world cup bound unless injury prevents it. Could McElroy earn a contract for the world cup and beyond?

Academy
John McKee(22/Campbell/Terenure) - Academy Yr 3
Lee Barron(21/St. Michaels/DUFC) - Academy Yr 2

McKee has generally impressed when given a chance, could he be tempted back to his home province? Stranger things have happened, but not as strange as him being tempted to move to Limerick. I'd be surprised if he wasn't in the leinster senior squad next season. Barron has been under the radar during his time in the academy, he has yet to fill out and looks a bit light for pro level given his frame.

Sub-Academy
Gus McCarthy(U20/Blackrock/UCD)

McCarthy is favourite to be 1st choice irish u20 hooker and will be aiming to join the academy next season. It would be a surprise as this stage if he didnt.

Great stuff Mildly.

The McKee to Mordor is typical of Jackman who seems to love stirring sh1t when it comes to Leinster players. I also think it’s important that people like Jackman declare where they have an interest as an agent / facilitator when making such comments (not saying it’s the case here).

I suspect it might well be Tracy’s last year and with the two machines (our first two hookers are ridiculously good!) away with Ireland McKee and Barron are in a really good place to mature and develop.
The McElroy thing is remarkable. Word was he had burned his bridges here but he was an excellent U20s player. I think I’m right in saying he scored a hat trick in his first game back. The coaches will have a good view on who’s performing in training but having worried about our depth behind the machines 12 months ago (given Cronin and Tracy’s age /form) In really encouraged now.

[riocard911]

I think in McIlroy's case, that it's laudable on Leinster's part for keeping the door open and on the player's part for finding his way back.

[jezzer]

Why is it stirring shït for a pundit, who is very active in player agency/transfer, to suggest a guy who is at best 3rd in line and maybe 4th in line to start at Leinster might be well served moving?

[joooooe]

If McElroy continues to go well for Leinster during the remainder of his short-term contract I can see him finishing the season at Munster. He can then join them as a perennial injury joker for a few years (a la Alby Mathewson).

[backrower8]

Barron has been under the radar during his time in the academy thanks to him missing out on irish u20 due to covid and injury, he has yet to fill out physically and looks a bit light at the moment for pro level given his frame.

Very surprised by that observation. Having stood beside him on touchline at a recent match, I disagree 100%. I was struck by how powerfully built he is. He is no longer rangey. Any which way, it is a stacked roster ahead of him. What happens to McElroy will have a bearing on Barron's future at Leinster, as having 4 hookers ahead of you and within 4 years of you would be overload in one position. He is ready physically.

[wixfjord]

Why is it stirring shït for a pundit, who is very active in player agency/transfer, to suggest a guy who is at best 3rd in line and maybe 4th in line to start at Leinster might be well served moving?

It's absolutely not.

It's fairly logical to suggest.

People just hate the suggestion and want to throw a few jibes at Jackman (who's a really good dude and one of the best analysts in Irish rugby).

[ronk]

I thought it could be considered stirring it to suggest a move to Munster everytime a young Leinster player has a good game. It's antagonistic to Leinster fans, it tries to unsettle a Leinster player, it creates false hope (and disappontment) for Munster fans, it alarms Munster players and poaching (of this sort) has been thoroughly discredited at this point.

Jackman knows this or should do.

The guy showed well, but it was away to the Scarlets with the internationals away and he was decent.Not special, not man of the match, decent. He'd been used for 8 minutes over the previous 4 games!

It'd be a huge reach for Munster to make him their starter right now. They have 4 senior hookers already: the hugely experienced 20 cap Scannell still only 30, Barron 40 caps at 24!, Buckley is highly rated and has been getting more gametime than McKee even with 2 of the 3 Leinster hookers injured. Those last 2 are 2 year deals. They'd have to cut Scannell to not have McKee fighting it out as one of 4 hookers, at best because they signed a 22 year old promising hooker too in Declan Moore. It would be very soon to cut bait. None of them are likely to be affected by international squad call-ups. Hooker in Munster is a position with a long standing tradition of highly conservative selection. Fans have always backed (pro era) the safe experienced abrasive option over the dynamic risk who's mediocre at set piece.

It's completely unrealistic to think that Munster would be an improvement right now for McKee.

He'd be one of 4 hookers in Leinster too but in a panel where 2 of the players are on limited minutes due to internationals and where injuries have been more of an issue.

Outside of the usual ruining young Leinster players, Munster have also signed a few hookers in recent years and promptly failed to develop them successfully.

Poaching of academy players should by default be looked at with deep suspicion, its not been effective. There are specific reasons to say why this case would also be the same.