Leinster League 2013/ 2014

[Monkstown Phil]

Well I had been waiting for someone to start a new thread for this season but it has yet to come.

How are we all looking for the upcoming season? Movers and shakers etc.

Leave your thoughts guys.

[the spoofer]

Well according to reports there has been very little movement of players in the leagues other than a few moving to Monkstown.

1A looks very open, Monkstown should be favourites for 1B.

[Monkstown Phil]

I hope you're not expecting me to comment on that Spoofer

We had a run out last week against Newbridge. I can only assume they were missing some bodies although I did hear they lost a few at the end of last season.

Word is Kilkenny will be a decent outfit this year too. All in all, looking forward to getting back into it.

[the spoofer]

Congrats to Garda on beating Portarlington yesterday. I think that is the first win they have had in over two seasons but I'm open to correction.

I watched a lot of rugby this weekend but the most enjoyable action was that between Longford and Carlow in LL Div 1B. Not a huge number of tries (2) but plenty of running rugby, good defence and good sportsmanship. For those who limit their rugby to Leinster, I suggest that you get your ass down to a club game. It's worth it.

[juanca]

Gorey look the real deal this season. Well drilled, fit and big. The investment in recent years at underage level and new club gym is obviously paying off.

[the spoofer]

Gorey look the real deal this season. Well drilled, fit and big. The investment in recent years at underage level and new club gym is obviously paying off.

Yeah, they will be hot favourites to beat Longford this weekend.

[the spoofer]

How did a proud club like Arklow have to concede a J1 match?

[goreyguy]

Not really that surprising to me...
Wouldnt think rugby is very big in that area at underage level anyway and ive seen lads from outside the town move either south to play for gorey or north to play for wicklow or at least they used to.
Not sure what the story is now with them.

[flustered]

Arklow have been struggling for numbers for a good while now, have been on a downward spiral for a long time, threw a lot of money at players (got a towns cup out of it) and underage set up suffered big time

[the spoofer]

Arklow have been struggling for numbers for a good while now, have been on a downward spiral for a long time, threw a lot of money at players (got a towns cup out of it) and underage set up suffered big time

There is only one way to build a club and that is from the bottom up.

Our current first 20 has about 17 homegrown lads, they might not win every game but at least we know their names.

[goreyguy]

Arklow have been struggling for numbers for a good while now, have been on a downward spiral for a long time, threw a lot of money at players (got a towns cup out of it) and underage set up suffered big time

There is only one way to build a club and that is from the bottom up.

Our current first 20 has about 17 homegrown lads, they might not win every game but at least we know their names.

well at underage arklow have been seriously struggling for nearly a decade...

[flustered]

They sure have and probably more if the truth be known! Not nice to see a club like that struggle

[goreyguy]

They sure have and probably more if the truth be known! Not nice to see a club like that struggle

its just not a town where rugby is big anymore.. major work to do if they are going to change that.

[IanD]

They sure have and probably more if the truth be known! Not nice to see a club like that struggle

its just not a town where rugby is big anymore.. major work to do if they are going to change that.

Not sure how accurate that is. There always has and still is a big interest in rugby in Arklow. There is huge work being done at lots of levels in the club to try and improve things.

Arklow spent lots of money bringing in outside players about 10 -12 years ago. They were nicknamed the Arklow All Blacks because of all the Kiwis Australians and South Africans they brought in. They paid these players and coaches and poached players from other clubs including 2 players I played with in Wicklow. Each got 70 quid a match and their gym membership paid for.

Essentially this meant that overnight the first team became the second team and the seconds were left with no where to play so left. Rathdrum did increase their numbers from people living in areas between the 2 clubs but would get a game with Rathdrum.

This all stopped when the money stopped and the 2 lads came back to Wicklow - neither had any inclination to continue playing for a club they had no affiliation to - same applied to the Southern Hemisphere lads. As a result of no imports and other established players having already left they dropped like a stone down the leagues.


I base this on talking to the 2 lads from Wicklow and a few guys playing for Rathdrum who had played for Arklow at the time.

At the moment Arklow Seniors are still in Div 3 but they have a very strong Women's Team and I know a underage coach who told me recently that have never had so many underage members. So as a Club things seem to be on the up.

[goreyguy]

irs very possible at underage they are turning it around, just my experience with them 7-8 years ago at underage level was that at underage they were struggling for numbers and the town was really dominated by soccer. It could have changed in the last 5 years of course and i'm sure efforts are being made to get lads playing rugby.

[the spoofer]

I can see rugby beginning to make a serious impression in non traditional parts. Talking to lads in other clubs, it's clear that numbers are up very significantly across all age groups up to 17's. There is a problem then with lads going away to college but there's not much you can do.

The GAA are taking action to counter this. They are expanding the season to ridiculous lengths (end January to beginning November. They are putting in place Development teams at all age levels.

Hopefully the two codes can co exist and get the best out of lads so that they continue playing some sport.

[ormond lad]

I can see rugby beginning to make a serious impression in non traditional parts. Talking to lads in other clubs, it's clear that numbers are up very significantly across all age groups up to 17's. There is a problem then with lads going away to college but there's not much you can do.

The GAA are taking action to counter this. They are expanding the season to ridiculous lengths (end January to beginning November. They are putting in place Development teams at all age levels.

Hopefully the two codes can co exist and get the best out of lads so that they continue playing some sport.

Have GAA not being doing that kind of counter action already?
In tipp there is development teams from 14s up and the u21 championship doesn't start until October

Numbers struggling at adult level down here but strong across most age groups.
You would hope the 2 codes could co exist but too many don't want that to happen....

[leinster4life13]

I can see rugby beginning to make a serious impression in non traditional parts. Talking to lads in other clubs, it's clear that numbers are up very significantly across all age groups up to 17's. There is a problem then with lads going away to college but there's not much you can do.

The GAA are taking action to counter this. They are expanding the season to ridiculous lengths (end January to beginning November. They are putting in place Development teams at all age levels.

Hopefully the two codes can co exist and get the best out of lads so that they continue playing some sport.

Have GAA not being doing that kind of counter action already?
In tipp there is development teams from 14s up and the u21 championship doesn't start until October

Numbers struggling at adult level down here but strong across most age groups.
You would hope the 2 codes could co exist but too many don't want that to happen....

GAA season is ridiculous, only in Ireland would you have sports trying to kill each other, Seasonal sports is the way to do it, League, athletics, MMA, Boxing, whatever or GAA in the off season and rugby in the winter, everyone is happy, intead the GAA try to have it all.

[goreyguy]

its a constant battle with GAA

[leinster4life13]

You would think the higher ups of both codes would sort it out.

Its fairly tight in 1A talentwise, Ive caught a few games, aside from Suttonians inexplicably getting blown out of it, all the results over the weekend reflect that. do you reckon Coolmine are for the drop or is it too soon to call?