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PRO14 champions Leinster react to 19 contract deals, 16 for players - including veteran Toner - who came through their academy

(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Guinness PRO14 champions Leinster have been busy this week in announcing a series of contract announcements and coach Leo Cullen has now had his say about the situation at the club that last weekend defeated Exeter to win its way through to a Heineken Champions Cup semi-final away to La Rochelle. 

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While the IRFU central contract extensions for Cian Healy and Johnny Sexton were already public knowledge, the contracting at a provincial level kicked off on Monday with the signing of Michael Alaalatoa from the Crusaders and continued with extensions for the likes of Jack Cronin, Hugo Keenan and Ronan Kelleher who have become Ireland regulars in recent times. An extension was also agreed with veteran Devin Toner.

“This has been a challenging few months on the contracting front so it is important to acknowledge the role of the IRFU and our own Mick Dawson and Guy Easterby and their work in managing a very difficult period,” said Cullen, who himself has signed on for another year with Leinster who clinched their fourth successive PRO14 title last month.

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“We look forward to welcoming Michael and Nick (McCarthy) to the club in the coming months and to have retained 17 players, 16 of whom came through our academy system, is a huge boost for everyone as we look forward to next season and hopefully supporters being back at the RDS Arena.

That 16 players came through the Leinster player pathway is a testament to the hard work that underpins our identity as a club and I’d like to acknowledge the role of our clubs and our schools in the players’ development. The role of Noel McNamara, Trevor Hogan and all the team down in the Ken Wall centre of excellence in Energia Park and all across the twelve counties should also be acknowledged for their work in identifying and developing these players.

“Finally, congratulations to Thomas Clarkson, David Hawkshaw and Michael Milne on their first professional contracts. Three players that have taken their opportunities when presented over the last few years and I am delighted for them and wish them well. We have much to do still this season but announcements like these are important as we plan for the future and we hope the supporters are as excited about what’s ahead as we are.”

LEINSTER CONTRACTS
1. Michael Alaalatoa
2. Thomas Clarkson – promoted from the academy
3. Jack Conan
4. Sean Cronin
5. David Hawkshaw – promoted from the academy
6. Dave Kearney
7. Hugo Keenan
8. Ronan Kelleher
9. Dan Leavy
10. Nick McCarthy
11. Luke McGrath
12. Michael Milne – promoted from the academy
13. Ross Molony
14. Jimmy O’Brien
15. Scott Penny
16. Devin Toner
17. James Tracy

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IRFU CONTRACTS
1. Cian Healy
2. Johnny Sexton

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Eliza Galloway 1 hour ago
Geoff Parling: An Englishman roasting the Lions?

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JW 1 hour ago
James O'Connor, the Lions and the great club v country conundrum

Lol you need to shoot your editor for that headline, even I near skipped the article.


France simply need to go to a league format for the Brennus, that will shave two weekends of pointless knockout rugby from their season and raise the competitions standards and mystique no end.


The under age loophole is also a easy door to shut, just remove the lower age limit. WR simply never envisioned a day were teams would target people under the age of 17 or whatever it is now, but much like with Rassie and his use of subs bench, that day was obviously always going to come. I can’t remember how football does it, I think it’s the other way around with them, you can’t sign anyone younger than that but unions can’t stop 17 or 18 yo’s from leaving for a pro club if they want to. There is a transaction that takes place of a few hundred thousand for a normal average player. I’d prefer rugby to be stricter and just keep the union bodies signoff being required.


What really was their problem with Kite and co leaving though? Do we really need a game dominated by Internationals? I even think WR’s proposed calendar might be a bit too much, with at minimum 12 top tier games being played in the World Championship. I think 10 to 12, maybe any one player playing 10 of those 12 is the best way to think of it, for every international team is max, so that they can allow their domestic comps to shine if they want, and other nations like Japan and Fiji can, even some of the home nations maybe, and fill out their calendar with extra tours if they like them as a way to make money. As it is RA don’t have as good a pathway system, so they could simply buy back those players if they turn good. Are they worried they’ll be less likely to? We wait for baited breath for the new season to be laid out in front of us by WR.

It could impose sanctions on the Fédération Française de Rugby, but the body which runs the Top 14 and the ProD2, the Ligue Nationale de Rugby, is entirely independent.

It’s not independent at all. The LNR is a body under, and commissioned by, the FFR (and Government control) to mediate the clubs. FFR can simply install a new club competition if they don’t listen, then you’d see whether the players want to stay at any club who doesn’t tow the line and move to the new competition, as they obviously wouldn’t fall under the auspice of world rugby. They would be rebels, which is fine in and upon itself, but they would isolate themselves from the rest of the game and would need to be OK with that. I have no doubt whatsoever that clubs would have to and want to fall in line to remain part of the EPCR and French rugby. Probably even the last thing they would want is to compete with another French domestic competition that has all the advantages they don’t.


All those players would do good for a few seasons in France, especially the fringe ones, with thankfully zero risk of them being poached if they turn good. New Zealand had a turn at keeping all of it’s talent, and while it upticked the competitiveness of the Super Rugby teams into a total dominance of Australian and South African counterparts (who were suffering more heavily than most the other way at that stage), it didn’t have as positive an effect on the next step up as ensuring young talents development is not hindered does. Essentially NZR flooded the locate market with players but inevitably it didn’t think the local economy could sustain any more pro teams itself, so now we are seeing a normal amount of exodus for the availability of places again. Are Australia in exactly the same footing? I think so, finances where dicey for a while perhaps but I doubt they are putting money constraints on their contracting now. It’s purely about who leaves to open up opportunity.

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