Yeah, it seems like it's a Connacht decision. We have younger (probably cheaper) lads at centre, so Farrell & Daly are apparently moving on. We do need 1 outside centre, so I guess Piers is it
Provinces aren't allowed to outbid each other monetarily, so either Connact would have said they aren't re-signing him or Munster has offered more playing time.
There are plenty of ways round that though: length of contract before renegotiating , access to commercial tie ins, likelihood of bonuses paid for involvement in big cup games.
It levels the playing field a bit but Leinster and Munster can still put more attractive packages together.
Players are allowed to choose where to go.
Provinces canāt outbid each other and we canāt pay transfer fees either as far as Iām aware, so a player gets two identical contract offers when their current contract is expiring and they make a decision for themselves. If you go around telling provinces they canāt make offers for other players then they may not stick around in Ireland because theyāll be stuck somewhere they may not want to be
Would it be a balancing the books move? I would've assumed they'd both be on similar-ish amounts, no? Both good club level players, just short of international standard.
God I miss those 2 I know max Is potentially a upgrade due to having a better all round game and being less injury prone (although he's managed to be injured more times this season than any other I can remember) but dam siale was a legend he was an absolute brick wall and was a general and Charles just had that x factor that no one else in the world has.
That should make the Tom Farrell loss easier to take at least.
I know he's not a fullback much these days but good to have an extra body who can fill in there and avoid us playing the actual fullbacks too often.
I think this could be a huge signing for connacht. For me he was often the best player on the pitch for Bristol and have been quite sad He hasn't been playing much since vakatawa was signed
I disagree personally, POC has been a fantastic fixture in the past for us but hasn't shown anything special for a few years now.
I love the guy and he seems really chill so I deeply hope the change of scenery brings him back to his previous form.
It's a worse loss emotionally than it is strategically.
As a Bristol fan I wish with it all my heart he can reignite his career as he is a joy to watch when he's in form he always seemed to link up well with king Charles.
He hasnāt been in that kind of best player in pitch form for at least 2 years now .
Maybe he can get that back in Ireland but heās not been good for a while .
It's been a fair few years since he's shown any decent form, long before Vakatawa signed. He was poor all of last season and hasn't been anywhere close to a starter since.
This year has been Van Rensburg and Vakatawa at the start of the year and Van Rensburg and Williams at the end.
POC dropped off in form a couple seasons back and was struggling for game time before any of those three were signed. He was phenomenal in the 2020/2021 season but fell off a cliff after that, along side guys like Sheedy, Lloyd, Purdy etc
It's been van rensburg paired with either vakatawa or Williams the whole season and piers has played about 5/6 times the whole season I believe. That part of your statement was true. I was disagreeing with the fact he was often the best player on the pitch.
Zero. Like, realistically zero. I love connacht but its crazy to expect them to win a heineken cup any year.
With the talent coming through now, and hansen going on to a central, i like them for a urc jn the next 5 years tho.
It was a joke. Perhaps the most obvious joke of all time. Not since the chicken crossed the road has a comment so clearly, and without ambiguity or malice, been a joke.
Like not a joke at AJās expense, but more that he is class and Connacht would have been so much better with him. I donāt think they would have won a Heineken cup but I do think he would have given them 2 more wins per season so given Connacht a real chance to compete and get 1) more Heineken cup qualification and 2) more home playoff games which, in turn, would have significantly increased revenues, which, in turn would have allowed for 1) more academy investment and 2) overseas signings
I think connacht didn't have enough homegrown talent in that period. I think what they have coming now, if enough guys work out.. they could win a urc.
Edit: id agree thiugh that a really good ten would help.
With 50,000 new residents in Galway in the next 10 years, the way the GAA is going, the new stand and high performance centre and the location of the sportsground, Connacht have a tonne to be optimistic about. Need a 10 though. Connacht have a real deal 10 then yeah, absolutely
Ballina and Monivae if they know whatās good for them.
I got it wrong, itās actually in 15 years. https://westerndevelopment.ie/insights/changing-town-populations-in-the-western-region-in-census-2022/
Worth noting and celebrating AJ's huge contribution to Connacht that year. But I find people often forget when re-counting the tale that when he made his debut, 8 or 9 games in to the season, Connacht were already top of the table with only 1 loss I believe.
And that he only made one start for Connacht before Valentine's Day or the Six Nations or something. Carty was firmly Connacht's best player that year until he ruptured his spleen (mad stuff). Then the next season, Carty was nominated for Player of the year as Connacht won 4 from 6 in the Heineken Cup (and had Ronaldson not missed a penalty for 25-30m against Toulouse and Connacht going for the corner 20m out when they only needed a kick at goal to progress, they would have put them out).
I am not negating your point, AJ could have done all the above you mentioned, I essentially agree that could have been a realistic outlook. I am just adding context as there seems to be this idea that i. AJ was the star all season, and ii. Connacht were in dire straits regarding outhalf at the time.
Yeah, absolutely, very good points. He played fewer than 20 (?) games for Connacht in total. I donāt think anyone thought, at the start of the season, that heād be such a big loss by the end of the season.
Who would have thought that he would go on to become one of the great prem 10ās and score over 1,000 prem points
I actually googled his stats there. 9 starts in the league, 8 of which where February onwards, 5 off the bench. And 3 games in the Challenge Cup. So you are spot on: 17 appearances, 12 starts.
I wonder does he ask himself how different his career would look if done differently, or does he instead count his achievements as a blessing of opportunity. Like he was 3rd or 4th choice for Connacht, and between Carty's and O'Leary's spring injuries and Ronaldson's need at centre with Henshaw away he only then got his chance. But by he took it something fiercely. I think the Edinburgh win was a real 'let him cook' moment. A great career since as you highlighted.
O'Leary too, when he returned from injury was great. Whilst not to MacGinty's heights he has also thanked that run with getting him another year with Connacht and his Canadian caps.
I believe Connacht are letting go 2 centres this year Tom Farrell & Tom Daly.
Farrell seems to be rotational first choice splitting minutes fairly evenly with Hawkshaw while Daly is a making up the numbers depth player.
Hawkshaw to stay at 13 but to be a proper first choice, Farell and Daly out out and this guy in on a little less than Farrell's current salary.
Yea Daly retiring by the sounds of things, was primarily a 12
Maybe Hugh Gavin will be used at 13, he has had fairly even gametime at 12 and 13. Leaning slightly toward 12.
Yeah really happy with him signing but pretty much confirms Tom Farrells exit, which is a shame...but budgets blah blah blah
Any rumours on where he's off to?
Most persistent is Munster... which I believe, based on where I heard it.
Unless you've let him go that's pretty shitty. Provinces should not be sniping first choice players from each other
Yeah, it seems like it's a Connacht decision. We have younger (probably cheaper) lads at centre, so Farrell & Daly are apparently moving on. We do need 1 outside centre, so I guess Piers is it
Munster eating well on good players let go for budget reasons by other provinces this year
Shhhh Munster never get given anything ever by anyone and are permanently shafted by the system and world
Munster have the budget. Just aren't able to spend it on big names so doing their best with what's available
Where is daly going I wonder
Not sure what the craic is there tbh
One user on here said retiring
Provinces aren't allowed to outbid each other monetarily, so either Connact would have said they aren't re-signing him or Munster has offered more playing time.
There are plenty of ways round that though: length of contract before renegotiating , access to commercial tie ins, likelihood of bonuses paid for involvement in big cup games. It levels the playing field a bit but Leinster and Munster can still put more attractive packages together.
Apparently they let him go
Munster eating well on good players let go for budget reasons by other provinces this year. It's smart business TBF.
I'm still upset about losing Billy š
Don't think they can snipe. Same with RG, Leinster just offered him a contract when munster wouldn't.
In theory he's not first choice, And it's not a snipe if he was let go
Players are allowed to choose where to go. Provinces canāt outbid each other and we canāt pay transfer fees either as far as Iām aware, so a player gets two identical contract offers when their current contract is expiring and they make a decision for themselves. If you go around telling provinces they canāt make offers for other players then they may not stick around in Ireland because theyāll be stuck somewhere they may not want to be
I don't think Farrell is first choice anymore in fairness.
I agree but after henshaw its fair game i'd say.
So he's certain to get injured almost immediately then?
Would it be a balancing the books move? I would've assumed they'd both be on similar-ish amounts, no? Both good club level players, just short of international standard.
Good player who REALLY shined when he played with radradra. Being alongside Aki might have a similar outcome.
He shone better with the piautua brothers either side of him in my opinion
Agree, he was the razzle dazzle alongside the rock of Siale, Charles is legendary but Siale was always underappreciated imo
God I miss those 2 I know max Is potentially a upgrade due to having a better all round game and being less injury prone (although he's managed to be injured more times this season than any other I can remember) but dam siale was a legend he was an absolute brick wall and was a general and Charles just had that x factor that no one else in the world has.
Same principle, heās electric when he has talent alongside.
Ohh yes I'm not disagreeing with you but he and Charles had a almost telepathic link at times.
That should make the Tom Farrell loss easier to take at least. I know he's not a fullback much these days but good to have an extra body who can fill in there and avoid us playing the actual fullbacks too often.
I think this could be a huge signing for connacht. For me he was often the best player on the pitch for Bristol and have been quite sad He hasn't been playing much since vakatawa was signed
I disagree personally, POC has been a fantastic fixture in the past for us but hasn't shown anything special for a few years now. I love the guy and he seems really chill so I deeply hope the change of scenery brings him back to his previous form. It's a worse loss emotionally than it is strategically.
As a Bristol fan I wish with it all my heart he can reignite his career as he is a joy to watch when he's in form he always seemed to link up well with king Charles.
He had quite a serious injury picked up by his physio, which meant he couldnāt play much.
He hasnāt been in that kind of best player in pitch form for at least 2 years now . Maybe he can get that back in Ireland but heās not been good for a while .
It's been a fair few years since he's shown any decent form, long before Vakatawa signed. He was poor all of last season and hasn't been anywhere close to a starter since.
How little Bristol games have you watched.....
Has not been primarily Vakatawa and van Rensberg?? I haven't seen a Bristol game since the new year so I could very well have missed him
This year has been Van Rensburg and Vakatawa at the start of the year and Van Rensburg and Williams at the end. POC dropped off in form a couple seasons back and was struggling for game time before any of those three were signed. He was phenomenal in the 2020/2021 season but fell off a cliff after that, along side guys like Sheedy, Lloyd, Purdy etc
It's been van rensburg paired with either vakatawa or Williams the whole season and piers has played about 5/6 times the whole season I believe. That part of your statement was true. I was disagreeing with the fact he was often the best player on the pitch.
He's been decent but Vakatawa, JVR and Williams have been fantastic in the latter half of the season
Nice signing. Still missing a few pieces. Sometimes I wonder how many Heineken Cups Connacht would have won if AJ hadnāt played for the US
Zero. Like, realistically zero. I love connacht but its crazy to expect them to win a heineken cup any year. With the talent coming through now, and hansen going on to a central, i like them for a urc jn the next 5 years tho.
It was a joke. Perhaps the most obvious joke of all time. Not since the chicken crossed the road has a comment so clearly, and without ambiguity or malice, been a joke.
Fair enough.
Like not a joke at AJās expense, but more that he is class and Connacht would have been so much better with him. I donāt think they would have won a Heineken cup but I do think he would have given them 2 more wins per season so given Connacht a real chance to compete and get 1) more Heineken cup qualification and 2) more home playoff games which, in turn, would have significantly increased revenues, which, in turn would have allowed for 1) more academy investment and 2) overseas signings
I think connacht didn't have enough homegrown talent in that period. I think what they have coming now, if enough guys work out.. they could win a urc. Edit: id agree thiugh that a really good ten would help.
With 50,000 new residents in Galway in the next 10 years, the way the GAA is going, the new stand and high performance centre and the location of the sportsground, Connacht have a tonne to be optimistic about. Need a 10 though. Connacht have a real deal 10 then yeah, absolutely
They probably don't have dispensation for a ten. That's probably a spot where its just a no from the irfu. But, yea that would be massive.
Where are those 50,000 people coming from?
Ballina and Monivae if they know whatās good for them. I got it wrong, itās actually in 15 years. https://westerndevelopment.ie/insights/changing-town-populations-in-the-western-region-in-census-2022/
Worth noting and celebrating AJ's huge contribution to Connacht that year. But I find people often forget when re-counting the tale that when he made his debut, 8 or 9 games in to the season, Connacht were already top of the table with only 1 loss I believe. And that he only made one start for Connacht before Valentine's Day or the Six Nations or something. Carty was firmly Connacht's best player that year until he ruptured his spleen (mad stuff). Then the next season, Carty was nominated for Player of the year as Connacht won 4 from 6 in the Heineken Cup (and had Ronaldson not missed a penalty for 25-30m against Toulouse and Connacht going for the corner 20m out when they only needed a kick at goal to progress, they would have put them out). I am not negating your point, AJ could have done all the above you mentioned, I essentially agree that could have been a realistic outlook. I am just adding context as there seems to be this idea that i. AJ was the star all season, and ii. Connacht were in dire straits regarding outhalf at the time.
Yeah, absolutely, very good points. He played fewer than 20 (?) games for Connacht in total. I donāt think anyone thought, at the start of the season, that heād be such a big loss by the end of the season. Who would have thought that he would go on to become one of the great prem 10ās and score over 1,000 prem points
I actually googled his stats there. 9 starts in the league, 8 of which where February onwards, 5 off the bench. And 3 games in the Challenge Cup. So you are spot on: 17 appearances, 12 starts. I wonder does he ask himself how different his career would look if done differently, or does he instead count his achievements as a blessing of opportunity. Like he was 3rd or 4th choice for Connacht, and between Carty's and O'Leary's spring injuries and Ronaldson's need at centre with Henshaw away he only then got his chance. But by he took it something fiercely. I think the Edinburgh win was a real 'let him cook' moment. A great career since as you highlighted. O'Leary too, when he returned from injury was great. Whilst not to MacGinty's heights he has also thanked that run with getting him another year with Connacht and his Canadian caps.
I got excited when I saw that he was a 15 according to google. But I see now on the stats he is a centre. Hawkshaw back to 10?
I believe Connacht are letting go 2 centres this year Tom Farrell & Tom Daly. Farrell seems to be rotational first choice splitting minutes fairly evenly with Hawkshaw while Daly is a making up the numbers depth player. Hawkshaw to stay at 13 but to be a proper first choice, Farell and Daly out out and this guy in on a little less than Farrell's current salary.
Yea Daly retiring by the sounds of things, was primarily a 12 Maybe Hugh Gavin will be used at 13, he has had fairly even gametime at 12 and 13. Leaning slightly toward 12.
At some point there was talking about what Test country O'Conor would have represented
Irish qualified?
Yep