MUNSTER’S CONOR MURRAY says he is not sure how long he will continue playing, with the scrum-half’s current contract due to expire at the end of the season.
Murray, who will turn 36 in April, signed a one-year contract extension at the end of last season but has yet to agree a new deal.
The scrum-half remains an important figure for both Munster and Ireland. He featured twice for Ireland in the 2024 autumn internationals, having also been involved in both summer Tests against South Africa and three Six Nations games.
Murray is in line to make his 199th appearance for Munster when they take on Northampton Saints this weekend.
Yet the Limerick man says he has no update about his contract situation for next season.
“I don’t know, to be honest with you,” he said.
“I’m not cutting you off, I’m just not really thinking about that just now. I suppose my immediate focus is on what’s in front of me now with Munster.
“I was out for December and I was really keen to get back fit and I managed to do that and get back on the pitch last weekend, and I really enjoyed the week, I enjoyed the game obviously, I got to play 80 which I hadn’t done in a while and really loved that.
“In terms of contract, it’s not that I’m not talking about it, I just haven’t given it thought just yet and I don’t really have anything to say to you (about it).
I just want to enjoy rugby, I know the end is soon, I don’t know when that will be but I just want to make sure I stay fit and enjoy it while I can.”
Meanwhile, Peter O’Mahony returned to training today ahead of Munster’s final Champions Cup pool game against Northampton Saints on Saturday.
The province make the trip to Franklin’s Gardens this weekend knowing a win would see them top their pool and secure a home game in the round of 16.
O’Mahony was pushing for inclusion ahead of last weekend’s meeting with Saracens but failed to fully recover from his calf injury in time for the game.
However the influential flanker was back on the training pitch in Limerick today and interim head coach Ian Costello says the 35-year-old is on track to return to the Munster team this weekend.
“He trained today, he didn’t do a full session, he was never meant to,” said Costello.
“He did exactly what he needed to do today to stay in the conversation for Thursday (team selection).”
The win over Saracens lifted the pressure on Munster and Costello says O’Mahony’s return would serve as a further boost.
“Having Peter with us when you travel to an away game is huge, so we’ll give him every opportunity to be involved.
“I know Peter a long, long time, I knew him when he was even grumpier than he is now, back in his Academy days.
“Same as Paulie (O’Connell) was he was here, when he’s in the building standards are higher, when he trains, we train better. He holds people to account, including the coaches, he drives standards and he sets standards and I think he draws a lot of attention when he plays.
“There’s a lot of focus on him, which frees up a lot of other guys, and he’s willing to be that arrowhead.
“So look, you want people like that in the trenches with you and he’s definitely one you’d take every single time.”
Irelands best ever 9
@John Kidney: think he benefitted from playing his prime years under a coach that massively played to his strengths. His kicking and methodical, safe style with the sniping runs suited Schmidt down to the ground. He didn’t have quite the same impact really for Munster or Ireland under other coaches. Was a great player but not sure he’s the best ever 9.
@John Kidney: Agree and currently best Munster Number 9….
@Liam Joyce: name a better Irish 9
I’d love him to see out this season with Ireland and play a back up role to Casey next year at Munster. Still a quality operator as we saw against Saracen’s last Saturday.
@Kenjo: He’s soon to be 36! Young blood needs to be freed up.
@SPK: Danny care still playing, if he’s going good, carry on.
He deserves to see out his playing days in Munster
Here we go again !! Another Munster Rugby legend being messed around. Maybe they need training in player respect and management from their counterparts in Leinster.
@Daniel Kelly: You are so right
@Daniel Kelly: how is he being messed about? Are you saying a player nearly 36, who has become increasingly injury prone and is slowing down naturally due to age, should be given a lucrative contract extension? It’s a professional sport, not a retirement home. There has to be an element of ruthlessness.
@Aidan Farrell: there’s 3 provinces after getting their budgets squeezed over the last few yrs and one with the highest budget of any club in europe. I’d imagine contract negotiations are drawn out these days for all 3
@Aidan Farrell: didn’t seem too slow to me on that sa tour, he had a brilliant tour but that somehow slipped under the radar
@munsterman: 1- Toulouse: 49 million,
2- Stade français: 45 million
3- La Rochelle: 37 million.
Above are the big budgets in Europe.
IRFU made a loss of 18.4 million last year on a turnover of 79 million.
I don’t know how you are insinuating that Leinster are the biggest. Munster only filled their stadium twice this year for the New Zealand and Leinster matches. If you could fill the stadium every second week then maybe you could sign a few more players.
Get your facts right before you go mouthing off.
@Aidan Farrell: dont agree with u much but i do this time
@Jimmy Bean: you do realise all those French clubs operate under a salary cap? Or are you a bit dozy and think that toulouse spend 49m on their senior squad? I genuinely believe a lot of leinster fans especially think toulouse are paying every player in their senior squad nearly 1m each.
@Daniel Kelly: I get the impression, from Conor’s words, that he hasn’t decided if he wants another contract. We have no idea what goes on behind the scenes. Last season’s negotiations were affected by the IRFU first not offering a central contract and then second by budget restrictions in Munster. It took a while for the hybrid contact idea to manifest, but the dealy was on the IRFU rather than Munster.
@munsterman: Sick of saying it, “alot” of Leinster fans are not represented by one comment on The42. However, his comment is no more or less “dozy” than stating that Leinsters budget is the biggest in Europe. 1st you have no access to thise figures. 2nd You are failing to understand how rugby is funded. Every country operates their own methodology of subsidising player salaries. The French use JIFF, the English use the PGP and Ireland use Central Contracting. The clubs in each country providing more players to the national team benefit most. The reason for the extreme disparity in Ireland is firstly due to Leinster’s dominance over the last 15 years and secondly because rugby has fallen behind in Ulster and Munster. Connacht have arguably improved their position over the same time period.
@munsterman: absolute rubbish with nothing factual to back it up
Conor Murray brilliant player for Munster and Ireland. Long may he continue
could easily do a Sexton on it and play till he is 38 and get another world cup in it. His game lends itself to longevity, he isnt sniping trying to make breaks but is an excellent strategic kicker and perfect to close a tight game out
Still playing well age just a number
Plying as well as he ever has at the moment
@Lesidees: unfortunately not, 2016-2018 he was probably the best scrum half in the world
Would expect him to retire in the summer, to be honest.
@Aidan Farrell: I mean why would he? The French still love those control types of 9s, look at Lucu for Bordeaux, Parra went on well into his 30s. There’s probably good financial offers there from France or Japan. If his body is still good he’d be mad to retire
@Aidan Farrell: why?
@Aidan Farrell: why he’s been understatedly brilliant the last year or 2, and before you say he’s blocking young players etc, he’s not, casey is 25 and munster starter, Patterson and coughlan also regularly used, doak the starter in ulster, in fact the only province that really don’t produce scrum halves and are relying on old ones, is leinster.
@Aidan Farrell: he will retire when he says it
@Eoin H: needs to retire in Ireland for the tax return I’m fairly sure
@Robert O’Connor: He doesn’t… Paul O’Connell and Donnacha Ryan finished their careers in France. As did Sean O’Brien. You just need to complete 10 years in Ireland. However, I don’t think Conor Murray has a graw for travelling abroad. I cannot back this up with a quote, but something is lingering in the back of my head that he was asked the question and categorically said he would never want to play anywhere bar Munster.
He’ll know when it’s time. I would love to see him going into officiating as he knows the laws very well. Now whether his body could keep pace is another question.
@Con Cussed: Oh please no. I cant take the interprovincial ‘bias’ conspiracies anymore!