CONNACHT HAVE ACCUSED Leinster of persistently poaching their top talent following Mike McCarthy’s decision to join the European champions next season.
Amid increasing speculation on McCarthy’s future, a “bitterly disappointed” Connacht confirmed this morning that attempts to convince him to stay at the Sportsground had been unsuccessful.
The 31-year-old lock will move when his current deal expires in June 2013.
The loss of one of their biggest stars comes as a blow to Eric Elwood’s men just days after their latest European scalp against Biarritz. McCarthy was in towering form with a man-of-the-match display in Friday night’s 22-14 win over the French giants.
Against the backdrop of these European gains and province’s progressive development, Connacht chief executive Tom Sears said that Leinster’s strategy of snapping up their best players is not in the best interests of Irish rugby.
“We are bitterly disappointed to lose Mike McCarthy, who has been a popular senior member of our squad,” Sears said.
“While disappointed, particularly given the continued success of Connacht Rugby in recent years, we respect the individual player’s decision and wish Mike every success in his future playing career.
“We have been aware of Leinster’s interest in Mike for some time. It is disappointing they have persistently targeted Connacht players in recent years, particularly when often not in the best interest of Irish Rugby.”
How are Connacht ever supposed to join the top table when they lose their best players….I’d be fuming if I were a westie.
Agreed – but money talks !
No, best of luck to him, he has do e us proud….
You can’t honestly expect the current best player in his position in Ireland to finish his career at the worst club. Forgetting that it has been Leinsters weak point for the last few years he’s 31, at the peak of his powers and has a family to think of after rugby. He may also fancy spending his last few seasons at the top table and trying to win some silver. McCarthy training and playing alongside a higher calibre of player only stands to benefit Ireland too. Lets be glad we’re keeping our players at home, I’m sure the Welsh would much prefer to see Roberts, Lydiate, Hook, Phillips etc move region than country.
U prob can see why he’s going as Leinster seem short on second rows … Quinn roux now injured and toner doesn’t seem to feature in schmidts opinion
Hagan and Carr ruined their careers going to Leinster … If you look at loughney he has two seasons in Heiniken cup and has featured in elite training squad with Ireland .. Carr has gone from top try scorer to living in the gym making a brief match cameo when all the rest are injured or on international duty … I think these examples will dissuade the great crop of youths coming through at Connacht from immediately jumping ship to Leinster if they can’t guarantee game time
Rumours of Cronin go back to Galway … Think it’s the right move for him
I’d be fuming if I was a Connaught fan, but in fairness to Mike, he’s 31 years old. He deserves a chance of playing at the top level before he retires.
Elrat. Thornley is reporting in the times that Connacht offered him a matching contract. So its not about money. Perhaps if the IRFU offered him more to stay in Galway he may have. That is the kind of support they should be giving Connacht….
I can understand Mike’s decision in relation to winning some silverwear. But I hope he doesn’t end up sitting on a bench like Cronin, Carr and Hagan who all made the move east a couple of years ago. Very shortsighted of the IRFU to let this happen. Is it not better to have all our provinces playing Irish players as first choice in their positions every week than warming a bench while a non Irish player plays in their place!
I think Mike McCarthy’s move is a wiser one than Carr, Cronin or Hagan. He is a proven international who is going to fill a problem position for Leinster. It’s the right move for him and Leinster but not for Connacht.
Cronin plays a considerable amount of time for Leinster but agree on Hagan & Carr.
Can’t begrudge McCarthy – he’s a professional athlete & this is likely to be his last big move. Given the lack of 2nd row depth in Leinster, he’ll be getting his game & hopefully a few more in the green jersey too.
Cronin gets a fair amount of game time in fairness
Not just money money from the sounds of things, The guy is 31 and has a chance to go to the European champions. I think it is a fair call from McCarthy even if a tragedy for the west. The IRFU should maybe have some sort of compensation for Connacht when this happens
The.IRFU have to stop encouraging these players to leave connacht , but as long as they do , Connacht will always be no.4. So much for this apparently wonderful academy leinster have.
Kick in the teeth for Connacht, 2 great seasons and one of there best players walks. In reality you can’t blame the man, 31, greater chance of European medals and world cup in 3 years.
Just hope the new coach can sign a good replacement.
Am sick of Connacht players getting poached- we spend the time & what little money we get training these players to a fantastic standard for Lenister & Munster to poach them at their peak & then get the glory & silverware. I wish him the best of luck and hopefully he’ll do more than warm a bench in the East but it still is another kick in the teeth to Connacht. IRFU need to start stepping in & get over their annoyance at the fact there is actually a 4th provence in Ireland…..rant over (for this season)
For feck sake! We’ll never make it at this rate. Leinster/Munster will come poaching for the back three in the next year even if it setsback a player – ie. Fionn Carr.
I was just really starting to get optimistic. Blame has to be with IRFU. McCarthy has been fabulous and best of luck to him.
Connacht are not a long way from a trophy but this bullshite makes it so!
The IRFU should compensate Connacht, not financially but give them a Leinster player from the academy or development contracted. Help Connacht, help the player. I don’t know any of the younger Leinster fellas but Dave Foley would be an example if Munster took McCarthy.
I am going to make a killing on http://www.ratemyconnaghtplayer.com site
Hard on on Connacht I know but if he was offered the same money in both provinces he had to look at where he had the chance to win a trophy, that has to be Leinster ,( he is 31 ) and Connacht are still a long way away from a trophy
Leinster’s plan to develop a second row seem to be working out……
Leinster need secondrows the irfu won’t allow overseas players so unless Ryan wants to move from Munster who else is better? The Westie’s are only playing Heineken cup rugby the past two seasons because of leinster’s success so it’s a bit silly placing all their woes at leinster’s door.
This anger at Leinster and the Irfu is a bit ridiculous. McCarthy was offered contracts with both provinces and chose the one HE wanted. Irfu can no more force a player to one province for another than they can force him to stay. so while it is a pity for connacht it was the player’s choice.
While you are right Shane, you’re kind of missing the point. Leinster and Mike are 100% justified. The problem is that the IRFU are committed to supporting Connacht Rugby. As long as they continue to ok these kind of transfers then Connacht will never compete on a fair basis. As a compromise, they could have offered Mike significantly more money to stay out West but they didnt. Another way would be to block Leinster (or any other Irish province) from signing any Connacht players for a period of time… Remember, the IRFU dole out the cash so they could, in theory, put in a clause that would financially punish the big 3 for signing Connacht players.
This would make the big 3 think twice at least and may prevent players like Carr leaving and getting splinters….
I like your thinking- wish the people in IRFU had has many intelligent thoughts as you!
I don’t understand how putting bars on any of the provinces to the advantage of another could be deemed fairness? Surely it would only serve to create an unequal playing field. I had a feeling a move like this would happen due to leinsters relative lack of depth in the second row – and its not a case of the IRFU encouraging players to leave connacht, but rather encouraging the other provinces to target talented Irish players in their provincial rivals by limiting their access to foreign players.
So punish players who get a chance to play at a higher level just because your supporters feel hard done by?
Imagine wanting to sign a player, you tell him if he gets a better offer from a bigger club he can’t move, if he’s not getting a game he can’t move or I he does he has to leave the country!
The amount of good young rugby players flocking to Galway would be massive. It could start a building boom west of the Shannon
@Dave Burson. Nobody here is saying Mike did anything other than what is best for him. Nobody begrudges him the move. Our point is that the IRFU could and should take more pro active steps to make Connacht a more attractive club to stay at…
Yeah Leinster “poached” Fionn Carr and Jamie Hagan.. it’s not like they played for Leinster first or anything! Plus Connacht’s players Kyle Tonetti, Nathan White, Paul O’Donaghue and Jason Harris Wright…. where’d they come from?
What other “homegrown” players have Connacht lost? Bearing in mind that McCarthy came from England.
It’s tough on Connacht but it is McCarthy’s decision and the IRFU can’t intervene or compel a player the other way. People have freedom to choose their employer.
Just for the record Mike McCarty’s folks are from Belmullet Co.Mayo. he was born in London, but there is no doubting his Irish and Connacht heritage. He’s been fantastic for Connacht in both of his spells with the province and I genuinely hope he gets plenty of game time and honours with Lenister. But it’s very frustrating to be losing a top class player like this.
Kyle Tonetti – 3rd choice.
Nathan White – Forced move because of IRFU policies regarding foreign players… he was forced to move somewhere.
POD – 3rd choice (at best).
Jason Harris Wright – joined from Bristol not Leinster.
Fionn Carr – Came to Connacht when he was out of contract.
Jamie Hagan – 3rd/4th choice when he came.
McCarthy – Star player for Connacht and backbone of the first XV.
McCarthy is Irish qualified through Belmullet family, and has spent the majority of his professional career in Connacht, where he has come on under Dan McFarland to be the player he is. Your comparisons are not very valid.
I agree that Macca should be allowed to choose, but Ireland needs four strong provinces to progress as a rugby nation. What is currently happening is that Connacht are taking all the risk in developing young players and making them into international quality players, and then when they are at the peak of their game the other provinces are taking their pick. Yes this makes room for Connacht to develop younger players but it cripples the team and weakens the competition between the provinces… the same competition that should be used to propel the players with the strongest form into the national team and making us better at that level.
For clarity – I’m not questioning his Irish qualification, just that Connacht didn’t ‘grow’ him, he’s a product of the English school’s system and has been at Connacht since he was 26.
The outrage professed by the Connact CEO is laughable, that Leinster have constantly poached Connacht players. If Leinster had snapped up O’Halloran then maybe he’d have a point.
Basically if the IRFU had sanctioned a deal for Nathan Hines instead of insisting that Leinster sign an Irish eligible or project player then it probably wouldn’t have come to this.
Actually he joined when he was 22 for a season, after a season with Wasps, before he moved to Falcons for 3 seasons, and have been in Connacht again for the last 5 seasons as you have said. In other words 60% of his professional career was in Connacht.
You are correct that he came though the English schools system, however his current game, the one that has gotten him international recognition, is down to Connacht, where he switched from the backrow to the 2nd row, and the work that Dan McFarland put in to his technique. To question his “Connacht-ness” is a pretty facile approach to justifying it. I’m not saying it is unjustifiable, just that your approach to it is weak.
As a Connacht fan I am gutted but I wish Mike every success. I think the suggestion that the IRFU needs Connacht to succeed is naive. The IRFU are far better served by having Leinster winning HCups than they are making the pitch level for Connacht to compete. It is clear that Connacht is being used as a 4th academy. One suggestion to fix this is that contracted players with insufficient game time for any province can choose a free-transfer at the end of the season to any other province. That would shake things up and ensure 2-way traffic between the provinces.
This is a disgrace how is a team supposed to improve and develop if the hierarchy that is the irfu allow this to happen I worry for the future of Connaught rugby who are making great improvements in developing a squad for the future if this trend is allowed continue
Its simple enough, Leinster have been looking for a 2nd row like Mike, he has a similar style to Brad Thorn, Leinster have made clear this is what they want. if Mike doesnt come in to Leinster then they will have to look at a player from abroad. This way Leinster get the player they want and another young 2nd row can progress in Connacht. Wise decision by Mike.
I wish Mike the best he is and has been a very loyal servent of Connaght Rugby.
It is a loss for Connaght no doubt. Just as Warwick, Kielty, Cornin, Carr, O’Sullivan were before them… I would suggest a certain amount of barter, how about Leinster give two top academy/U23 players to connaght on three year contracts with Leinster on first dibbs if they are ever to leave the west.
That way Connaght get compensated. Ireland can see the young guns week in, week out… I formalises relationships which happened anyway with Cronin, Carr….
If done right 8-10 future Irish players(5 years later) would have played together in club.
There is an option to ask some players(about 2-3) of exceptional leadership to play the last or last two seasons in Connaght… Players like a Stringer or O’Connell could really help a bunch of academy players develop professionally…
Add that with Connaght Region Players and there could be an exciting squad which should be very competive and a real platform from academy to full pro…
Also, I know this is against the spirt of the agreement proposed… But why did Carr got Leinster when Munster where so short on his position…
In fairness Leinster need McCarthy. You saw what Connacht did to them a few weeks back. http://thescore.thejournal.ie/liveblog-live-updates-leinster-connacht-pro12-rugby-614719-Sep2012/