Rob Kearney the latest victim of an IRFU 'lowball'
Strange how it has all turned out. Some years ago, when volunteer officials were running the IRFU’s player contracts committee, there was frequent disgruntlement from Ireland’s leading players that negotiations often used to push into the Six Nations campaign.
They wanted rid of the amateurs running the professional game and they got their wish with David Nucifora’s appointment as high performance chief in 2014. The irony now, though, is that on the Australian’s watch, the delays in reaching agreements are in some instances are now unprecedented.
Driving hard bargains and securing best value for money has always been at the heart of Nucifora’s brief. However, this season’s protracted negotiations suggest the IRFU are ready to push it to the limit with whoever comes before them at the contract table.
Just look at the nine central contract deals that were up for re-negotiation this season. While extensions were quickly reached with Conor Murray (2022), Robbie Henshaw (2022), Keith Earls (2021) and Johnny Sexton (2021), stars with plenty of glitter left in them, the fortunes of the other five big names have been curiously mixed to say the least.
It was RugbyPass who revealed in early February that Sean O’Brien was quitting for London Irish after failing to agree terms with Nucifora. The pay cut they were offering was far to much for him to accept.
The eight players left on Irish Rugby's 'central contract' hit list and how the IRFU plan to pay for them https://t.co/Pyx9ncjd5S
— liam heagney (@heagneyl) October 21, 2018
Then came the Jack McGrath situation, RugbyPass confirming in the run-up to the Leinster-Ulster European quarter-final that he will be trading Dublin for Belfast from next season. That was a very strange twist as IRFU centrally contracted players never usually switch provinces.
Next, Rory Best was won around to the decision in April that it would be best for him to retire after this year’s World Cup, a development that left two remaining big situations to be resolved.
It was Tuesday when the IRFU finally confirmed that they are keeping Cian Healy on their books until 2021, but their hardball tactics aren’t yet complete as Rob Kearney’s future is still in limbo amid speculation he will be forced to leave for a Top 14 club post-World Cup.
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With Joe Schmidt moving on from the national team after Japan, it appears the status of a player who featured in just four of Ireland’s nine matches this season is in a serious state of flux that is also reflected at Leinster where there have been big games he has not been selected to start.
It was O’Brien who let slip in a social media message some weeks ago that France was Kearney’s likely destination and the veteran’s inability to win the IRFU around to what he believes is his market value was further highlighted by his name being missing from Leinster’s lengthy midweek list of contract renewals for next season.
Leinster confirm 21 contracts… but no update issued on Rob Kearney's situation https://t.co/Cjhyyk9ITL
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 21, 2019
Kearney is believed to be dissatisfied with what is on the table in Ireland and the ongoing delay in striking terms demonstrates the power that Nuicfora is wielding with the IRFU purse. Their approach increasingly with the veterans is to pitch an initial offer low, stir things up and see what happens.
Its consequence is that a deal is still to be struck in late May with a loyal servant of the Irish game. That’s a situation no one believed would be case when the amateur committee men were sidelined all those years ago.
WATCH: The RugbyPass behind the scenes documentary on Leinster’s 2018 PRO14 final win over Scarlets
Comments on RugbyPass
The rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
76 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to comments