The players left on Irish Rugby's 'central contract' hit list after deal struck for James Ryan
James Ryan’s signature on the dotted line on Wednesday 68 days after Bundee Aki did likewise with the IRFU was indicative of how the identity of those who hold top-earning contracts on the Irish scene is going through a changing of the guard at the moment.
Ryan and Aki had both been on respective provincial deals with Leinster and Connacht, but they have now been bumped up to the category of remuneration that sets the elite stars apart from the rest in Irish rugby.
Basic salary for the select few who are handsomely rewarded ranges from €350,000 to around the €600,000 per annum, quite a pay packet compared to the leaner salaries on offer at the provinces.
The upper echelon has been a cosy club for quite some time. Many years ago, way back during the Eddie O’Sullivan era, these wholly IRFU-funded deals were tossed around like confetti before the rebuilding of the Aviva Stadium caused a major rethink in strategy.
With the IRFU taking on a capital commitment of €77.5million towards the stadium redevelopment, the number of centrally funded contracts dramatically fell from 30 to 21 in 2010.
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Andy Farrell and Johnny Sexton speak following Ireland’s 19-12 win over Scotland
It has since further reduced in the David Nucifora era where they IRFU have been hugely selective in which players merit European market-type salaries, packages backed up in a number of situations by agents sourcing private business money for their clients.
With the emphasis on the delivery of plenty bang for the IRFU’s buck, there has been a series of cagey, cat-and-mouse negotiations during the Australian’s tenure that can lead to a drawn-out process.
This to and fro was especially evident in 2018/19 when nine players – Conor Murray, Johnny Sexton, Sean O’Brien, Keith Earls, Robbie Henshaw, Cian Healy, Jack McGrath, Rory Best and Rob Kearney – were all due to fall out of the contact at the end of the World Cup.
Scotland's starting 8 made 133m off 59 runs at the Aviva compared to just 44m off 64 runs in the previous encounter, a ball-carrying threat that caused the overall Irish tackle rate to soar.
– @heagneyl on Farrell's first game in charge #SixNations ?????????https://t.co/cDtIpCsWbL
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 2, 2020
In the end, seven managed to renewed deals with only the now-retired Best and O’Brien, who is now at London Irish, not getting re-signed.
In the year prior to that, you had the departure of Donnacha Ryan to Racing and the retirements of Andrew Trimble, Tommy Bowe, Jared Payne and Jamie Heaslip illustrating the turnover that can happen at the top end of the IRFU pay scale.
The emphasis in the latest round of contracting is different, though. With only two of the dozen players currently on central contracts possessing agreements set to expire at the end of this season – Devin Toner and Kearney – there is more of a focus on securing players who are in the Ireland set-up on provincial contracts.
The likelihood is that Kearney, who was left out of new coach Andy Farrell’s Six Nations squad, is finished at central contract level – it wasn’t until last May that he managed to secure the one-year deal that ensured he would go to the World Cup rather than potentially take up an offer abroad.
'His unchallenged message is that his squad is dynamic, powerful and aggressive with a lot of skill and speed, a nice soundbite if rah-rah soundbites are your thing twelve-and-a-half weeks on from World Cup crucifixion by the All Blacks,' writes @heagneyl
https://t.co/Uay1ksl7gW— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 16, 2020
Also, the rise in Ryan’s pay packet will likely be detrimental to how Toner fares at the negotiating table, his hand further weakened by his omission by ex-boss Joe Schmidt from the World Cup squad and by the fact that he turns 34 at his next birthday in June.
Instead, the intrigue will be on whether young guns similar to Ryan can also switch from provincial to IRFU-type salaries now that they earned their stripes. Jacob Stockdale, for instance, had just six caps to his name when he shook hands on a two-year Ulster deal in mid-February 2018.
He has since consolidated his status as a regular Ireland starter and while he has managed just two tries in his last nine appearances, he and his representatives, Esportif/Line Up, will feel entitled to terms from Nucifora in Dublin rather than an extension with Ulster in Belfast.
After the Schmidt era, Andy Farrell's more 'open' culture in Ireland camp is rubbing off well on players says Henderson #IREvWAL #SixNations https://t.co/Hhibrozb2R
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 5, 2020
Similarly, Garry Ringrose who settled for a two-year extension at Leinster the last time he was at the negotiating table in 2018. Now with 29 caps, he too will likely want his Navy Blue Sports agent to be talking improved numbers with the IRFU rather than with Leinster.
Josh van der Flier and Jordan Larmour are two other Leinster talents who can also feel their progress with Ireland merits reward from on high rather than remaining on provincial terms. After all, they are meeting the base requirement for a national contract – consistently getting a starting position in the Irish team.
THE IRFU’S CENTRAL CONTRACTS LIST – The dates they signed and the agency
JAMES RYAN (Line Up) – February 5, 2020, for 3 years to June 2023
BUNDEE AKI (YMU Group) – November 29, 2019, for 3 years to June 2023
CONOR MURRAY (Line Up) – October 10, 2018, for 3 years to June 2022
ROBBIE HENSHAW (represented by his father) – February 19, 2019, for 3 years to June 2022
KEITH EARLS (Baker Sports) – October 25, 2018, for 2 years to June 2021
JONATHAN SEXTON (Horizon) – December 11, 2018, for 2 years to June 2021
CIAN HEALY (Ikon) – May 21, 2019, for 2 years to June 2021
JACK McGRATH (Esportif/Line Up) – April 2, 2019, for 2 years to June 2021
IAIN HENDERSON (Blue Giraffe) – March 20, 2018, for 3 years to June 2021
CJ STANDER (Essentially SA) – December 21, 2017, for 3 years to June 2021
TADHG FURLONG (Line Up) – December 15, 2017, for 3 years to June 2021
PETER O’MAHONY (Horizon) – December 15, 2017, for 3 years to June 2021
DEVIN TONER (Esportif/Line Up) – December 1, 2016, for 3 years to June 2020
ROB KEARNEY (Line Up) – May 27, 2019, for 1 year to June 2020
WATCH: The Rugby Pod reflects on the opening weekend of the 2020 Guinness Six Nations
Comments on RugbyPass
No way. If you are trying to picture New Zealand rugby with an All Blacks mindset, there have been two factors instrumental to the decline of NZ rugby to date. Those are the horror that the Blues have become and, probably more so, the fixture that the Crusaders became. I don’t think it was healthy to have one team so dominant for so long, both for lack of proper representation of players from outside that environment and on the over reliance on players from within it. If you are another international side, like Ireland for example, sure. You can copy paste something succinct from one level to the next and experience a huge increase in standards, but ultimately you will not be maximizing it, which is what you need to perform to the level the ABs do. Added to that is the apathy that develops in the whole game as a result of one sides dominance. NZ, Super, and Championship rugby should all experience a boom as a result of things balancing out. That said, there is a lot of bad news happening in NZ rugby recently, and I’m not sure the game can be handled well enough here to postpone the always-there feeling of inevitable decline of rugby.
5 Go to commentsNo SA supporter miss Super Rugby - a product that is experiencing significant head wind in ANZ - the competition from rival codes are intense, match attendance figures are at a historical low and the negativity of commentators such as Kirwan and Wilson have accelerated the downward spiral in NZ. After the next RWC in 2027 sponsors will follow Qantas and start leaving in droves.
2 Go to commentsLike others, I am not seeing the connection between this edition of the Crusaders and the All Blacks future prospects under Razor. I think the analysis of the Crusaders attack recently is helpful because Razor and his coaching team used to be able to slot new guys in to their systems and see them succeed. Several of Razor’s coaches are still there so it would be surprising if the current attack and set piece has been overhauled to a great extent - but based on that analysis, it may have been. Whether it is too many new guys due to injuries or retirement or a failure of current Crusaders systems is the main question to be answered imo. It doesn’t seem relevant for the ABs.
5 Go to commentsharry potter is set in stone. he creates stability and finishes well. exactly what schmidt likes. he’s the ben smith of australian rugby. i think it could quite easily be potter toole and kellaway for the foreseeable future.
5 Go to commentsThis is short sighted from Clayton if you ask me, smacks of too much preseason planning and no adaptability. What if DMac is out for a must win match, are they still only going to bring their best first five and playmaker on late in the game? Trusting the game to someone who wasn’t even part of planning (they would have had Trask pinned in as Jacomb preseason). Perhaps if the Crusaders were better they would not have done this, but either way imo you take this opportunity to play a guy you might need starting in a final rather than having their 12th game getting comfortable coming off the bench.
1 Go to commentsThanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.
21 Go to commentsWhat a load of bollocks. The author has forgotten to mention the fact that the Crusaders have a huge injury toll with top world class players out. Not to mention the fact that they are obviously in a transition period. No this will not spark a slow death for NZ rugby, but it does mean there will be a new Super Rugby champion. Anyone who knows anything about NZ rugby knows that there is some serious talent here, it just isn’t all at the Crusaders.
5 Go to commentsI wouldn’t spend the time on Nawaqanitawase! No point in having him filling in a jersey when he’s committed to leave Union. Give the jersey to a young prospect who will be here in the future.
5 Go to commentsIt was a pleasure to watch those guys playing with such confidence. That trio can all be infuriating for different reasons and I can see why Jones might have decided against them. No way to justify leaving Ikitau out though. Jorgensen and him were both scheduled to return at the same time. Only one of them plays for Randwick and has a dad who is great mates with the national coach though.
53 Go to commentsBrayden Iose and Peter Lakai are very exciting Super Rugby players but are too short and too light to ever be a Test 8 vs South Africa, France, Ireland, and England, Lakai could potentially be a Test player at 7 if he is allowed to focus on 7 for Hurricanes.
7 Go to commentsPencils “Thomas du Toit” into possible 2027 Bok squad.
1 Go to commentsDon’t see why Harrison makes the bench. Jones can play at 10 if needed, and there is a good case for starting her there to begin with if testing combinations. That would leave room for Sing on the bench
1 Go to commentsWhat a load of old bull!
1 Go to commentsOf the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.
29 Go to commentsIrish Rugby CEO be texting Andy Farrell “Andy, i found our next Kiwi Irishman”
5 Go to commentsI certainly don’t miss drinking beers at 8am in the morning watching rugby games being played in NZ.
2 Go to commentsThis looks like a damage limitation exercise for Wales, keeping back some of their more effective players for the last 20/25 minutes to try and counter England’s fresh legs so the Red Roses don’t rack up a big score.
1 Go to commentsVery unlikely the Bulls will beat Leinster in Dublin. It would be different in Pretoria.
1 Go to commentsI think it is a dangerous path to go down to ban a player for the same period that a player they injured takes to recover. Players would be afraid to tackle anyone. I once tackled my best friend at school in a practice match and sprained his ankle. I paid for it by having to play fly-half instead of full-back for the rest of that season’s fixtures.
5 Go to commentsJust such a genuine good bloke…and probably the best all round player in his generation. Good guys do come first sometimes and he handled the W.Cup loss with great attitude.
2 Go to comments