WITH THE CLOCK ticking towards 4pm yesterday, the news Munster fans had been impatiently waiting for landed.
Conor Murray and, to even greater relief, Keith Earls are staying with the southern province.
While the Ireland scrum-half had definitively stated his intention to remain with Munster before Christmas, Earls was a little more touch and go after a big offer from Saracens tempted him towards a move to the English Premiership.
This is majorly positive news not only for Munster, but also for Irish rugby. After the confirmed departures of Marty Moore and Ian Madigan, losing an even more experienced international player like Earls would have been hard to take.
The lure of the wealthy and competitively-strong English and French clubs will remain, but there are those who argue that moves for Madigan and Moore come nowhere near signalling an impending exodus of Irish players from Ireland.
Joe Schmidt – who alongside David Nucifora is the most influential figure in Irish rugby – is among that belief group. The Ireland head coach says he does speak with his players on these matters when they’re in national camp, Earls included.
Schmidt feels Irish rugby must continue to do everything it can to keep its best players at home.
“We do chat about things and I think one of the players who’s gone recently has genuine regret [referring to Moore],” said Schmidt. “But once you’ve made the decision and you’ve committed with your name on the paper there’s no going back; that’s the way the world works.
“The word ‘exodus’ has been bandied around in some of the media and by the very definition of the word it’s a mass movement of population and I don’t really see that happening.
“We’re always trying to keep our players. They don’t become unavailable to us [when they move abroad], but they become less accessible to us. Therefore, we’re always going to defer to the guys who are inside the country.”
While 28-year-old Earls has been convinced to stay on Irish soil for the next three years, Schmidt does believe the financial lure of England and France will remain strong in the short-term and long-term future.
However, Schmidt is heartened by the fact that a large number of Ireland internationals have rejected the advances of foreign clubs.
For me, people’s heads are being turned by more money,” said Schmidt, somewhat fittingly speaking at the prestigious Hurlingham Club in London. “I could tell you some amounts. I don’t know all the amounts, I try and stay out of it.
“I talk to players on an opportunity basis, on a playing for Ireland, on a longevity of their career, because they will get better looked after in Ireland than most other places because they will get well managed in between their Ireland commitments and their provincial commitments. Those are things I talk about with them.
“There are guys giving up good sums of money to stay where they are, to play for their country and play for their province. I think it’s one of the fantastic things that is still slightly amateur about rugby – that people still follow their hearts a little bit, not just their bank balance.”
Schmidt underlined his belief that the IRFU and the four provinces can add years to players’ careers if they remain in Ireland.
“I’d like to think that we also add value and that they also know they’re going to be looked after,” said the Kiwi.
“There’s more to making a decision about taking a contract or not, there’s more to it than that retainer value. There are some other advantages in staying in Ireland, whether they be player management, whether they be playing with the guys you grew up playing with and you feel a sense of identity with and therefore you want to play with.”
While he retains that confidence that the IRFU and the provinces have an excellent product to offer Irish players, Schmidt does concede that this season’s failure of Leinster, Munster and Ulster to advance into the Champions Cup quarter-finals is concerning.
Aside from the financial gain, clubs in England and France appear to offer players a better chance at trophy success in the European game.
“One of the real disadvantages of not having a qualifier – and I’m positive that we’ll have at least one, two or hopefully three qualifiers in the European Cup next year in that top eight – is that these players are competitive people, they want to win things,” said Schmidt.
“I’m desperately keen for the provinces to be as competitive as they can be, because players come into camp more upbeat, it’s easier to keep players in a place where they feel they have a chance of winning things because there’s a feel-good factor when you’re a competitive person and a non-tangible factor that’s not necessarily money.”
Well instead of paying a premium for 8-9 squad players with low wages why don’t you and the committee start paying top dollar for 2-3 stars that will lift the team and actually win something?
Look at Barcelona 2-6 years ago, the best team ever appearantly. Their bench was barely better than ours is. Infact alot of the time they had kids on it. But their first team….. Same with the United team that one 3 in a row. Even Chelsea and man city’s benches aren’t that great. Meanwhile ourselves and Tottenham have fairly decent benches! But the thing is we only have a fairly decent first 11 aswell…
The fact they were all on drugs helped them not get injured though.
Liverpool are not a big club so why would big names want to go there.pity there suporters cant understand it though!!
Before This season started big names should have wanted to come. Finished second and in the champions league we should have been able to attract bigger names than Lovren and Rickie Lambert.
Liverpool are one of the most supported clubs in the world.
So are celtic but i dont see big names wanting to go there!
Ya but Eoin Liverpool can offer United City arsenal Everton Chelsea Spurs each week Celtic can offer motherwell Aberdeen and so on that’s the difference. People claiming Liverpool are no longer a big have not got a clue. A big club in my eyes is a club that has a massive fan base eg: United Arsenal Madrid Barca and so on. Leeds are still a big club they have a draw towards them. I have never seen so many articles on one club especially on theScore then I have on Liverpool. It’s Liverpool this Rodgers that , the only club that comes near is United. What about Leicester Hull Man City Chelsea Newcastle and so on ? Reason being they are not massive clubs (no disrespect) but if they were we’d all know more about them because there’d be articles on them left right and centre.
its down to money.
Because your young eoin you wouldn’t remember for 27 years Manchester Utd only won a couple of fa cups..during that time they were still a big club..the same as liverpool are a big club today..
It’s down to location as well. It’s an issue for city, Liverpool and United. Top players want to go to London, look at hazard, Costa, Cesc and even Erickson.
Let me guess eoin your a utd fan ? Typical utd fan #clueless&obsessed
And deluded
You weren’t complaining last year when every article was about moyes. Liverpool worst squad out if the supposedly big teams in England smallest ground lowest wage bill average manager who was sacked by reading. Leave it out Liverpool aren’t relevant in modern European football note the word modern. Three good seasons in last 25 still no league title in modern football its real barca psg city chelsea united bayern end of. Go back and buy rickie Lamberts brother.
So before United won their first title in 26 years they weren’t relevant no ? Even before they did I still regarded them as a big club and Liverpools chief nemesis.
Last year must have been awful for you Waka….
Or you could just attract them by being a big club look at di maria falcao mata rooney rvp van nistelrooy veron vidic roy keane. Location is not relevant if you are relevant they will go.
You mean if you pay them bags of cash to go there…… It’s well documented that Di Maria wanted to stay at Madrid and United was the only club who would pay the 65 million for him.
What age are you john lpools chief nemises through 70s and 80s was leeds villa and forest united chief nemises through 90s and 00s were arsenal chelsea and city. Liverpool aren’t relevant end of story that is the real reason they csnt attract the players. Sanchez and shaqiri would have went to united if offered. Noy relevant
At this stage there’s no point talking to you lad. For your sanity Liverpool aren’t a big club but on that basis neither are United or Leeds or Villa. When I say nemesis I mean you always wanted to beat United no matter their position like United with the Pool a few years back. It’s the two fixtures every year you look out for. You come across as the type of fella who’d take great fun in a club that goes to the wall a bit like Leeds nearly packed up. Don’t be holding your breath on Liverpool pal they’ll be around for another while yet to upset you.
Liverpool were offering shaqiri more money over a million more then inter were to offer him,and were prepared to off munich more money,the player wanted inter so was let go there.Simple fact is ,top players are not interested in going to liverpool any more
Luke stay quiet di maria was being touted all over Europe all summer he didn’t have to leave but he did. Was it because of money of course it was thats why united are relevant they pay the big bucks as do real barca psg city chelsea and bayern wheras you won’t give sterling a 120 grand. United have the biggest shirt deal in football history coming this summer if they get champions league football which they will. You have Lambert we have rvp you have coutinho we have di Maria you have Henderson we have rooney it goes on. Get over it keep dreaming about the 80s and 05. The teams that matter are all that matters.
Well it can hardly be said they are interested in going to inter either, probably the only major club in Europe on a worse run than Liverpool.
He went there because Switzerland is just across the border.
Hard yaka you have hit the nail on the head there. Liverpool are becoming less relevant and this process has been going on for a while however painful it is for their fans to hear it. The games against united hark back to a different time
Liverpool should be selling the dream to the big stars, the romance, chance to be a real legend, at an historical club. Will not happen with Rodgers…. You need a big manager to attract. You need to develop the ground, which thankfully is happening, finally. Worldwide support, Liverpool are top ten, but for too long they were run terribly. Right now, many big players are like Rockstars, with rockstar babes/wives….. Many things need to change for Liverpool…
You must be about twelve. Typical moron united fan that thinks football was invented in 1993.
Getting the excuses in earlier eh Brendan?
Think pool need to careful they are not on a really slippery slope.
@John Hayes:
The reason Liverpool get so much press is because of the amount of interviews Rodgers feels the need to do. If he spent less time talking about how big Liverpool are,and their history he might actually make his own squad good,and make his own history. He loves the sound of his own voice and would rather talk about great players than actually trying to recruit them. Players want to work for successful manager,and play in front of big crowds every week,and Liverpool can’t offer either at the moment.
The reason they get so much press is because they are one of the most followed and successful clubs in the world.
These quotes are coming from press conferences that he is obliged to give. Same so any other manager.
I didn’t know Rodgers was ringing the press and asking for interviews John McCann ……..let it with me.
Wakawakawakawakawaka !!
@colin:
Tell me 1 thing I said in my comment that was true. The only real fact I statedwas that he has spent over £200m and hasn’t got 1 superstar to show for it? Is this not true? whats there to like about Rodgers,his smugness will be his downfall. The best thing Rodgers has purchased at Liverpool is his new teeth!!!
*wasn’t
” the amount of interviews Rodgers feels the need to do”
That’s the point I was arguing, I didn’t dispute what he has spent, although it’s a transfer committee that makes the decisions in Liverpool not just Rodgers but he will take the flack for it. Liverpool’s scouting network also has to be questioned as well as the owners philosophy on buying young potential to nurture rather then proven talent. And when they have tried they didn’t want to go ( Sanchez)
And he wont be gone by the end of the season.
Is Rogers normally that sweaty looking? Could sail a boat across his forehead. Christ!
@John Hayes & Colin McNamara:
Every day there is something in the press with Rodgers,not just on his Friday pre-match press conference. He is an ego-maniac. He is either having to defend his piss poor signings,his players wanting out,his players behaviour or being rejected by yet another half decent player. With the money he has spent you would think Liverpool would have a team full of superstars,over £215m since he took over,and who have they got to show for it,not 1 world class player,and for any Liverpool fan to say it’s about money is lies because Suarez was on £200,000+ a week. Gerrard was one of the first players to earn over £150,000 in England. He won’t spend money this window because he isn’t trusted with it,he’ll be gone before the end of the season.
Press conferences, pre match and post match. That’s where these quotes are coming from. Find me an interview that he’s given outside of press conferences in the last month apart from the LFC website which he is, again, obliged to do. And EVERY manager in the premier league is an ego-maniac, it’s one of the requirements of the job. You obviously have a problem with Rodgers, and probably with Liverpool, which you are entitled to but when you are spewing bile try and keep it to facts.
Colin it’s not doing the press conferences. It’s what he says !
That wasn’t the point I was arguing.
I got the point you were making. The point still stand Rogers is his own worst enemy in a press conference. You swear last year in his slow earnest tones that he
discovered how to split the atom. Finding out know that he hadn’t
I think the problem for liverpool at rating players is that as a club they have failed to show real ambition like that shown by the United’s, city’s and Chelsea’s of this world. We sell out biggest players in Suarez, Torres, mascherano and alonso. Failing to sign any recognised star player to replace these sends out a message that were not an ambitious club that wants to compete at the highest level.
As a result its gets to even sign mid range players like shaquiri who could easily be signed if the clubs ambition matched its size. We’re a big club with modest ambitions at the moment I fear.
Ah Colin. To be fair. He is on sky sports news or quoting to the press nearly every day. That’s hardly an obligation in his contract. He’s on sky sports more than harry rednapp ever was. That’s not a dig. Just the truth. As a Liverpool fan told me if his team could defend as good as he defends himself , they’d be laughing.
The other argument here is about club size and draw for players to join. I am a united fan. I won’t get into us being big now even though we were in limbo for 26 years at one stage. The difference now is the money. Simple. It’s about the player and not the club. Sad truths.
I did say one thing last year that hopefully United can weed out the mercenaries out there and get players who want to get United back into the champions league and not just take it as a given. It brings a sense of achievement and togetherness in a team.
Liverpool and United are still the 2 biggest clubs in the world from a fan base point of view. In my opinion, things will change and they will both help each other get back to the top. They have been too fair when it comes to TV rights etc. And if that’s what football is about with the other big teams mentioned and the players they can attract then it will be short lived…..football should be about the fans….that way you earn the money on merit….
Great manager great coach, we’ll get top 4
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jan/08/brendan-rodgers-steven-gerrard-liverpool
There’s an interview he gave the guardian the other day
Not much of an interview, just a couple of quotes but i’ll give you that.
Says it all really …… had a sneak preview of the Van Gaal story and no sign of McCann or half the United boys there all on a Liverpool thread hahaha you couldn’t make it up. LIVERPOOL FC officially the biggest team on TheScore.ie! !! Lads if Liverpool were so insignificant why do you feel the need to post ? Liverpool get under yer skin boys don’t they ? It hurts they’re still in existence Liverpool!!!! Liverpool Liverpool Liverpool. I heard if United fans say Liverpool backwards 5 times in a mirror Benitez appears hahaha.
Why do we feel the need to post ?? Are you having a laugh !!!! Ahh no sorry that’s us …
Benitez , why Benitez , the little spanish waiter done a great job too in the league
The rage and panic in some of these comments make me chortle.
For that post is exactly why I used Benitez Baz. How ya been chief ? What’s Van Gaal gonna do January player wise ? We all know what Liverpool are doing (setting players up for everyone else) plus BR won’t be given the cash to do anything after the muck of the summer.
Hopefully Hummels , be happy with that
Ye need three at least chief being honest.
Lfc fan ynwa. When we get the players back from injury and of rest spirt we will do good we have got to hold your heads up high and with guts and heart in our hands we will do good. Brendon and you fellows show the premier league show them wot we are made of. Good luck On the fourth position.