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If McDonald is looking after himself a lot of things become clearer.
Signing Prior makes replacing McDonald less of a priority, we can elevate somebody from WTS or a youngster from interstate if we have 2 genuine experienced super rugby players.
JW was an interesting watch in the Pacific Nations Cup, in the first game I saw him, he came on, played well, scored a try and looked as good if not better than everybody else on the field (Locks that is) In his second game he looked a little overrated and penalty prone, not making much impact. It'll be interesting to see which player he really is.
RE who we need, I'd suggest that we don't really NEED an 8th man, but that would be really nice. we have plenty of guys we could build into 8, but there are gaps all across our backrow (some as a starter, some as a reserve) remember we lost Boog and struggled to find a replacement at 7 this year (Ollie Callan looks to be a good option there) We've lost Stander, but he wasn't starting regularly by the end of the season and we have Tim Anstee, Jeremy Williams, Jackson Pugh who are all options for 6/8 and one of those could step up, Ollie has also played there (once for a great outing and once not so good) for my money, unless we can find an established option who is a blockbusting ball runner for either 6 or preferably 8 I'd be elevating Alex Masibaka, who seemed to do a pretty good job there on debut and let him fight it out with the existing guys for a spot.
Tiatia or Mataele might play 13 and that would serve 2 purposes (one good and one bad) we'd have a blistering set of outside backs, dangerous running from anywhere but it'd put a lot of pressure on our fullback (Strachan) who has one pretty good year, but he isn't Rob Kearney.....actually I'm gonna go with YET on that call. Certainly we need injury cover in the centres and we might see Hegarty suit up in 15 a bit to take pressure of Strachan.
I think we could survive without another big signing, but I'm pretty confident that survival isn't the game plan, so a few more big signings will help.
C'mon the![]()
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so he gives up the pathway to becoming a Wallaby because he considers the offer from the Force too low,and goes offshore somewhere in the hope he gets an Irish callup down the track?
Maybe he got a tap on the shoulder, although I've not heard anything from the Irish sides and they've done a lot of their recruitment for next season already
Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon
Nothing worse than losing a local who's got the goods
Prior’s best years are behind him. McDonald’s best years are coming
Simple math…. big loss
Great game, Fucken battled right through to the 80!
It's not necessarily about whether he gets into the Irish team, it's a lot more likely that it'll affect his ability to get a contract in an Irish team if he's a "Foreign" player. Maintaining wide eligibility works for more than just Aussie super rugby teams.
C'mon the![]()
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McDonald has signed with Ulster for one year
Joining Ulster on a one-year deal, scrum half Michael McDonald will arrive in the province from Super Rugby side, Western Force, in time for this summer’s pre-season campaign.
Born in Louth, the 23-year-old McDonald spent his childhood years playing at Dundalk RFC, before moving to Perth in Australia at the age of 13.
He moved up the ranks to make his senior debut for Western Force in the Rapid Rugby tournament at the age of 19. He then played for the Junior Wallabies, lining out against Ireland on the way to reaching the World Rugby U-20 Championship final in 2019.
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Ulster Sign Irish-Qualified Scrum Half McDonald
Simon Cron: “People talk about winning and losing all the time and they are critical, but there’s a process to get into and it’s the ability to stay present, do your job and execute skills under pressure.”
So hopefully back in a year's time (having got more game time than if he had stayed).
Western Force sign scrum-half duo
Wed, 27/07/2022, 7:28 am
Nathan Williamson
The Force were looking to keep their finals hopes alive against the visiting Hurricanes.
The Western Force have confirmed the re-signing of Ian Prior as well as the signing of Henry Robertson as they locked down their scrumhalf options for 2023.
Prior inks a two-year extension after making his debut for the club in 2014.
He is one of three players to bring up 100 games for the Force, inspiring them to a comeback victory over the Hurricanes in the final game of the 2022 season.
Having finished Super Rugby Pacific on a high, the 31-year-old is eager to build on it under new coach Simon Cron.
“I’m extremely grateful to be given the opportunity to represent the blue jersey for another two seasons,” Prior said.
“I feel like I played some of my best rugby this year and still have the hunger to keep getting better.
“I’ll be looking to use my experience to make sure everyone knows what we’re representing, and what the jersey means to former players, the staff, our partners, and our supporters.
“It’s an exciting new chapter for the club with the regeneration of the squad and coaching staff. I’m looking forward to building on the legacy that those before us have built to ensure we’re making them proud with our own contributions.”
Meanwhile, Robertson heads west on a one-year deal from the Waratahs after making his debut last year.
The Sydney Uni product has featured in seven Super Rugby games in the past two seasons and was hoping the move could provide greater opportunities for the former Junior Wallaby.
“I'm happy to be given the opportunity to get into a new environment to meet and work with new people,” Robertson believes.
“I've worked with Tom Robertson, Ryan McCauley, and George Poolman before, who I've spoken with about the club. I'm really looking forward to joining a hard-working group.
“I want to be playing consistent rugby at the Super Rugby level. I'm aiming to take any opportunity to develop my game and play senior rugby as much as possible.”
The pair join Issak Fines-Leleiwasa as the Force continues their recruitment drive under Cron, with Michael Wells, Folau Fainga'a and Chase Tiatia set to join next season.
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Force General Manager of Rugby Matt Hodgson believes the pair provide a perfect balance to their halves as they look to push for a return to the finals.
“We have a great mix of youth and experience in our scrum-half stocks ahead of the 2023 season, with Issak (Fines-Leleiwasa), Ian (Prior), and Henry (Robertson),” Hodgson said.
“Ian’s game management and leadership qualities have proven invaluable over the years, so to have him signed on for a further two seasons is further positive news for the club. “Henry brings with him a great understanding of the game and has the ability to play both instinctively and to control the game. He is a great addition to our team and creates great competition amongst our scrum-halves.”
https://www.rugby.com.au/news/wester...lf-duo-2022726
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
Looks like we may have some competition getting Curtis Rona back home.
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Stade have unveiled 13 new recruits for the 2022/23 season, but Midi have also linked them with potentially bringing in Francis Saili, another ex-All Blacks midfielder, or Curtis Rona, the former Wallabies player who is currently at London Irish. “We need a centre and we have a few options,” continued Wild. “Francis Saili (still under contract in Biarritz where he hasn’t resumed training), is one of those. In this regard, a decision will be made within a week.”
The newspaper added: “If the Saili track could not be completed (Biarritz would require several hundred thousand euros for the purchase of the player’s remaining two years of contract), the Australian Curtis Rona (London Irish) could interest the Parisians.”
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Simon Cron: “People talk about winning and losing all the time and they are critical, but there’s a process to get into and it’s the ability to stay present, do your job and execute skills under pressure.”