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The Elsom Saga - Clubs withdrawing offers is all the rage...

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Slim 293

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Leinstermagic said:
Everyone knows the runners and chasers every year before it begins.
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Oh really?

Like perennial cellar dwellers the Reds sitting on top of the table?

Or serial finalists Canes sitting near the bottom with other usual top 6 candidates Brumbies?
 
Slim 293

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Be wary my friends...

The Irish are the biggest insecure trolls at that other rugby forum...

Try not to feed them too much...
 
Groucho

Groucho

Greg Davis (50)
Riptide said:
Elsom is a mixed bag in terms of value. Yes, he is a one of the best back-row forwards in the world, a proven, consistent performer when fit. Brian O'Driscoll said without equivocation that Elsom was the best player he had ever played with. However, "when fit" is the operative term here.

Elsom needs special "handling" and there must be meticulous oversight of rest vs training vs game-time for him to avoid stress injuries to his leg muscles in particular. I'm not sure where a S15 teams gets value here. A team like Leinster, whose season is broken up by the 6N's and where the less competitive Magners affords more opportunity for rest for the more intense HEC comp, was ideal. But the big money is in France, and Elsom has stated he has little interest in returning to Dublin. He has been there and done that.

If Stade Francais' financial problems are behind them, I can see Michael Cheika trying to lure him back up north; he knows how to get the most out of Elsom and by all accounts they have a very good relationship. But SF would probably be the only team in France where he would get such sympathetic handling.
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Excellent post.
 
No4918

No4918

John Hipwell (52)
Let's say he does go overseas next year but is fit for WC. Will Deans leave him on as captain?
 
Larno

Larno

Ward Prentice (10)
cyclopath said:
Do they want him? Any of our Irish correspondents have an opinion, except of course Thomond78, who only sees through Munster-tinted glasses?
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I'm sure they would. Rock is a quality player. A back row of him, O'Brien and Heaslip would be pretty handy. He would be taking the spots of Irish players like Shane Jennings and Kevin McLaughlin at Leinster though, which might not benefit the national team.
 
darkhorse

darkhorse

Darby Loudon (17)
I think it would be smart for the Rebels to sign him. If they do it right there shouldn't be a problem with keep the current back row happy. All 4 of those players could rotate and cover each position between them quite well. They could rotate someone each game and bring the bench player on early until injury hit, which it will given the longer season.

The Rebels where quite lucky this year. That backrow was what kept them remotely respectable and if there is an injury they will be in trouble. Elsom would be a smart buy. One of Delve and Lipman are very likely to go back overseas the following year regardless.
 
Riptide

Riptide

Dave Cowper (27)
Blue said:
Surely he will go back to Leinster now?
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Leinster probably dont want him. Elsom is surplus to their requirements. They have a ball of dynamic muscle at 6 called Stephen O'Brien who has been hyped up by the Irish. In addition Leinster also have two young fine backrow lads called Ryan and Ruddock, both of whom play 6 (Ruddock was capped against the ABs on tour as a 19yr old ) and who both need game time. Moreover, they have 3 additional current Test backrowers in Heislip/Jennings/McLaughlin). The IRFU would probably not even provide the needed dispensation for Leinster to sign him as a NIQ (not-Irish-Qualified) player.

Former Leinster coach Michael Cheika is at Stade Francais and has a good relationship with Elsom, but surely the Rebels are a good fit unless he wants to go to a team with championships in its immediate sight.
 
Joe Blow

Joe Blow

John Hipwell (52)
The Rebels make a lot of sense as he is from Melbourne and they need another senior player in the pack with Somerville leaving.
I'm sure he also has giving the Lions a tilt in the back of his mind, particularly if the Wallabies go well at the RWC this year.

His legacy as captain and all of that.
 
Gnostic

Gnostic

Mark Ella (57)
Ahh, did I not predict this scenario? Expect the ARU to quietly pressure the Tahs to sign Elsom. IMHO Elsom would not get a start at the Force, the Reds are interested (rightly so) in developing their own young talent, The Rebels have a better 6 in Saffy and the Brumbies told him to pack his bags (which really bears closer examination given they have lost Chisholm and Chapman who were really their standouts at 6 this year and would also play a significant aspect in why nobody else wants him).

The Tahs are his only option but with the Salary cap coming in next year how will they pay him and keep the rest of the squad they need like Dennis, Palu, Waugh (or another decent 7), the front row plus buy a replacement 10 or 12 for Barnes? Apart from that do not forget that their is significant bad blood with Elsom at the Tahs after he was released on compassionate ground so Elsom could bail himself out of HIS financial predicament and assured same team he would return to them when he finished in Euroland. As with so many other Bullbog RLFC mercenaries his word appears meaningless and he went to the Ponies. Add to that bitterness the well reported acrimony with Waugh (who like it or not is a NSW stalwart) and you have an emerging picture of reluctance from the Tahs.

So like I said last month when he was told he was unwanted at the Ponies, where can he go?

The question now becomes what will the ARU do? They face a ground breaking precedent here in that their annointed Captain (which is a point of hot and contentious debate in itself) is unwanted by anybody. Will they then meekly lose face and say Oh well he has no choice but to go overseas, and what is the clause in his contract with them if he fails to get a position with a Province? Will he then challenge the Wallaby selection criteria and say he I have an ARU contract and was available but unable to get a Super spot therefore I should still get selected?
 
Gnostic

Gnostic

Mark Ella (57)
Joe Blow said:
The Rebels make a lot of sense as he is from Melbourne and they need another senior player in the pack with Somerville leaving.
I'm sure he also has giving the Lions a tilt in the back of his mind, particularly if the Wallabies go well at the RWC this year.

His legacy as captain and all of that.
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What legacy?
 
R

Red Rooster

Guest
I think we need to get real here. It might not be a function of not being wanted rather there are committments to other players already been made. It depends on the contract cycle. I think it is arrogant to expect in the middle of June that any of the provinces would have a high profile backrow position left open. They might have a 33rd position open but then they dont have the budget to match rocky's demands. rememeber the process last time he was off contract and was still being sorted well into August and rocky does it himself. he can only blame himself for the slow timing process and the fact he has decided to deal with the ARU first. Everyone else sorts out their provincial home and then negotiates the ARU top up. Can't see any blame on the provinces who have been negotiating deals since January. Rocky needs to look at his own management process first
 
B

Burke's Boot

Guest
Perhaps Students Corp aka Sydney Uni could sign him up seeing they don't mind waving the moolah around.
 
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