Did I read he was born in Cork ?CiaranIrl wrote: ↑February 20th, 2023, 6:47 pmNah, he's the type of player that has ambition, so that won't happen.Topdawg wrote: ↑February 20th, 2023, 6:28 pmAlex Soroka is the type of player that will move to Munster, get an injury free run and a lot of game time and fulfill his potentialhugonaut wrote: ↑February 20th, 2023, 2:12 pm
Forwards [1-8]: Boyle, McKee, McGuire/McCarthy, O'Tighearnaigh, Mangan, Soroka, O'Brien, Culhane
Backs [9-15]: B. Murphy/Gunne, Prendergast, Russell, Brownlee, Cooney, King, Cosgrave.
Difficult calls at No3 and No9, otherwise I think it is straightforward. Both Mangan and Soroka are No6s at senior level in my eyes though.
Leinster Academy 22-23
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Re: Leinster Academy 22-23
Re: Leinster Academy 22-23
Yep, he also supported Munster growing up
Re: Leinster Academy 22-23
May not make a difference though whether he supported Munster growing up or not. Leinster have the best coaches in the country. I’m sure he’ll try everything he can to get a Leinster contract as they are the better club and the players who grew up in Leinster deem it to be more prestigious playing for Leinster as opposed to other provinces that’s one of the many reasons why they have such a strong squad. So I presume he’ll do everything he can to make it on Leinster and would rather a contract offer from Leinster as opposed to Munster.
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Re: Leinster Academy 22-23
Wouldn't surprise me to see Soroka move on.
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Re: Leinster Academy 22-23
He is. Deal done.
We will be hearing calls for his inclusion in Irish squads around November.
Re: Leinster Academy 22-23
Staying or going?
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Re: Leinster Academy 22-23
To Munster? Presumably Ulster or Connacht would be interested too.
Re: Leinster Academy 22-23
I don't see much logic for Soroka to head to Munster given their backrow is almost as stacked as ours and I think it's the wrong call for him to cut and run now.
But if he has been given gametime assurances and a good contract then good luck to him.
I'd love to know the reason we have barely seen him all season (besides injury) and what has been going on behind the scenes.
It's possible that Baird's move to 6 has spooked him a bit and with POM potentially on the downward slope Munster see him as a replacement blindside.
It's a shame because you don't produce players with that athletic profile often.
But if he has been given gametime assurances and a good contract then good luck to him.
I'd love to know the reason we have barely seen him all season (besides injury) and what has been going on behind the scenes.
It's possible that Baird's move to 6 has spooked him a bit and with POM potentially on the downward slope Munster see him as a replacement blindside.
It's a shame because you don't produce players with that athletic profile often.
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Re: Leinster Academy 22-23
6'5 athletic lock/blindsides? Leinster have produced 3 recently in Baird, Soroka and Mangan.
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Re: Leinster Academy 22-23
Perhaps Leinster seen the move was on the cards from a long way out and decided the game time available was better used given to guys who were were going to be here for the longer haul. Trying to think back over the season though I can't remember too many occasions when I thought "you know what,that time we've given to 'X' should have gone to Soroka". I remember a couple of times I was pretty confident he would get a shout but it turned out he was injured (he seemed to be injured quite a lot this year).wixfjord wrote: ↑February 21st, 2023, 10:14 am I don't see much logic for Soroka to head to Munster given their backrow is almost as stacked as ours and I think it's the wrong call for him to cut and run now.
But if he has been given gametime assurances and a good contract then good luck to him.
I'd love to know the reason we have barely seen him all season (besides injury) and what has been going on behind the scenes.
It's possible that Baird's move to 6 has spooked him a bit and with POM potentially on the downward slope Munster see him as a replacement blindside.
It's a shame because you don't produce players with that athletic profile often.
Thinking about it now there seems to be an air of inevitability about this. In the past we've had some aging back row guys heading towards the door and you would be exited about someone like Soroka filing there place, but it's hard to see where they are going to fit in now. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to keep him and I hope he stays but unless there's a raft of injuries it's hard to see where he's going to get a decent run of games. Our backrow especially is so young and there are just so many good players there.
I think Leinster coaches, especially after Covid and with Nucifoa signaling that Ireland is running out of places to put players, have some hard choices to make. For example home good is Saroka "going" to be? Not how good "might" he be (I think we all know he could be very good). I mean do you decide to keep him and let someone like Deegan or Penny go (assume they have reached their pinnacle) in the hope that he'll surpass them? Tough, tough choices ahead. At the end of the day they are not Pokemon, we can't "catch 'em all", we all know that places are now tight, so if anyone thinks we should have done everything we could to keep him, you might ask yourself "who should go instead?". And for me anyway.......that's a toughie!
Re: Leinster Academy 22-23
There's an unwritten rule for young players that moving can give you a 2nd chance, but it won't help you jump the queue.
Injuries have been badly timed for Soroka, he had to pull out of the Emerging Ireland tour that other players stepped up at.
In Baird and Ruddock he has serious competition at 6 but the gametime that Deeny has been getting shows that there's gametime there. Joe McCarthy stepped up when he got a chance, Soroka should too.
But there aren't great moves. Ulster have McCann but probably have space. Connacht like Prendergast. Soroka might have been ahead at underage but that was then.
Munster have a competitive backrow filled with players who suit how they play. They'll sign Soroka with no plan to play him and roll the dice on his career.
But players are breaking through at Leinster, just not always at the same rate. Staying isn't risk free for him, but I still think it's his best chance for development. Take a year or two then take the Jack Dunne route as a 2nd chance. Would Dun e have gotten 15 appearances for Munster if he moved there? No chance, even with injuries.
Injuries have been badly timed for Soroka, he had to pull out of the Emerging Ireland tour that other players stepped up at.
In Baird and Ruddock he has serious competition at 6 but the gametime that Deeny has been getting shows that there's gametime there. Joe McCarthy stepped up when he got a chance, Soroka should too.
But there aren't great moves. Ulster have McCann but probably have space. Connacht like Prendergast. Soroka might have been ahead at underage but that was then.
Munster have a competitive backrow filled with players who suit how they play. They'll sign Soroka with no plan to play him and roll the dice on his career.
But players are breaking through at Leinster, just not always at the same rate. Staying isn't risk free for him, but I still think it's his best chance for development. Take a year or two then take the Jack Dunne route as a 2nd chance. Would Dun e have gotten 15 appearances for Munster if he moved there? No chance, even with injuries.
Re: Leinster Academy 22-23
Disappointed if true about Soroka. It's inevitable that multiple back row players will be moved on in the next season or two, I thought Soroka might stick around as the competition there is a lot more surmountable relative to open side. You've got Ruddock (32), Baird (23) and Moloney (23) ahead of you really. Doris is slotted in there at times to accomodate Conan, but long term, he's an 8 for me.
Soroka only just turned 21, Ruddock might have one or two seasons in him, he could easily get ahead of Moloney, he could find himself second in line at 22/23.
This is intangible and possibly b*%&!cks, but what really sticks out about Soroka for me beyond his ability is he seems like he has high potential as a leader and standards setter on the pitch. I think at times Leinster have lacked that. We need someone to step up and deliver a bollocking to the team when they need it (e.g. Sexton at half time in 2012 vs Northampton). He seems like he could be that guy. The only other young player who seems to have that air about them is Sam Prendergast for me.
Soroka only just turned 21, Ruddock might have one or two seasons in him, he could easily get ahead of Moloney, he could find himself second in line at 22/23.
This is intangible and possibly b*%&!cks, but what really sticks out about Soroka for me beyond his ability is he seems like he has high potential as a leader and standards setter on the pitch. I think at times Leinster have lacked that. We need someone to step up and deliver a bollocking to the team when they need it (e.g. Sexton at half time in 2012 vs Northampton). He seems like he could be that guy. The only other young player who seems to have that air about them is Sam Prendergast for me.
Re: Leinster Academy 22-23
I don't think the road is all that clear for Soroka in Munster, prrbably less coingested than Leinster but if he wants lots of game time then Ulster is where he needs to go.Topdawg wrote: ↑February 20th, 2023, 6:28 pmAlex Soroka is the type of player that will move to Munster, get an injury free run and a lot of game time and fulfill his potentialhugonaut wrote: ↑February 20th, 2023, 2:12 pmForwards [1-8]: Boyle, McKee, McGuire/McCarthy, O'Tighearnaigh, Mangan, Soroka, O'Brien, Culhane
Backs [9-15]: B. Murphy/Gunne, Prendergast, Russell, Brownlee, Cooney, King, Cosgrave.
Difficult calls at No3 and No9, otherwise I think it is straightforward. Both Mangan and Soroka are No6s at senior level in my eyes though.
Ruddock's tackle stats consistently too low for me to be taken seriously as a Six Nations blindside..... Ruddock's defensive stats don't stack up. - All Blacks Nil, Jan 15th, 2014
England A 8 - 14 Ireland A, 25th Jan 2014
Ruddock(c) 19/2 Tackles
England A 8 - 14 Ireland A, 25th Jan 2014
Ruddock(c) 19/2 Tackles
Re: Leinster Academy 22-23
This would be a very unwise decision if true.
Munster currently have a very strong crop of talented senior backrowers along with the likes of Gleeson and Quinn in the pipeline.
POM has at least 1 more year at Munster, but could well sign on for another 1 or even 2 years once his central contract expires.
In addition to that, if JOS stays fit, I think he has the potential to take the jersey off of POM in the near future.
There is also the possibility that one of Ahern, Edogbo or even Beirne could play 6 if RG stays fit and is playing well.
Munster currently have a very strong crop of talented senior backrowers along with the likes of Gleeson and Quinn in the pipeline.
POM has at least 1 more year at Munster, but could well sign on for another 1 or even 2 years once his central contract expires.
In addition to that, if JOS stays fit, I think he has the potential to take the jersey off of POM in the near future.
There is also the possibility that one of Ahern, Edogbo or even Beirne could play 6 if RG stays fit and is playing well.
Just because a post upsets you, that doesn’t mean that it is wrong. People have different views in all aspects of life, this is a key ingredient to an interesting conversation.
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Re: Leinster Academy 22-23
One thing about playing backrow is that if you work hard, you have the talent, you're well coached and you're not injured you'll get game time. That's where Alex is now. If Leinster are making a choice to send him out then that's tough (though I don't think they are), if he's making a choice to bail at such a young age with so much to learn that's a bit stupid to be honest. Hope he's being well advised because he's obviously a great talent.
Flash ahhhh ahhh, he'll save every one of us
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Re: Leinster Academy 22-23
Surely RG is gone at the end of this season?munster#1 wrote: ↑February 21st, 2023, 3:56 pm This would be a very unwise decision if true.
Munster currently have a very strong crop of talented senior backrowers along with the likes of Gleeson and Quinn in the pipeline.
POM has at least 1 more year at Munster, but could well sign on for another 1 or even 2 years once his central contract expires.
In addition to that, if JOS stays fit, I think he has the potential to take the jersey off of POM in the near future.
There is also the possibility that one of Ahern, Edogbo or even Beirne could play 6 if RG stays fit and is playing well.
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Re: Leinster Academy 22-23
So at the end of a 4 season stint he might end up playing 1 season (maybe 1 and a bit), is that correct?ronk wrote: ↑February 22nd, 2023, 3:33 pm Next season
https://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/n ... -to-depart
Bloody hell .......
Re: Leinster Academy 22-23
That's the best case.LeinsterLeader wrote: ↑February 22nd, 2023, 3:42 pmSo at the end of a 4 season stint he might end up playing 1 season (maybe 1 and a bit), is that correct?ronk wrote: ↑February 22nd, 2023, 3:33 pm Next season
https://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/n ... -to-depart
Bloody hell .......