r/rugbyunion • u/damcingspuds Connacht • 5d ago
James Lowe set to leave Ireland
https://the42.ie/7055532Seems contract negotiations have broken down and Lowe is leaving Ireland.
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u/Ploon92 Leinster 5d ago
The whispers had been along these lines for a while, really disappointed a deal couldn't be struck.
I get it from a Leinster perspective, particularly when they have to pay 40% of all central contracts from next year on. Looking forward at value for money, Lowe isn't going to represent that as a 34 year old winger with test match restrictions.
One of my all time favourite Leinster signings. Breathe of fresh air, always played with a smile on his face. The power, the boot, the way he changed his defensive game to step up a level. Injected so much colour into a beige environment, his departure will be felt as much off the pitch as on it (maybe more so).
Hope he gets a few more tries in blue to send him off as Leinster's all time try scorer and a record to suit.
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u/IrishDog1990 Are we human? 5d ago
You’d love to see him beat the record on Saturday for his 100th, agree he’s been a great servant
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u/Brewster345 Northampton Saints 5d ago
For some reason I thought he'd played more than than for you guys.
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u/IrishDog1990 Are we human? 5d ago
We don’t get much access to the Irish guys throughout the year, especially the starters which he has been for years now. Maybe a game before autumn internationals, 5 between then and six nations and then mid to late March you get them back for the run in so 5-7 games. 12 games per year about par for the course I guess though some do play closer to 15 or so.
James Ryan only has 104 since 2017, Ringrose 144 since 2015 etc, Doris 100 since 2018 etc
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u/rob101 Leinster 5d ago
It really illustrates the problem Leinster have fielding so many Irish players who are only available for half a season.
Lots of people are calling for Leo to be fired but a new coach will have the exact same problem.
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u/bassistciaran Ireland 5d ago
Was really hoping he'd move to fullback or centre and stick around like a new Nacewa type
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u/Ploon92 Leinster 5d ago
I will tell tales to a young generation of how much we missed the chance to see a James Lowe at 12 retribution arc. The power, the kicking, the passing game... what could have been
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u/bassistciaran Ireland 5d ago
Theres still time... Just not here...
He'd do very well at 12 in Japan
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u/Comfortable-Yam9013 Leinster 5d ago
Yep, seems like a decent guy and a great player. Kinda shitty to see him go if true. Irfu need to relax the restrictions if provinces have to pick up the bill
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u/metalheadtrees 5d ago
I think you've pretty well summed it up there. He'll be missed.
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u/Comfortable-Yam9013 Leinster 5d ago
How do they expect Leinster to foot the bill for players but also can’t have access to them? If Lowe goes abroad then we can’t play him for Ireland! Maybe we won’t need him but we can’t know that
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u/Ok_Catch250 Ireland 4d ago
He’s reached double figures one time in the last six years in appearances for Leinster.
Like other veteran Irish players he simply isn’t a Leinster player any more.
He absolutely does make the team if Ireland let him play but they don’t so it’s more important to keep the young players.
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u/Intrepid_Walk_5150 5d ago
I remember that early on his défensive positionning let him down often. Hé really improved on that.
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u/colmulhall Leinster 5d ago
He needs just one more try to be Leinster all time leader. Hope he gets it
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u/johndoe86888 Ireland 5d ago
No way that is a mental stat.
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u/colmulhall Leinster 5d ago
Joint with Shane Horgan at the moment.
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u/WallopyJoe 5d ago
Does he also have an equally funny older sister?
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u/colmulhall Leinster 5d ago
Yes, Sharon Lowe
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u/WallopyJoe 5d ago
I just know I'm going to be so disappointed when I google this...
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u/handle1976 Penalty. Back 10. 5d ago
It’s kind of wild Lowe was never on a national contract given his importance to the Irish game plan.
At this stage of his career it’s understandable that Leinster don’t want to carry the can. It’s a shame something hasn’t been worked out.
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u/hcpanther Leinster 5d ago
I think there’s a misconception out there about how many central contracts there are. Only 14 players get them.
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u/naraic- Ireland 5d ago edited 5d ago
It was 12 for a long time. I should have shifted to 18-19 when the provinces started to pay 40%.
For a player that hasnt played more than 13 games for Leinster in the last 6 or 7 years it doesnt make sense to sign him.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Lime632 5d ago
The 40% thing was purely to break the Leinster stranglehold. Making them pay more but then moving the likes of Lowe, Conan, Baird onto central contracts to counterbalance it wouldn’t achieve that.
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u/naraic- Ireland 5d ago
Agreed and not moving Lowe Conan Baird onto central contracts proves it.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Lime632 5d ago
Lowe leaving is the law of unintended consequences for a pretty poorly thought out plan
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u/Naggins Furlong wears Linda Djougang pyjamas 5d ago
Conan and Baird aren't nailed on starters, they've no business getting central contracts.
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u/notsteveholt 5d ago
Conan has started the last 6 Lions tests, he should absolutely be on one
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u/Bulky_Shepard Ireland/Munster Supremacy 5d ago
Doris probably would have been ahead of him if fit to be fair and it's a bit of a hard sell to have 2 natural No. 8 players on a central.
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u/notsteveholt 5d ago
There is 3 natural second rows on centrals, there's no hard and fast rule around it.
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u/Bulky_Shepard Ireland/Munster Supremacy 5d ago
Huh, I forgot that McCarthy and Ryan are both on one. Fair enough that's my mistake.
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u/rustyb42 Ulster 5d ago
Fair enough. Hard to keep 34 year old wingers when there's fresh, young, fast talent coming up
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u/upthemstairs Ulster 5d ago
Most of the wingers coming behind him are 27/28. They just took time to break into the team
Aki will be 37 next year. As much as he has been great for Irish rugby, we have enough cover for his position and really should have cut him loose this season.
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u/aboycalledbrew Munster 5d ago
Also bringing Carbery back is utter nonsense, he was let go because he was shite and injury prone so why bring him back when all he's done is be injured and bench warm?
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u/upthemstairs Ulster 5d ago
Maybe they need someone to chat with RG about ACL problems?
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u/aboycalledbrew Munster 5d ago
Can't argue he isn't class when he plays though? Plus he's a multi world cup winner that looks set to win another
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u/upthemstairs Ulster 5d ago
Leinster fans haven't been too happy with his performances this year when you look at their match threads.
He'll probably play between 5 and 10 games next season and he is of no benefit to the National team. Yes, it's a dick move to offload him when he is injured, but that salary could have been ised to benefit the Irish team
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u/capetonytoni2ne Stormers 5d ago
The Bulls will sign him and he'll never be injured again, is that what you want?
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u/upthemstairs Ulster 5d ago
We only play the Bulls once each season
So yes
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u/capetonytoni2ne Stormers 5d ago
More if you made the playoffs more often :(
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u/slefandar Ulster 5d ago
See this is why we choose to not win European or World Cup knock out games, think of all the additional games against snyman for him to break half our squad like lego minifigures
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u/NuclearMaterial Leinster 5d ago
I think the term "flat track bully" applies to him. He's great against the Dragons in a wet January game throwing the ball about and causing havoc. In the tough encounters he looks uninterested jogging about or just straight up goes missing.
I know he's won it all with South Africa, but in a Leinster jersey that's what I'm seeing. I would rather his enormous salary be used elsewhere.
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u/FuckeverythingFiFa Connacht 5d ago
Couldn't disagree more, (Regarding Aki)
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u/upthemstairs Ulster 5d ago
But he will be 37 next year and there are younger players (not necessarily young) coming through or ahead of him
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u/saviouroftheweak Premiership Women's Rugby 5d ago
Are they better, I wouldn't even say the wingers behind Lowe are better. Don't need to bin them off based solely on age. Modern conditioning is extending careers
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u/upthemstairs Ulster 5d ago
I agree with you
I think Lowe offers something different to the other lads we have. He'd probably play 15-20 games between now and the World Cup. I think he'd hold up okay
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u/iwprugby Chiefs 5d ago
Oh did Aki sign a new contract with Ireland/Connacht? I must have missed it.
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u/_LightEmittingDiode_ 5d ago
I believe it’s a bone to Connacht, they don’t want him leaving when he’s such a big figure for the fans and club, even if he isn’t playing as much.
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u/SweptFever82 Ireland Ulster and Munster 5d ago
Hard to believe he'll soon have played his last in blue (and green?), he's been an incredible servant to Irish rugby, especially in the last 5 years.
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u/Comfortable-Yam9013 Leinster 5d ago
Kinda shitty from us tbh. If he was 36 I’d say yeah let him go but he’s 33
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u/SweptFever82 Ireland Ulster and Munster 5d ago
I was critical of him at the start of the season and thought he probably shouldn't be playing for Ireland for much longer, but always assumed that he had another few years left for Leinster.
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u/Comfortable-Yam9013 Leinster 5d ago
He’s probably 2nd choice right now. And if Ireland get a few injuries we could regret this
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u/reallynotbatman Leinster 5d ago
Wasn't the sexton rule (as in selected when playing abroad) 40 caps or something like that? Sexton had 45 Irish caps when he went to Paris (quick Googleing for this), and currently lowe has 45... He wouldn't get the rest levels of playing for a province, but has the sexton level of caps...
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u/megacky Ulster 5d ago
There's a bit of a difference between lowe and sexton though. We played around Johnny, and the entire game plan went through him. We can play without lowe. He's a nice to have, not a must have.
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u/reallynotbatman Leinster 4d ago
Oh for sure ... My response was more to gue in cheek ...no chance he'll be selected if not in Ireland, but it's a shame to see him go
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u/megacky Ulster 4d ago
Yea, I think it's bad timing for him more than anything. I think his Ireland days are behind him, regardless of staying here or not, and short of injury, he's only going to be a squad player. It is a shame, he's clearly a brilliant player, but pro sport is pro sport
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u/reallynotbatman Leinster 4d ago
And he would potentially still be a brilliant player for Leinster being used as cover during international breaks, with the chance of being called up if injuries
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u/quondam47 Munster 5d ago
That was less a more an exception for a player we couldn’t do without than a rule. The IRFU do not want a situation where players will be beyond their control and are loath to allow that be a precedent.
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u/reallynotbatman Leinster 4d ago
Oh for sure ... My response was more to gue in cheek ...no chance he'll be selected if not in Ireland, but it's a shame to see him go
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u/naraic- Ireland 4d ago
There was no rule when Sexton left.
It was all by a case by case basis but it was understood that if you went you would need to be exceptional and make efforts not to miss anything.
Sexton had some special terms built into his Racing contract so he could attend out of window camps, and play out of window games and stay training with Ireland during 6 nations rest periods.
After he came back theory announced the current rule of no players playing outside Ireland.
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u/reallynotbatman Leinster 4d ago
Oh for sure ... My response was more to gue in cheek ...no chance he'll be selected if not in Ireland, but it's a shame to see him go
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u/problematikkk Keen on Hugo 5d ago
I don't think we had a choice financially. He can command the wage he wants at this stage even given his age and recent injury record. The change in central contracts means we've shed a ton of players who were just below starting level for us in recent years and Lowe is approaching that tier, while more expensive. Without support from the IRFU we were never going to get to keep him and that support was never going to come because of his age and not being a regular test starter now (unless you are Bundee).
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u/whatThisOldThrowAway 5d ago
Yeah but 33 for a winger and 33 for a prop ain’t the same prospect.
Clearly he’s got more to offer than most in terms of the game an, and adapted his game loads to stay competitive but pace is so much of being a winger, even for Lowe.
Age comes for us all.
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u/know-it-mall Highlanders 5d ago
Yea exactly. 33 for a winger is already really old. For a forward that means you have a few more years.
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u/helcat0 5d ago
Knew that was coming after what Cullen said a few days ago. The extra 10% that Leinster have to pay for the centrally contracted players are biting into keeping players like Lowe for an extra year.
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u/seanie_h Leinster 5d ago
Is it not 40%?
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u/caisdara Leinster 5d ago
It used to be 30%, increased to 40%. Some of the internationals play so few games for Leinster as to make it a net loss to keep them.
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u/yewEngine Ireland 5d ago
Yeah. The irfu are paying 60% for leinster players. Not a bad deal for leinster.
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u/Which-Individual-376 Leinster 5d ago
Great servant to both ireland and leinster. Hope he goes out with a bang for both teams.
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u/Objective_Ticket England 5d ago
There’s a rumour around that he’s coming to Northampton but I’m not sure why we need another winger.
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u/Ill-Faithlessness430 Leinster | Blackheath 5d ago
He can battle Tommy Freeman for the winger out of position at centre spot?
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u/The_Ruck_Inspector Connacht 5d ago
Sad to see it if true. Been a great player for Leinster and Ireland. Looked back to his best in that Italy game, shame he got injured again. Honestly think he should have started the final ahead of Rieko.
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u/singleglazedwindows Ireland 5d ago
I remember an interview he did soon after moving over where he spoke about the type of arthritis he was diagnosed with very young. At that time he was unsure if his body would allow him to have a long career. At 34 I’m glad to see he’s still going and hopefully he can pick up a nice retirement contract in France.
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u/c08306834 5d ago edited 5d ago
I get the point in the article, Leinster are seemingly being asked to pay the bulk of his pay, despite the fact that he would be managed very carefully by the IRFU with a view to the WC, so of limited benefit to Leinster. It kind of sounds like the IRFU dropped the ball here.
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u/hcpanther Leinster 5d ago
All part of the new regime under Humphries.
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u/semiobscureninja 5d ago
Yeah catch 22, IRFU have been under criticism for having a stale squad so when contracts come up. It’s a tough decision, probably in a position too where you shouldn’t be holding onto 34 year old players.
I’m sure a props and hookers will have different outcomes
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u/aboycalledbrew Munster 5d ago
I'm not convinced I can see how this helps Irish rugby in any way?
Yeah there's new players coming through but you can't honestly say Ulster, Munster or Connacht wouldn't be better off with Lowe and the money isn't that tight to need to throw a current international out on the heap like
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u/Comfortable-Yam9013 Leinster 5d ago
It doesn’t. He may not be first choice Irish winger but he’s possibly next in line. And we can’t pick him if he goes to France or uk
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u/SimilarSimian Leinster and the other 3 5d ago
He's depth. A RWC squad would absolutely include him.
We'll need to judge Humphries in a few years. This may all work out for the best in the end, but so far I'm firmly on the fence.
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u/Common-Spend5000 Leinster 5d ago
I don't get why we can't pick players that move to other URC clubs outside Ireland, as the availability for windows will always be the same. Top14 and Premiership I understand but never that.
If Lowe went to Treviso or Cardiff or Glasgow for example what would be the problem?
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u/Comfortable-Yam9013 Leinster 5d ago
It’s a way for us to keep players in Ireland and control their playing time. Think Bowe used to come into camps late.
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u/squeak37 TIme to win Europe again 5d ago
The problem is he barely plays for Leinster and with the updated central contact rules we can't afford to keep him on the books.
This is exactly what the irfu want - the Irish team will need to be spread out across the province because nobody can afford to field the bulk of the squad.
Time will tell if this is a good policy or if it hurts us
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u/aboycalledbrew Munster 5d ago
Surely bringing in a draft system for the centrally contracted players is an easier way of doing that? Lowe has been entirely pushed out rather shunted to another province which is everyone's loss
All 4 provinces are just feeders for the national team rather than independent clubs in their own right in a lot of ways so how does weakening the most successful club by making them lose players overseas help anyone?
It's only a matter of time before we see a big name former Ireland international knock a province out of a big competition
Even the tier below guys like Ross Moloney and Quinn Roux I'm not entirely convinced Irish rugby is better off without them they would've been better kept in the system
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u/squeak37 TIme to win Europe again 5d ago
But you want your players bought into their club, you don't get that with a draft.
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u/Ocalca Munster 5d ago
He's a 34 year old winger, who's missed a lot of games recently with various injuries. It would be a poor signing for a province
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u/aboycalledbrew Munster 5d ago
He's only 33 currently in fairness rather than turning 35
He's a lion and a senior international
Surely has an equal or better case for a place in Irish rugby than Henderson, Furlong, John Ryan etc
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u/TJHalysBoogers 5d ago
The only player out of those 3 who currently has a central contract is Furlong though, who is also a lion and senior international, the same age as Lowe but in a much more valuable position (whether you like it or not tightheads are more valuable and the position less competitive than wingers and Ireland have Furlong as first or second choice depending on form). Tightheads also tend to age better than wingers. Henderson had one but not anymore.
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u/Keith989 5d ago
You're comparing an injury prone winger to forwards. Wingers go out of their prime much quicker.
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u/aboycalledbrew Munster 5d ago
That's undeniable but it is hard to argue that those players don't represent a complete waste of money compared to what they produce on the field
If it's about money be ruthless to everyone - POM, Murray and now Lowe have all been treated appallingly and it's fair to say they all have greater profile relative to guys like Henderson and John Ryan which has clearly came into to it too
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u/itscalledravenhill Ireland and Ulster 5d ago
hendo took a much lower wage when shifted off his central to remain at ulster, still wouldnt have been close to Lowe before. doubt john ryan had that much of a wage either?
furlong is the highest paid Irish player. and obviously a central. so thats a better case for a use of funds debate
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u/Wesley_Skypes Leinster 5d ago
Hendo would have absolutely been close to or above Lowe's salary when he was on the CC.
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u/itscalledravenhill Ireland and Ulster 5d ago
he hasnt been on one for 2 years. and is off a similar age.
i severly doubt hendos cc was 600-650k +. but still besides the point. he took the deal ulster put down. james turned leinsters down.
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u/Wesley_Skypes Leinster 5d ago
Lowe's is also nowhere near 650k. People grossly overestimate Leinster players salaries.
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u/aboycalledbrew Munster 5d ago
Obviously we don't know the ins and outs of what anyone is on for sure but across the 4 provinces it's hard to argue that there's no severe wastage in terms of players being kept on that offer absolutely nothing
Henderson, John Ryan, Carbery coming back, JJ Hanrahan etc there's literally so many instances of Irish players being kept on simply because they are Irish and at one point were good at rugby. Yet our actual decent internationals like Lowe, Murray, POM are getting shafted with the excuse of money it doesn't make any sense whatsoever
It's all the IRFU so instead of transferring players off central contracts because they're past it a more fiscally prudent decision surely has to be cut some of them loose entirely and that never happens. Henderson is the best example he is done and no one is willing to admit it
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u/itscalledravenhill Ireland and Ulster 5d ago
their wages wont compare to Lowes though. the only centrally contracted player youve mentioned is furlong.
im well able to call henderson passed it. but his wage isnt comparable.
the terms offered didnt suit lowe. so he choose to turn it down.
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u/TJHalysBoogers 5d ago
Google says John Ryan never had a central, but I'm sure you'd know better than me.
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u/itscalledravenhill Ireland and Ulster 5d ago
i never said he was
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u/TJHalysBoogers 5d ago
Sorry if I'm being thick then but what's he got to do with the price of fish? If we are talking about the IRFU retaining players, it doesn't seem like they've made any special effort to retain him rather than Lowe.
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u/itscalledravenhill Ireland and Ulster 5d ago
i never brought john ryan up. just stated his wage wouldnt be close to Lowe as someone else brought him up.
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u/Keith989 5d ago
Why have they been treated appalling? Irish rugby has an issue of keeping lads well last their prime. Money is tight, we need to be more ruthless. I'm a Leinster fan and love Lowe, but we shouldn't be wasting a high wage on him. The IRFU already wasted plenty on Zebo.
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u/rico6644 Connacht 5d ago
Hes asking for far more money than Henderson and John Ryan would Id imagine. Neither are in Central contracts. Maybe not even PONIs
Furlong is in a pretty similar position to Lowe but been more available this season in a position where we have less depth
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u/aboycalledbrew Munster 5d ago
His case for money is greater too though
The whole PONI vs Central Contract etc is a nonsense anyway because ultimately the IRFU picks up the tab for everything and could resolve this easily
Fair enough about Furlong but he surely isn't miles away from being treated just as badly
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u/rico6644 Connacht 5d ago
Also Henderson signed a contract in Novemever 2024 and will probably retire whenever that expires. It would guess Ulster fans consider it a bad contract considering hes been injured a lot since
John Ryan has signed new 1 year deals with Munster purely because they have 0 tighthead depth and is retiring this year. Again the only reason hes around is recruitment / development failures
Furlong signed a new contract in 2024 and it runs till the end of next season. When that date comes I cant imagine him getting anything but a big pay cut offered to him
Point being its hard to compare these guys to Lowe. If his contract was up last year maybe he gets a new deal in 2024 and people are probably flaming Humphrey for that too
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u/aboycalledbrew Munster 5d ago
Henderson and Ryan we surely should've brought NIQs in or got someone that was IQ from outside of Ireland, long term we'd be better off than what we got realistically. The John Ryan instance is mad from the point of view there's no depth at tight head so instead of building it or bringing in someone from abroad in their prime we brought in someone half knackered and the scrum/lineout/open field play is no better for it
I agree with you on Furlong
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u/rico6644 Connacht 5d ago
How is he being treated badly? This is a business not a charity. You pay for future performance. Not to reward past ones
I love Lowe but hes been injured all season and even before then his level had dropped off a bit. He obviously had a number in mind. The IRFU and Leinster werent willing to match for a 34 year old winger who isnt a nailed on starter anymore and isnt really suited to how the games going (not pacey, not great under the high ball, not an accurate kicker)
At some stage you just have to move on even if ideally youd want to keep a player
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u/DreHouseRules 5d ago
He's James Lowe, he'd improve every single one of those teams.
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u/Ocalca Munster 5d ago
He's 33, a winger, slow, injury prone, heavily minute managed & wants a lot of money.
I don't think that's a good contract for a province where budget is an issue
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u/jackoirl Leinster 5d ago
He was the best player on the pitch in his first game back from injury most recently.
We’re not overflowing with talent that we’d want to throw that away
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u/dubviber Connacht 5d ago
Would you have felt the same way about the last couple of deals Keith Earls got?
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u/caisdara Leinster 5d ago
It doesn't, but it will embarrass the IRFU, because it's definitely their fault.
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u/Brine-O-Driscoll Connacht 5d ago
Sad to see it end this way. Has been a great player for Leinster and Ireland.
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u/gazthegrey Munster 5d ago
Great servant to Irish & Leinster rugby, time to move on anyway, both teams have better options at 11 now. A twilight season or two in France maybe, how bad..
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u/David_MacM Ireland Leinster 5d ago
Do Leinster actually have better options there? Rieko leaving, JJ still a ways off, Jimmy has been in excellent form but based on past flashes of form I'm not convinced it'll last.
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u/gazthegrey Munster 5d ago
Between Osborne Larmour, Kenny playing both sides, Jimmy O'B covering all back three positions and Rueben Moloney coming through I think ye are well enough stocked.. Lowe is not the beast he once was, neither am i come to think of it..
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u/SweptFever82 Ireland Ulster and Munster 5d ago
Is JJ still a ways off? Seems pretty good to me.
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u/David_MacM Ireland Leinster 5d ago
He's a deadly finisher, works incredibly hard, and hits like a truck. Unfortunately he misses a lot of those hits. You'd imagine it's due to the transition from 7s, but yeah his defence has been show up a lot this season, especially against the better teams. He's only 22 though, so plenty of time to sort that out.
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u/The_Ruck_Inspector Connacht 5d ago
Could that be to do with the Jacques defense system? Seems like its getting shown up more often than not.
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u/Galactapuss 5d ago
He's farther along than Zac Ward, but still very raw. Positioning and kicking game nowhere near good enough.
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u/Ok_Banana1770 5d ago
End of an era for Leinster. Sorry to see him go. He’s been brilliant for so long.
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u/know-it-mall Highlanders 5d ago
Not surprised. He is a 33 year old left winger. That's a million years old in Wing years.
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u/Western-Teacher-8678 3d ago
He’s 34 in 2 months
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u/know-it-mall Highlanders 3d ago
Yep. Unsurprisingly you don't want to spend a lot to retain a guy at the tail end of his career.
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u/Grievsey13 Glasgow Warriors 4d ago
Class player. Probably lost a yard or so over the last 2 seasons. But still top drawer.
They offered a year. He thinks differently. If he goes outside Ireland then he'll get really good money. He has stated that he's settled in Ireland family-wise.
Not a central contract player but is closely guarded in game time stakes. Leinster won't want a multi year aging player on their books that only playing 50% of games.
So, i think a couple of years in the Premiership or France would see him top up the pension nicely before retirement.
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u/Ferretz_Eire 5d ago
I can't imagine a 34 year old injury prone winger could command much in the market, it was the right decision to offer him reduced terms and if he feels he can get a better deal elsewhere then best of luck to him.
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u/chimpdoctor Ireland 5d ago
Thats a pretty big loss for Leinster and Ireland. It will the same when Bundee and Gibson Parke both leave.
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u/57Nil 5d ago
If specifically naming three residency imports are hard losses for a national team, it’s probably a sign that the positions opening up for local talent development is for the best.
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u/HaggisTheCow Scotland 5d ago
I mean it's pretty difficult to replace 168 caps worth in three key positions regardless of they're born and bred in Dublin or Galway or imported.
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u/TheFlyingScotsman60 5d ago
I come in peace.....
Ireland, alongside the provinces, seem to struggling (as most teams do) with the changing of the old guard. Furlong, Aki, Lowe, JGP and a couple of others are coming to the end of their useful rugby careers and IRFU seem to be performing a bit of a culling without, maybe, having the backups in place. That and struggling with your 10 does not bode well for the WC.
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u/RianSG Leinster 5d ago
One the one hand I’m dissapointed, he’s been a great servant for us and a real character on and off the pitch at times when a lot of players feel very robotic and coached (media wise).
On the other hand, turning 34 in a position where speed is key and he was never the fastest guy in the world. It does open the door both provincially and internationally for others to really stake a claim for a place now with the RWC on the horizon
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u/sublime_mime Munster 5d ago
His estimated annual salary of €450,000 to €650,000. As a professional player I understand that careers are short and you should look out for yourself. Obviously we dont know know what was offered to Lowe but it wasnt minimum wage. If going to 2027 world cup was important to him he would have stayed but cant fault a player for trying to maximise earning potential at the end of his career.
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u/Wesley_Skypes Leinster 5d ago
Where is this estimated salary coming from? It is unlikely that any player in Ireland is on more than 500k. Lowe certainly is not.
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u/sublime_mime Munster 5d ago
What are Leinster's top earners making at the province?
estimated but would be surprised if he wasnt on those figures
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u/Wesley_Skypes Leinster 5d ago
Murray Kinsella wrote an article recently that puts Leinster's entire playing staff budget at somewhere between 9 and 10.5m. There is no way Lowe was on 500k+.
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u/Wesley_Skypes Leinster 5d ago
Man this sucks. I loved Lowe so much at Leinster, he treated the touchline like it was lava and despised getting pushed out there so his fending game was ridiculous.
The 40% payment for players that they don't have full access to has caused a lot of the movement you are seeing at Leinster and will continue apace. The IRFU said they didn't want to harm Leinster with this push, but it is very hard to see the upside from a Leinster POV.
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u/OGP01 England 5d ago
As a Leinster fan: gutted. Always enjoyed watching him play.
As an England fan: delighted. He always seems to turn up and have a great game against us. Will be glad to not have to face him again.
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u/I_Will_Eat_Your_Ears Connacht 5d ago
Leinster and England? I didn't know there were actual West Brits!
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u/nagdamnit Ireland 5d ago
Great job Humpries. If you can’t make the other provinces better, drag Leinster down to their level. We’ll all be shit together.
Lowe, McGrath, Ioane, Slimani, Frawley, Connors all on the way out to be replaced by Joey Carbery.
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u/MethylRed Ireland 5d ago
Carberry has to be one of the worst signings imaginable. We need a decent fly half to run a game so we let the better of the 3 we have go and bring back the A&E frequent flyer who I bet will play a single digit number of games per season.
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u/David_MacM Ireland Leinster 5d ago
And Joey only started rehab from his ACL tear last week, would be shocked if he was ready for the beginning of the season.
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u/Comfortable-Yam9013 Leinster 5d ago
That’s shit. Leinster should have offered him something
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u/IrishDog1990 Are we human? 5d ago
I don’t think they have the money, would love to keep him. But a multi year, decently sized deal for an almost 34 year old winger with slight injury concerns as well as being someone that won’t be around much due to Ireland commitments, I can see why they are hesitant too. If he stays he’ll have a role to play at the World Cup I’m sure but you can see why Leinster don’t want to pick up the tab for that for at least two years
Probably a bit of a Mexican standoff aspect as well between Humphrey’s, Leinster and Lowe himself, who will blink first.
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u/hcpanther Leinster 5d ago
They did but they get less of the central contracts covered now so a budget cut essentially so there’s no great reason for them to pay players who’ll primarily be reserved to play for Ireland
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u/pauli55555 5d ago
Lowe still has plenty to offer. He’s a genuine leader & personality on the pitch. He contributes in so many ways. I can’t believe rugby folk who make these decisions can’t find the money to keep him for one more year up to the WC.
Surely Humphries could have got his sorted especially when it’s clear Farrell wants him for the WC.
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u/MrQeu Loving Joel Merkler as a way of life 5d ago
Another “bad signing by Racing because he didn’t adapt to the toxic environment” incoming?