Right up there with Brian Moore. And both have the virtue of not being afraid to say, "It's not that simple" and then explain, clearly and simply, why that is so.Originally Posted by Viigand
Right up there with Brian Moore. And both have the virtue of not being afraid to say, "It's not that simple" and then explain, clearly and simply, why that is so.
Vorsprung durch Pfennig.
Quinnie's writing is greatly helped by the fact that I think he, 1, bothers to watch games when he isn't being paid to talk about them and, 2, actually pays attention to what fans are saying, including on rugby fora such as this one. I think Quinnie is better than Moore because I really don't think he has an agenda whereas i think Moore does when it comes to the political stuff like the ERC breakaway etc. That said Moore's campaigning on the scrum is a bit of a lone voice and deserves an awful lot more recognition.
Quinny's one of the few rugby journalists in Ireland that has actually played the game in the professional era up until very recently. He is up to date with the modern game and it's demands, not like Thornley or Hook who think they are from listening to players or coaches, Quinny has lived it in an era that is relevant. As a result his articles are always informative and because he has proven himself to be un-biased and genuine you can always take what he writes as good information. The complete opposite of what you can do with "book read" journalists like the aforementioned who last touched a rugby ball in anger decades ago if at all.
"We've got to be really careful we get our backyard right before we start looking over the fence."
Rob Penney - Rugby coach and Philosopher
Could be a subbing issue - loose forward got mangled to loosehead.
Poor article from a poor "journalist". He says that pro rugby is a career choice and that a pro must maximise their earning opportunities, true. But playing for a country should not be a career choice, it should be an honour. He has trouble with Bent going from arrivals to squad but justifies Strauss as a career move. I don't blame either player, I blame the IRFU.
Good article from an ex rugby player
irb make the rules, not irfu
IRB may make the rules, IRFU make the decision to source the likes of Strauss & Bent.
sometimes when i listen to kidney's ultra subtle commentaries.. I feel there is a hidden message.
His take on this seems to be (i think).. that the only way for irb to review the situation, is for
coaches like him to take the utter p!ss with selecting the likes of bent.
He makes a clear distinction between what was required of Strauss (a three year commitment) and Bent (having an Irish granny) and simply says that the latter is, in his opinion, not sufficient to earn a player selection. No contradiction there.
Just because you disagree with his opinion on the topic doesn't make it a bad article.
Can Michael Bent honestly say its an honour to play for his country? Strauss has been here a number of years now, so whilst initially it may have been a career choice, it may now be very much an honour to play for the country.
I think Quinny is right about somebody coming straight off a plane and into an international squad, even more so when that person is an unheard of unknown.
"Everything good about Ireland can be found in County Cork"....Lonely Planet Guide 2012
But as it's within the rules.. why not? haaaaaa..
As I said elsewhere, it's almost as if dk is taking the piss with all this,
purely as a stunt to draw attention to the farce.
I don't find it a bad article because I disagree with it, I find it a bad article, period.
Neither Bent nor Strauss should play for Ireland. Maybe the rule should be parents or grandparent plus x years residency, but obeying the rules does not make it right. To play for a country you should be a passport holder. Should GAA players be allowed to play for the club and county of their choice?
Quinnie is justifying Strauss by saying he is maximising his earning potential in a very short career. If he's that worried about his income then jack in the game and get a job that is not dependent on youth and fitness.
I find it well written. His view is balanced and he addresses both sides of the argument before making the case for his view clearly and concisely. His style is very readable too.
Why do you find it bad?
Bent has an Irish passport. So I guess that qualifies him to play for Ireland.....
4 Feb 2011 - Gilmore on the General Election
"Frankfurts way or Labours way."
28 Feb 2012 - Gilmore on a yes vote for the fiscal treaty
"A vote for economic stability and a vote for economic recovery."
Oh oh spagetti oh 5eight, caught spoofing again.
Quinnie said nothing of the sort about Strauss, how about getting it right for once?? This is what he said in relation to Strauss:
"The Strauss case is probably how this issue would play out in a perfect world. He took an opportunity to come over and play in Ireland. He committed to staying for three years and aspired to making the national squad after his time was served. He played some immense rugby for Leinster in the meantime and built up a rapport with the supporters. He was a vital part of two Heineken Cup wins.
And now he’s about to make the step up at the age of 26. There’s every chance he will take over from Rory Best eventually and he could be there for the next 10 years. It’s tough on the likes of Seán Cronin but you couldn’t really have asked for much more out of Strauss. I’ve heard people say that maybe three years is too short a timespan but in fairness if a guy is going to commit for three years, it’s hard to question his interest."
"Everything good about Ireland can be found in County Cork"....Lonely Planet Guide 2012
I find him using economic reasons to justify Strauss's decision and then arguing against Bent (a passport holder) because of his ease of entry. I don't find any of his articles well written or particularly readable. He is not listed as a member of the NUJ, maybe a case of going from arrivals to the team bus?
How about being less obnoxious now and again. I didn't know that Bent had a passport when I posted, so just how was I spoofing?
Quinlan also wrote
"It can’t be that simple. Put patriotism to one side for a minute and look at the life of a professional rugby player. No matter how big the game is getting, the market is still very small compared to other sports. If you are going to make the game your life and your livelihood and if you’re going to support a family off the back of it, then your first responsibility is to your career.
I was always very passionate about playing for Ireland and about being Irish in general away from sport. But that doesn’t mean I can’t see how the right thing for some players to do in certain circumstances is to concentrate on their own situation and do what’s best for them. It’s a tough life and sometimes you won’t make it in your home country right from the start – especially if that country is New Zealand"
He is clearly justifying choosing to play for another country on economic reasoning, that I disagree with.
Most of this is verbatim..
Céard a ceapfá, Jerry?
Paul O'Connell can get toothpaste out of an onion. Fact.
Couldn't disagree more. Not usually a fan of his columns but this is a good one. So am i to assume you are against immigration and foreign citizenship?
There are countless occasions GAA players have swapped counties and clubs
The major problem I have with Bents inclusion is probably apart from Feek no one in the coaching set-up has seen him play
Let me ask you this regarding your passport rule, would you have a problem if an Ulster player played for ireland with only a british passport?
I don\'t really understand the criticism of their so called ugly rugby.I love open running rugby but I also admire the collective mastery of this Munster team.They really are a reference in the game,to beat them you really have to play a perfect match
Great article from Qunnie again. Always enjoyable & thought provocking reading
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again (like picking Gordon D'Arcy) and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein
[QUOTE=Downsouthdukin;1131041]Couldn't disagree more. Not usually a fan of his columns but this is a good one. So am i to assume you are against immigration and foreign citizenship?
There are countless occasions GAA players have swapped counties and clubs
The major problem I have with Bents inclusion is probably apart from Feek no one in the coaching set-up has seen him play
Let me ask you this regarding your passport rule, would you have a problem if an Ulster player played for ireland with only a british passport?[/QUOTE
One should never assume. I have been an emigrant, married a mon Irish person, my children by extension are 1/2 Irish. So no, I am not against immigration etc.
Your question re NI players is interesting and one I haven't considered. The Ireland rugby team covers the 32 counties and we changed our constitution to ensure that people in NI could be Irish and British so I think that they are a special case. However in an ideal world you should carry the passport of the country that you represent.
Did you actually read the words in the article? He doesn't "justify" anything.
What he does is he describes the decisions that professional rugby players face and the framework they make those decisions in - the the rules that are set by the authorities.
IMHO what makes the article good is that he does not have any axe to grind on the issue, he simply sets out the dilemma faced by players.
For the over the hill and the past-it, nothing is impossible.
Maybe you should re-read the article
Good piece from Quinnie, and you only have to look at the Strauss thread in international squad section of this forum to see how hot a topic this is, that thread is at 12 pages at this stage. Quinnie touches on most of the arguments for/against the IRB rules but even in an opinion piece there's only so much space available. this topic could easily fill a broadsheet newspaper page on it's own with all the if/but/maybe/why arguments that surround the topic.
Plato: \"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.\"
Great piece from the Q man. Informed,considered and balanced. Very short memory on some people on here. Remember Brian Smith at OH for Ireland.... or Rhys Ellison/ Mike Mullins for us? Strauss is more than qualified IMHO but the Bent thing is a bit..... well, Bent. I stand open to correction but wasn't there an Englishman propping on the 78 team. Actually while on the point , who was the first foreigner to play for Munster before Langford?
L White propped on the 78 team. Rhys Ellison would of played before Langford, not sure if he was first in the HEC age?
Chips?
A word about avatars in your shell-like, if you would...
Vorsprung durch Pfennig.
Rhys Ellison never played for Ireland, Mike Mullins's father is from Limerick. Bent qualifies through the granny rule and, as has been crammed down my throat, carries an Irish passport. Strauss made an decision based on economic reasoning, while he is qualified under IRB rules, his selection is IMO wrong. He does not, again IMO, bring enough to the table to oust Cronin, Varley and Sherry. If he is as good as he is being hailed then he should be the number 1 choice even with Best fit.
The decision to explore every avenue when sourcing players is one that other clubs and countries have been doing to the success of their teams, it is now a pre-requisite of staying compeditive, if you like it or not its here to stay unless the IRB say otherwise and one of the biggest reasons NZ rugby has been so succesful for years.
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