3 hours Ago By Vincent Whelan
RONAN O’Gara has offered his two cents on Jack Crowley’s big-money offer from Leicester Tigers.The English giants are reportedly willing to pay him an annual salary of €700,000 to tempt him away from the Irish rugby net.O’Gara stated he’s heard there’s legitimate interest on the part of Leicester TigersSportsfileLosing Crowley would be a hammer blow for Munster considering they’re already at a low ebbSportsfileMoving abroad would disqualify him for Ireland selection for the foreseeable futureCrowley is into the last few months of his current contract with Munster so he does have options aplenty if playing abroad is something he’s open to exploring.
While Ronan O’Gara never played outside of Munster, his coaching career has been noted for its nomadic nature across New Zealand and two stints in France.So it wasn’t too surprising that the US-born icon estimated that moving to the Premiership is a viable option for his heir apparent.He told Off the Ball Breakfast: “With the current rules Jack has got a decision to make because if he wants to live his dream and play for Ireland, he has to stay with Munster.
“But this is professional sport nowadays. I don’t think it’s rumours. How I interpret it is that it’s a firm offer.
“It was reported by a genuine journalist rather than some makey-uppey social media account.“There’s absolute credibility to this story in the fact that it’s someone like Leicester who have pedigree, who need to replace Handre Pollard – who was on a seven-figure salary.“So they understand the importance of getting a world-class number 10 in.
“Now, Jack’s not world-class yet but you’ve got to remember he’s 25. In three years’ time he could well be one of the best in the world.“So this is what happens in sport when it becomes business.
Whatever you think of Jack’s game, he has a personal decision to make. “Because of what he’s done in a red jersey and a green jersey a big club overseas now want him.“From a salary cap point of view in the UK they can make one foreign player a top-paid one.
“From Jack’s point of view he’s the chosen one, the lucky one.“So you’ve got to keep weighing up – do I think long-term or do I think short-term?GettyO’Gara has been based outside of Ireland since 2013 between his spells at Racing 92, Crusaders and latterly La Rochelle[/caption]The Irish legend is on record that he tried to convince Crowley to join him at La Rochelle a few years ago“Or is the deal on offer with Leicester for five years (for example) blow what I’d make with Munster over 12 out of the water?“He’s the only one who can make that decision but for me, I don’t think it’s a rumour.“I’ve heard from agents in France – because obviously clubs here are looking for 10s and he’s out of contract soon – but he is hot property.
”Should the switch come to pass, Munster fans will be within their rights to vent at the IRFU for not locking Crowley down into a central contract.The source of frustration is shared among Connacht and Ulster supporters too given the imbalance between how many of their stars are on central deals compared to Leinster’s squad.At the moment, 14 players will be tied in with the union next season, with 11 of them playing for Leinster.
Connacht duo Mack Hansen and Bundee Aki are the exceptions along with Munster captain Tadhg Beirne..
