MLR Notes: Poland out for season, Jones loaned, Ryan signs

John Poland’s season has been prematurely ended due to injury. The Free Jacks scrumhalf damaged a pectoral muscle during the Week 3 match against NOLA and will be sidelined for several months. Cam Nordli-Kelemeti steps into the No9 shirt with Premiership experience, but New England aren’t sitting idly. The club is reportedly eyeing a UK-based but domestic-eligible player to fill Poland’s roster spot.

There is better news on the immediate horizon to help the Free Jacks faithful assuage their sorrow. Two of last season’s top performers are set to return to action this weekend. Inside center Le Roux Malan has recovered from the terrible ankle injury suffered during the World Cup, and flanker Mitch Jacobson has landed following his expected delayed arrival.

A third Free Jacks player is now out on loan to the Sharks. With Reinaldo Piussi currently sidelined, Miami have welcomed Tongan prop Tevita Sole to help cover the tighthead side. Ivan Pula and Junior Gafa are currently on loan with Anthem.

Piussi is reportedly not a long-term problem but the club will be without Connor Burns for the foreseeable future. The former Utah utility back suffered a knee injury during the preseason and won’t be fit in time to play any part this year. Former ATL hooker Isaac Bales signed with the club but will also miss the campaign after undergoing knee surgery.

Christian Poidevin and Tupou Afungia will be long-term absentees according to San Diego coach Danny Lee. He has moved to shore up the Legion’s loose forward stocks with the signing of new Eagles flanker Paddy Ryan. The 25-year-old is currently playing for Coventry in England whose RFU Championship season doesn’t end until late May.

Members of The Cohort might be pardoned for being confused. Ryan will be the third player named ‘Paddy Ryan’ to have played in Major League Rugby, and all three will have suited up for San Diego. The Former Wallaby version played the 2019 and 2021 seasons at the club, with his US Eagles counterpart playing with the Legion in 2022.

Old Glory have confirmed that a loan move for Niko Jones has been agreed with Moana Pasifika. The star loose forward joined DC from the Super Rugby side last year. It’s a two-month deal initially, which could see Jones returning some time in May. He is one of four players with MLR experience in Moana’s run-on pack for this coming weekend. Donald Brighouse, Sama Malolo, and Semisi Paea all start with ex-Raptors lock Michael Curry on the bench.

Houston have welcomed back loose forward Tomi Agbongbon for the rest of the season. The 22-year-old played one game for the SaberCats last season in a brief stop-over from England, where he has bee suiting up for Loughborough in the BUCS Super League. Agbongbon is noticeably bigger this time around having packed on about 10kg (20lbs) in the interim.

Another former Ironworker has been lured out of early retirement. Nick Feakes has returned to his original MLR club NOLA after a brief hiatus from professional rugby. The former Collegiate All-American gives the backline an immediate boost with his creativity and ability to play flyhalf, wing, and fullback.

In other NOLA news, Kane Thompson will head to New Zealand following the season to take up an Assistant Coach role with Southland. He spent four seasons with the Stags during his playing career. The Gold have confirmed that Thompson’s appointment will not clash with his MLR duties.

Dallas appear to have quietly added a former national age grade select to their roster. Jonah Auva’a joins fellow Central Washington alumnus Marques Fuala’au at the club, adding a domestic option who can play prop or hooker. Auva’a was named in the USA u20 squad in 2020 along with current Jackals flanker Makeen Alikhan. The team did not end up playing any matches due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A pair of sevens standouts are currently training with LA. The two speedsters are Rhino Rugby and Belmont Shore winger Derek Adams and outside back Indiha SaoTui-Huta, who has played for Samoa at u20 level and also on the World Sevens circuit. Former Wasps lock Theo Vukasinovic has arrived and is set to debut this weekend. He was a late addition to the bench against Utah but did not take the field.