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Ulster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

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    #1112
    jacothelad
    Registered Users Posts: 5,911 ✭✭✭jacothelad


    TomsOnTheRoof wrote: »
    So basically what your saying is McLaughlin was good enough to get Ulster out of a rut, turn them into a very good attacking side which has a genuine shot at competing for major silverware in Europe and enabled young players to come through the ranks, yet he is not good enough to maintain these standards. Yeah, that makes sense. With regards to the academy job, that is most definitely being shafted. You develop a team into a side with a great chance of winning a HC one year and the next you are coaching youngsters. Anyone can see that is a major step backwards. One of the journos at the press conference made a great point. You have a guy who has turned Ulster rugby around and made great strides, yet you are letting this guy go. So who is his replacement and what does he offer that McLaughlin doesn't, to which Humphreys replies "We haven't yet decided on a replacement." What a fantastic idea that seems to be.

    I think you'll find that he isn't going anywhere. Even you should be able to see that when you pitch for a permanent post and get it, that means you are staying. As for the rest of your post, It's not what I'm saying at all. What I was saying only in a polite way was:-
    a) he shouldn't have got the job in the first place.
    b) he isn't good enough.
    c) the team need a better coach.
    d) How much do you think the journos were concerned about McLaughlin? They are the ones who precipitated events by publishing details of as yet unfinished contractual negotiations. The only thing they were concerned about was themselves. They couldn't give a flying feck for him and as a bunch of so called sports journalists the majority couldn't find Ravenhill withoput ordering a taxi. So I'll be content to think that U.R. are doing the right thing. Moving forward in an attempt to make up for years of amarteurism. You on the other hand can attempt to make uninformed speculation as much as you want.


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    #1113
    jacothelad
    Registered Users Posts: 5,911 ✭✭✭jacothelad


    bilston wrote: »
    Are you sure it was the old regieme that appointed McLaughlin? I'm finding it hard to remember the chronological order of things happening at Ulster but was Humphreys not already in place as Director of Operations before McGlock took the head coach role? I could be wrong though...

    I would imagine Pienaar would deserve a bit of credit for the improvement in Marshall's game as well!.

    Our first choice pack (still not huge depth though) is one of the best in Europe this season so Muller has to take a lot of credit for that and it wouldn't surprise me if the Ulster Branch wanted him...but in saying that he's still an important player for us and still has a year left on his contract. Henderson's U20s form is very timely with Muller likely to retire at the end of next season.

    It was under the Committee. The ones who sacked Williams by text message. Cecil Watson I'm led to believe. They were the ones who decided amazingly in 2000 that, rather than form a professional group to run U.R. as Munster and Leinster did, that they would keep the 'Committee System.' The one that allowed them to felch over Ulster Rugby while at the same time ensuring their endless junkets wouldn't be disturbed. It's taken until now to shake them off. McLaughlin's appointment was entirely down to them. Watson, Miles etc. Why do you think Syd Millar called publicly for a 'root and branch clearout' of them?


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    #1114
    chris_d
    Registered Users Posts: 112 ✭✭chris_d


    sometimes it's hard not to get paranoid as an ulster fan down here. it feels like if there's any angle of getting the boot into ulster the irish journos will take it. mcglocks was a disgrace after the leinster christmas game, now he's the saviour of ulster rugby going by the stuff you read.

    overall im happy with the decision. there have been some poor performances this year without the international lads, glasgow sticks out in the memory. but the leaking of the news the other week stinks. fingers crossed whoever comes in can help us compete at the top of the league consistently.

    what a try they scored on friday. and i cannot stress how impressed ive been with terblanch. the man is so cool no matter what position he's playing in. hopefully he stays on as a backs coach.

    that dragons outhalf is useful. despite his beard.


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    #1115
    Hagz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,257 ✭✭✭Hagz


    chris_d wrote: »
    that dragons outhalf is useful. despite his beard.

    Tovey? Solid out-half. He's got a style of kicking that's low but effective and he's great off the tee. Off to Cardiff.


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    #1116
    chris_d
    Registered Users Posts: 112 ✭✭chris_d


    yeah. off to cardiff? that's not so good for the dragons, he won the game for them when ulster played in wales earlier this season.

    their winger Brew looked dangerous on the ball, but they mentioned he may be going to france next season on the bbc on friday. tough times ahead for them.


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    #1117
    irishbucsfan
    Registered Users Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    chris_d wrote: »
    yeah. off to cardiff? that's not so good for the dragons, he won the game for them when ulster played in wales earlier this season.

    their winger Brew looked dangerous on the ball, but they mentioned he may be going to france next season on the bbc on friday. tough times ahead for them.
    Brew is off to Biarritz.


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    #1118
    bilston
    Registered Users Posts: 17,757 ✭✭✭✭bilston


    chris_d wrote: »
    overall im happy with the decision. there have been some poor performances this year without the international lads, glasgow sticks out in the memory.

    Hmmmm, but our frorm was poor during the WC, when we were without Muller, Pienaar, Trimble, Best, Ferris, Wallace and Court. A lot of people are very quick to blame McLaughlin for that, but you could equally say it was down to a lack of depth in our squad.


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    #1119
    CIARAN_BOYLE
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 14,599 Mod ✭✭✭✭CIARAN_BOYLE


    bilston wrote: »
    Hmmmm, but our frorm was poor during the WC, when we were without Muller, Pienaar, Trimble, Best, Ferris, Wallace and Court. A lot of people are very quick to blame McLaughlin for that, but you could equally say it was down to a lack of depth in our squad.
    No Afoa either, Fitzpatrick, McAlister, Black and Cronin were all in and out or just plain out of the team with injury as well


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    #1120
    PhatPiggins
    Registered Users Posts: 4,881 ✭✭✭PhatPiggins


    bilston wrote: »
    Hmmmm, but our frorm was poor during the WC, when we were without Muller, Pienaar, Trimble, Best, Ferris, Wallace and Court. A lot of people are very quick to blame McLaughlin for that, but you could equally say it was down to a lack of depth in our squad.

    It's not the lack of depth that McLaughlins problem its the lack of a game plan. Ulster simply don't have one. All their scores are from forward pick and go's or the backs doing something off the cuff. There's no structure to their play at all and thats why McLaughlin isn't good enough.


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    #1121
    Burgo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,815 ✭✭✭Burgo


    Heard a rumour that Ulster could be interested in Mark Anscombe for head coach.


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    #1122
    bilston
    Registered Users Posts: 17,757 ✭✭✭✭bilston


    Burgo wrote: »
    Heard a rumour that Ulster could be interested in Mark Anscombe for head coach.

    His son looked pretty handy at the JWC last year, maybe he could bring him in as a project out half:D


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    #1123
    jm08
    Registered Users Posts: 11,300 ✭✭✭✭jm08


    Burgo wrote: »
    Heard a rumour that Ulster could be interested in Mark Anscombe for head coach.

    That might be a joke. ;)

    Anscombe fed 'excuses' before his ditching

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/provincial/6000005/Anscombe-fed-excuses-before-his-ditching


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    #1124
    I am pie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,652 ✭✭✭I am pie


    PhatPiggins wrote: »
    It's not the lack of depth that McLaughlins problem its the lack of a game plan. Ulster simply don't have one. All their scores are from forward pick and go's or the backs doing something off the cuff. There's no structure to their play at all and thats why McLaughlin isn't good enough.

    I'd also say that there have been some confused looking team selections over the course of the year, not so much the hotly debated youth side that played leinster, but a few other chestnuts which have seen lads played out of position while other lads sat on the bench.

    Cheers


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    #1125
    jacothelad
    Registered Users Posts: 5,911 ✭✭✭jacothelad


    I am pie wrote: »
    I'd also say that there have been some confused looking team selections over the course of the year, not so much the hotly debated youth side that played leinster, but a few other chestnuts which have seen lads played out of position while other lads sat on the bench.

    Cheers
    It's not just this year either. Right from his arrival he has made some completely unfathomable selections in regard to guys being played out of position while 'proper' players were scratching their hoops. Wingers in the centre, centres on the wing. Full backs on the wing. Wings at full back. Tight heads at loosehead. Looseheads at tight head (and I'm not talking about Court). The endless selection of O'Connor being the most bizarre closely followed by McIlwaine. It's on a par with Buckley for Ireland only less serious.

    Then there was the tranche of pretty average to poor players being selected endlessly while good players languished at home. The highlight of this rubbish was Brady going on at loose head prop while a loose head prop sat on the bench beside him. I was a few feet away from Brady and the look on his face was priceless. "Who? Me?. F*&#". Laughs. Does double take. Looks around for confirmation of the men in white suits coming for McL. Doesn't see them. Wanders on to the pitch with both eyebrows meeting his hairline, trying not to shake his head in incredulity. Shells up a penalty try. Ulster lose to Treviso. Who'd have thought that would happen, eh?


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    #1126
    Fishooks12
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,318 ✭✭✭Fishooks12


    jacothelad wrote: »

    Then there was the tranche of pretty average to poor players being selected endlessly while good players languished at home. The highlight of this rubbish was Brady going on at loose head prop while a loose head prop sat on the bench beside him. I was a few feet away from Brady and the look on his face was priceless. "Who? Me?. F*&#". Laughs. Does double take. Looks around for confirmation of the men in white suits coming for McL. Doesn't see them. Wanders on to the pitch with both eyebrows meeting his hairline, trying not to shake his head in incredulity. Shells up a penalty try. Ulster lose to Treviso. Who'd have thought that would happen, eh?


    I remember that, as well as being a crazy substitution imagine how the sub loose head felt at not being asked to go on, his confidence must have been shattered


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    #1127
    jm08
    Registered Users Posts: 11,300 ✭✭✭✭jm08


    Fishooks12 wrote: »
    I remember that, as well as being a crazy substitution imagine how the sub loose head felt at not being asked to go on, his confidence must have been shattered

    Fitzpatrick got binned and the loosehead on the Ulster bench kyle mccall was a 19 year old loosehead from the ulster academy. not a great time to introduce a lad that age to pro rugby .down a man in the pack in a 5 metre scrum against an italian pack. It was a penalty try anyway. brady was only on for 10 minutes and was then taken off again.


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    #1128
    Fishooks12
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,318 ✭✭✭Fishooks12


    jm08 wrote: »
    Fitzpatrick got binned and the loosehead on the Ulster bench kyle mccall was a 19 year old loosehead from the ulster academy. not a great time to introduce a lad that age to pro rugby .down a man in the pack in a 5 metre scrum against an italian pack. It was a penalty try anyway. brady was only on for 10 minutes and was then taken off again.

    Why not throw him in? The guys a professional rugby player and what better way to learn than a scrum where it was always looking like a penalty try, in essence he had no pressure on his shoulders


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    #1129
    CIARAN_BOYLE
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 14,599 Mod ✭✭✭✭CIARAN_BOYLE


    Fishooks12 wrote: »
    Why not throw him in? The guys a professional rugby player and what better way to learn than a scrum where it was always looking like a penalty try, in essence he had no pressure on his shoulders
    The guy was 19 first year academy and about two stone too light for his positition in the professional game. Had he been played he would have been hurt, simple as. He shouldn't have been in the 23 but Ulster had a injury crisis at prop. Personally I would have brought in an AIL player ahead of him to fill the gap.


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    #1130
    Fishooks12
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,318 ✭✭✭Fishooks12


    CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »
    The guy was 19 first year academy and about two stone too light for his positition in the professional game. Had he been played he would have been hurt, simple as. He shouldn't have been in the 23 but Ulster had a injury crisis at prop. Personally I would have brought in an AIL player ahead of him to fill the gap.

    That's fair enough so. Does beg the question, as you've highlighted, why was he even on the bench?!


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    #1131
    jm08
    Registered Users Posts: 11,300 ✭✭✭✭jm08


    Fishooks12 wrote: »
    Why not throw him in? The guys a professional rugby player and what better way to learn than a scrum where it was always looking like a penalty try, in essence he had no pressure on his shoulders

    apart for it being dangerous to throw a young lad in like that, Ulster were down a flanker in the pack for Fitzpatrick who was in the bin, Brady more experienced dealing with the period ulster were down a flanker - its just not such a cut and dry crazy decision to put brady on which is how jackthelad is portraying it to be.


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    #1132
    CIARAN_BOYLE
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 14,599 Mod ✭✭✭✭CIARAN_BOYLE


    jm08 wrote: »
    apart for it being dangerous to throw a young lad in like that, Ulster were down a flanker in the pack for Fitzpatrick who was in the bin, Brady more experienced dealing with the period ulster were down a flanker - its just not such a cut and dry crazy decision to put brady on which is how jackthelad is portraying it to be.
    which is fair enough and I completly agree that he shouldn't have been thrown in (see my previous post) but why was in the 23 for the match since the management were not prepared to throw him in. Surely Ulster could have found someone more appropiate than the hooker, perhaps someone in the AIL could have been offered a short term contract


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    #1133
    jm08
    Registered Users Posts: 11,300 ✭✭✭✭jm08


    Fishooks12 wrote: »
    That's fair enough so. Does beg the question, as you've highlighted, why was he even on the bench?!

    who knows why, no one else available and hoped fitzpatrick would last the 80 . jerry cronin and fitzpatrick started with adam macklin and mccall on the bench .


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    #1134
    Podge_irl
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 25,564 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    Fishooks12 wrote: »
    That's fair enough so. Does beg the question, as you've highlighted, why was he even on the bench?!

    Probably because 3 nominated front row forwards have to be on the bench. Leinster (and presumably many other teams) always nominate a lot of front row forward for ERC squads who will never see the light of European rugby because they simply have to have 10 of them in the squad. Ulster probably never planned on using him.


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    #1135
    irishbucsfan
    Registered Users Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    Never thought I'd see the day someone defends McL for playing Brady at loosehead.


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    #1136
    I am pie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,652 ✭✭✭I am pie


    irishbucsfan wrote: »
    Never thought I'd see the day someone defends McL for playing Brady at loosehead.

    I'm interested in the case for the defence for playing Danielli at FB in November !


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    #1137
    PhatPiggins
    Registered Users Posts: 4,881 ✭✭✭PhatPiggins


    jm08 wrote: »
    apart for it being dangerous to throw a young lad in like that, Ulster were down a flanker in the pack for Fitzpatrick who was in the bin, Brady more experienced dealing with the period ulster were down a flanker - its just not such a cut and dry crazy decision to put brady on which is how jackthelad is portraying it to be.

    But playing a hooker at loosehead is far safer ! You can put the shovel down now, the hole is deep enough.


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    #1138
    jm08
    Registered Users Posts: 11,300 ✭✭✭✭jm08


    PhatPiggins wrote: »
    But playing a hooker at loosehead is far safer ! You can put the shovel down now, the hole is deep enough.

    Maybe mcLaughlin was confused and thought Brady was Juan Smith;)
    it would have been far safer to play Danielli at loosehead than a 19 year old kid, yet to play a pro game. Brady is a seasoned pro of the front row.

    by the way, down to 14 men (and Brady on), Ulster didn't concede any more points, so it wasn't all bad.

    If you want to find someone to point the finger at, I'd be looking at who is responsible for recruitment and how Ulster ended up with a 19 year old prop on the bench against an Italian team.


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    #1139
    irishbucsfan
    Registered Users Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    jm08 wrote: »
    PhatPiggins wrote: »
    But playing a hooker at loosehead is far safer ! You can put the shovel down now, the hole is deep enough.

    Maybe mcLaughlin was confused and thought Brady was Juan Smith;)
    it would have been far safer to play Danielli at loosehead than a 19 year old kid, yet to play a pro game. Brady is a seasoned pro of the front row.

    by the way, down to 14 men (and Brady on), Ulster didn't concede any more points, so it wasn't all bad.

    If you want to find someone to point the finger at, I'd be looking at who is responsible for recruitment and how Ulster ended up with a 19 year old prop on the bench against an Italian team.
    Or the committee who appointed McLaughlin


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    #1140
    jm08
    Registered Users Posts: 11,300 ✭✭✭✭jm08


    irishbucsfan wrote: »
    Or the committee who appointed McLaughlin

    thats the same committee who appointed the director of rugby and the ceo then, is it?


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    #1141
    irishbucsfan
    Registered Users Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    jm08 wrote: »
    irishbucsfan wrote: »
    Or the committee who appointed McLaughlin

    thats the same committee who appointed the director of rugby and the ceo then, is it?
    I believe a man called Ian Rainey, a recruiting consultant, was tasked with appointing them.

    EDIT: And I think, although not certain, that he is now on the new committee? Someone might correct me on that.


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