Ulster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

jacothelad

jacothelad wrote: »

Me too but I think we can relax. I've been reliably informed that Tommy Bowe will not be singing in public ever again.



>>>...unless of course you are referring to Fez's situation.

He did a great version of Black Velvet Band when he was on The Restaurant!

bilston

dregin wrote: »

Won't lie. Every time I see a new post marked for this thread, I fear the worst...

Aye, same here. I fear it is a matter of time now

Buer

So Ludik is confirmed. A full back by trade who has played most of his rugby in the past year at 13.

Exactly what was needed!

bilston

Buer wrote: »

So Ludik is confirmed. A full back by trade who has played most of his rugby in the past year at 13.

Exactly what was needed!

You can never have enough good players Buer. I bet Ulster will be thanking their lucky stars to have Ludik next season given our injury woes over the last two years. It's not that much of a stretch to say we could lose Pienaar to SA and Jackson, Marshall, Olding, Cave, Payne, Trimble and Bowe to Ireland, maybe even Gilroy, at some stage or other.

That said our need is in the back row, particularly in terms of back up at 6 and 7. Some IQ Kiwi called Brendan O'Connor has been linked to us but then if he played in the JWC he can't be Irish qualified?

Dominic Ryan come on down...

tac4271

bilston wrote: »

You can never have enough good players Buer. I bet Ulster will be thanking their lucky stars to have Ludik next season given our injury woes over the last two years. It's not that much of a stretch to say we could lose Pienaar to SA and Jackson, Marshall, Olding, Cave, Payne, Trimble and Bowe to Ireland, maybe even Gilroy, at some stage or other.

That said our need is in the back row, particularly in terms of back up at 6 and 7. Some IQ Kiwi called Brendan O'Connor has been linked to us but then if he played in the JWC he can't be Irish qualified?

Dominic Ryan come on down...

I think they have to play against a team whose second designated team is also their U20s. In 2009 NZ played Argentina, Ireland, Uruguay, Australia and England. I don't know what Uruguay's second designated team is but the rest are the 'A' teams.

former legend

bilston wrote: »

That said our need is in the back row, particularly in terms of back up at 6 and 7. Some IQ Kiwi called Brendan O'Connor has been linked to us but then if he played in the JWC he can't be Irish qualified?
..

The Junior All Blacks are their second team so the JWC wouldn't disqualify him.

bilston

former legend wrote: »

The Junior All Blacks are their second team so the JWC wouldn't disqualify him.

Are the Junior All Blacks not the same as their U20s?

former legend

bilston wrote: »

Are the Junior All Blacks not the same as their U20s?

No, they're like their A team but haven't actually played a game in three years.

CIARAN_BOYLE

bilston wrote: »

Are the Junior All Blacks not the same as their U20s?

That is the baby blacks junior is nz a

Buer

bilston wrote: »

You can never have enough good players Buer. I bet Ulster will be thanking their lucky stars to have Ludik next season given our injury woes over the last two years. It's not that much of a stretch to say we could lose Pienaar to SA and Jackson, Marshall, Olding, Cave, Payne, Trimble and Bowe to Ireland, maybe even Gilroy, at some stage or other.

That said our need is in the back row, particularly in terms of back up at 6 and 7. Some IQ Kiwi called Brendan O'Connor has been linked to us but then if he played in the JWC he can't be Irish qualified?

Dominic Ryan come on down...

You're right but you also went on to make the point I should have made originally.

Ulster need a back row signing. Henry is well established in the Irish 23 now and Ferris is essentially gone. A South African lump capable of playing 6 or 7 is what Ulster should have been looking at. That would allow Diack to cover 8 with Wilson ageing and Williams a little injury prone.

You're going to be very light in the back row. Doyle is leaving and no further signing there. If Henry is with Ireland then you'll have Diack, Williams, Wilson, McComish and Henderson (who might be gone too). Joyce can cover from academy too but I'm surprised Humphreys hasn't looked elsewhere for cover.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Buer wrote: »

You're right but you also went on to make the point I should have made originally.

Ulster need a back row signing. Henry is well established in the Irish 23 now and Ferris is essentially gone. A South African lump capable of playing 6 or 7 is what Ulster should have been looking at. That would allow Diack to cover 8 with Wilson ageing and Williams a little injury prone.

You're going to be very light in the back row. Doyle is leaving and no further signing there. If Henry is with Ireland then you'll have Diack, Williams, Wilson, McComish and Henderson (who might be gone too). Joyce can cover from academy too but I'm surprised Humphreys hasn't looked elsewhere for cover.

Well they signed buttersworth from the ail

Buer

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Well they signed buttersworth from the ail

True but not really the type of player I was thinking they need. He'll give a bit more cover to the squad but not sure he'll make the 23 even during international windows.

hype101

Saw Ewan Murray parted ways with Worcester.. Would be a nice bit of business I thought.. Also Dom Ryan and/or Dave O'Callaghan would do nicely

CIARAN_BOYLE

Buer wrote: »

True but not really the type of player I was thinking they need. He'll give a bit more cover to the squad but not sure he'll make the 23 even during international windows.

True dom ryan would be perfect imo

bilston

Is Dom Ryan out of contract?

CIARAN_BOYLE

bilston wrote: »

Is Dom Ryan out of contract?

No one more year but I've a feeling that he would be allowed leave if he wanted and had a good offer. Too far down the pecking order at leinster.

CatFromHue

I suppose the difficulty for Ryan is that he's been in alot of squads and has actually made alot of appearances for Leinster this season, 17 games in total but only 5 of them were starts.

So he can justify it to himself in saying that he is involved alot so he has the opportunity to push for bigger games and then he'd be looking at Jennings and thinking he's not that young. Were the problem is though is that he's only made 5 starts, which is down from 7 last year, 8 the year before, and 15 the year before that.

awec

Can we move Henderson back to 6? At least he can give us some forward ball.

bilston

awec wrote: »

Can we move Henderson back to 6? At least he can give us some forward ball.

He's been developing really well in the second row, I'd be inclined to keep him there for his sake. But that might not be in Ulster's interests.

blackdog1

bilston wrote: »

He's been developing really well in the second row, I'd be inclined to keep him there for his sake. But that might not be in Ulster's interests.

Word is you signed 2 ail players. 1 is butterworth don't know the other.

Glass Prison 1214

blackdog1 wrote: »

Word is you signed 2 ail players. 1 is butterworth don't know the other.

I'd imagine the other is Ger Slattery, hooker from Munster.

blackdog1

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

I'd imagine the other is Ger Slattery, hooker from Munster.

Maybe your a bit light at hooker. My understanding was it was 2 players on training contracts and maybe brendan o connor. You would think you would have to sign a 6 to replace ferris. You signef butterworth to replace doyle. You also have no 7s in your academy. Joyce is s 6/8. You would be surprised how good ail players become on a pro contract. I saw a lot of pro players that get outplayed by amateurs who never were in the "system" im delighted if you sign some. Could be some real gems

Buer

A little trickier to get HEC stats for Ulster as it's less clear cut as to who took which penalties given RP could have been taking some of the long distance ones that missed. With that in mind, the below percentages are for the Pro12 only.

Jackson: 72%
Pienaar: 72%

Jackson took over twice the number of kicks Pienaar took throughout the season. He's also badly let down by his kicking in the first two months of the season (59%) and has been much improved in the last couple of months (80%).

It's worth pointing out that the highest percentage kicker, by a distance, was McKinney. He didn't take 20 kicks which is the minimum number to be in contention for the golden boot. However, he was 13/13 for the season. If he took 7 more kicks and made 5 of them, he'd have won the golden boot award.

$ausage$

Dont forget about Taggart who is away at the U-20 WC, only ulster player playing! but a out and out 7 too.

$ausage$

Buer wrote: »

It's worth pointing out that the highest percentage kicker, by a distance, was McKinney. He didn't take 20 kicks which is the minimum number to be in contention for the golden boot. However, he was 13/13 for the season. If he took 7 more kicks and made 5 of them, he'd have won the golden boot award.

McKinney has awesome kicking! no one can dispute that but this is not the NFL you need an all round game or guys round you that can make up for your D like ROG had. I think a stint away to bulk up and gain the confidence will do him well not another year in the AIL.

bilston

$ausage$ wrote: »

Dont forget about Taggart who is away at the U-20 WC, only ulster player playing! but a out and out 7 too.

At the moment Taggart could be thrown in at the deep end next season, there isn't a other 7 in the squad outside of Henry. Hopefully that will change.

CIARAN_BOYLE

bilston wrote: »

At the moment Taggart could be thrown in at the deep end next season, there isn't a other 7 in the squad outside of Henry. Hopefully that will change.

Is Butterworth not a 7?

$ausage$

yeh he is an out and out 7 but still untested at that level

Edit: suppose Brendon O'Connor could still be coming

bilston

Ulster have just confirmed the inevitable...

Bad times

Tox56

bilston wrote: »

Ulster have just confirmed the inevitable...

Bad times

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/News/LatestNews/TabId/149/ArtMID/793/ArticleID/1547/Stephen-Ferris-to-retire-from-rugby-.aspx

Hes gone alright :(:(