Ulster Bank League players signing professional contracts

garryowenman

Does anyone think there is any more Ulster Bank League players that should pick up contracts with the provinces next year.

I was delighted to see Martin Kelly sign a contract with Munster.

Its beginning to frustrate me that more UBL players aren't getting contracts.

Every year Connacht seem to be bringing in foreign players and ignoring the talent that is available in the UBL.

Craig Ronaldson has done very well with Connacht , so too has Barry O' Mahony + Gerry Hurley with Munster.

For me David Joyce with Clontarf, Ger Slattery with YM, Charlie Butterworth with Lansdowne and Mike Mcgrath of tarf are all worthy of development contracts

What do grass root supporters think??? Am I being a bit biased towards the UBL.




Personally I think Charlie Butterworth

Hagz

garryowenman wrote: »

Craig Ronaldson has done very well with Connacht , so too has Barry O' Mahony + Gerry Hurley with Munster.

Not really though. I suppose Ronaldson had done alright, but BOM has only played 100mins this season, and Gerry Hurley 35 mins. Foreign players usually demand more game-time than that.

Beery Eyed

McGrath from Clontarf deserves a shot at pro rugby after this season in my opinion. Anyone who scores that many tries & has the pace & strength to stand out at AIL could potentially hold their own, or even make an impact at pro level.

Darragh Fanning was another AIL winger who gained a pro contract with Connacht after showing good form with Mary's. It didn't really work out for him there, but he came back to Leinster & he has played a significant role in the team this season.

My hope is that the lines will continue to blur between provincial & club rugby as the pool of talent continues to grow. When you consider that earlier in the season there was supposedly a "crisis" with Leinster back three players being unavailable, it would be ideal if there was the possibility of handing an opportunity to a young guy like McGrath (still only 23) and potentially finding another option for league & "A" level games.

The Lost Sheep

There is definitely more who are capable. Don't see why you should be getting frustrated about it but many are either just not up to it or they dont want to play pro ball.
Ger Slattery has already been on deals with Munster. Training deals over 2 seasons before development contract this season
Im very much a monstrous supporter of the AIL. Just check this seasons thread for evidence of it but I would say you are wrong on Connacht ignoring the talented players that are in the AIL. They've signed plenty over past few seasons through AIL and looked at others though not signed them on deals.

bamboozle

It will be interesting to see how Kelly does. If he's given a 2 year deal, as he can train full time and spend his first season getting up to speed at AIL 1A then hope to make the Munster squad during the 6N's of his second season that would be good progress. The AIL is a serious testing ground for props.

There are players in the AIL who i think are far better than some fringe provincial players but are unfortunate in that there own province are well stocked in that position, in other situations there are lads who probably could have stayed in the pro game but with limited game time or at a lower level but chose to focus on their working career and playing AIL - Crawford being an example here.

Players like Mick McGrath, Ian Hirst, Ben Reilly, RBF are all good enough to play Rabo rugby. Danny Riordan being let go by Connacht still to me looks like a crazy move considering the quality he shows at AIL - then again Connacht were quick to release James Downey and also Shane Monaghan. Danny Kenny left UCD last season to try get into the pro game, he's at Doncaster now in the 3rd tier in England.

Then there are also some fabulous footballers in the AIL but have been unlucky with injury or just dont have the physique to last in the pro game.

I'd love to see the UBL team that played this season being pitted against the Connacht or Ulster A teams..they'd be tight games.

.ak

What's a real disgrace is the amount of J5 players ignored by professional setups. :mad:

.ak

Ignoring that though, I'd love to see McGrath get involved with Leinster.

tiger_cub

garryowenman wrote: »

Every year Connacht seem to be bringing in foreign players and ignoring the talent that is available in the UBL.

Your post stinks of someone who is pissed that Connacht are finally getting some decent signings.

That's ridiculously harsh on Connacht. This season and last season have been the only real seasons where we have brought in a lot of foreign players, and that's mostly down to Pat Lam and his SH connections. For years we have a seriously depleted squad and had to graft hard. Pat Lam was hired to bring in these signings and make us a competitive professional team as opposed to a 'development' /'feeder' squad.

Currently we have Matt Healy, Craig Ronaldson and Brian Murphy who were all signed directly from UBL. We signed Mata Fafita directly from Sligo. That's not bad for such an overall small squad. Are there any other players at other provinces that were signed from UBL and went straight into playing H Cup rugby??

Corinthians cpt. Finn Gormley was playing for Connacht Eagles last year, Wegians Paul Griffin played for them this year.

Not having a go at you at all, just highlighting the above.

stars20

I think Connacht have been great giving UBL players a chance but with Pat Lam it looks like he has more of an eye on NZ players but I saw Ian Porter and Shane O'Leary were both signed today which is good. There is defo players in the UBL good enough to be playing in the Rabo. I wonder if Championship teams would consider watching UBL games

CIARAN_BOYLE

Look at Fafita he was signed from the UBL by Connacht, Connacht give great opportunity to young player

Losty Dublin

.ak wrote: »

What's a real disgrace is the amount of J5 players ignored by professional setups. :mad:

Wasn't it John McWeeney who went from J5 rugby for St. Mary's in 1995 to debuting against the All Blacks in 1997?

bamboozle

.ak wrote: »

Ignoring that though, I'd love to see McGrath get involved with Leinster.

I believe McGrath is training with Leinster, similar to how fanning initially was involved last season.

He has the raw ingredients to be a decent player at pro12 level and I hope Leinster offer him a contract. He certainly has the power, bulk and physique that moc seems to like in his players.

Shelflife

Its a big step up from AIL to pro rugby, first off the player would most likely have to leave their full time job or go on leave of absence.

2. the contract that they get would most likely be a big wage cut if they have any decent job in the first place.

3. it would prob involve a move from say Dublin to Galway.

4. few players would go straight into the team, it would prob take 6 months to get the player up to the level of being able to play at pro level without getting injured.

5.huge culture change, not every player would have the stomach or the discipline for prof rugby.

Pro teams need players ready to go, hence signing of foreign players, in the event of an injury ,having to throw an AIL player in at the deep end could be costly for everyone.

Stainalert

Clive Ross (Mike Ross's cousin) has signed development contract with Ulster - Playing out of Ballymena this season

.ak

.ak wrote: »

Ignoring that though, I'd love to see McGrath get involved with Leinster.

Hmm...

Not Playing Tiddlywinks Vinny

Stainalert wrote: »

Clive Ross (Mike Ross's cousin) has signed development contract with Ulster - Playing out of Ballymena this season

Charlie Butterworth with Ulster playing with Hinch, Niyi Adelukwon (sorry) signed by connacht.

Some guys getting a chance now on the back of solid seasons.

Stainalert

Not Playing Tiddlywinks Vinny wrote: »

Charlie Butterworth with Ulster playing with Hinch, Niyi Adelukwon (sorry) signed by connacht.

Some guys getting a chance now on the back of solid seasons.

Clive Ross getting his first Pro 12 start with Ulster tomorrow

Stainalert

Stainalert wrote: »

Clive Ross getting his first Pro 12 start with Ulster tomorrow

Dylan Donnellan has signed for Biarritz

Stainalert

http://www.balls.ie/rugby/matt-d-arcy-rugby/295132