Stephen Ferris's career may be over.

gosullivan89

The Irish times and independent are reporting that Fez's career may be over due to the recurring ankle injury.

I was under the impression that it was his good ankle got a knock or something this time, losing fez completely would be terrible.

.ak

It would be terrible but probably an idea we've come to terms with at this stage.

Hopefully it's just a bit of journalism gone mad over at the IT.

gosullivan89

.ak wrote: »

It would be terrible but probably an idea we've come to terms with at this stage.

Hopefully it's just a bit of journalism gone mad over at the IT.

Yeah i suppose it would be a long time coming, played 4 games after 16 months out only to be sidelined again, he'd have to question it himself too.

i was hoping to see him in the RWC 2015. we'd have huge depth in the backrow with him, SOB, POM, heaslip, Henry and all these up and comers

pickarooney

A long drawn-out inevitability, sadly. Whether it's now in a year after his next comeback

thomond2006

Now that Rory isn't getting hitched it's time to spend the wedding costs on more important matters in life: Rebuild Ferris!

pickarooney

Are McIlory and Wozniacki done?

awec

pickarooney wrote: »

Are McIlory and Wozniacki done?

Yes.

http://www.independent.ie/woman/celeb-news/its-over-rory-mcilroy-ends-engagement-to-caroline-wozniacki-30292782.html

Can't believe i just posted a link in the rugby forum from the celeb gossip section .

evil_seed

Not surprised I hate to say. A persons bosy is esigned to hold a certain amount of weight. You can build all the muscle in the world, but you cannot build ligaments, joints etc. The body will break down. That's my opinion anyway. Massive loss for the international team. One of my faves in recent years

pickarooney

awec wrote: »

Yes.

http://www.independent.ie/woman/celeb-news/its-over-rory-mcilroy-ends-engagement-to-caroline-wozniacki-30292782.html

Can't believe i just posted a link in the rugby forum from the celeb gossip section .

Silver lining to this thread then.

awec

You can never watch this too many times:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55xPjGFWv9o

.ak

It's such a pity that the career arcs of Wallace, Ferris and SOB didn't seem to overlap much. Hopefully Fez and SOB can still play some rugby together. Our backrow was one of the highlights of the 2011 RWC imo.

awec

I'm trying to find the alternative rugby commentary of that Genia incident but it seems to have disappeared off the internet

funtime93

.ak wrote: »

It's such a pity that the career arcs of Wallace, Ferris and SOB didn't seem to overlap much. Hopefully Fez and SOB can still play some rugby together. Our backrow was one of the highlights of the 2011 RWC imo.

Jesus yeh could you imagine a backrow of 6 Ferris 7 Wallace 8 O'Brien :eek:

awec

BBC saying a decision to be made soon.

Also just remembered his performance in the quarter final at Thomond - demonic.

.ak

awec wrote: »

BBC saying a decision to be made soon.

Also just remembered his performance in the quarter final at Thomond - demonic.

TBH that sounds pretty ominous. If any decisions need to be made in the first place.

danthefan

His management crowd haven't denied it. The writing is on the wall sadly.

molloyjh

For as disappointing as it may be from a rugby perspective I can only think this is a good thing for him personally. Imagine the impacts of the existing injuries in later life or how bad it would be if he tried to push on. Plus the last few years have been a constant battle for him with loads of setbacks and false starts. That must get soul destroying after a while. He's given us some great moments, was a fantastic player and he'll always be one of those big names. It's sad that his career had to end this way, but sometimes its just best to call it quits and move on.

mulliansg

Ulster/Ireland ran him into the ground. Pray the doesn't happen to SOB and Hendon.

awec

mulliansg wrote: »

Ulster/Ireland ran him into the ground. Pray the doesn't happen to SOB and Hendon.

Total nonsense, to be honest.

Podge_irl

awec wrote: »

Total nonsense, to be honest.

He was never fit long enough to be run into the ground!

mulliansg

awec wrote: »

Total nonsense, to be honest.

Playing him when he shouldn't have been played. He ran around on that injured ankle for too long before he couldn't do it anymore.

gosullivan89

mulliansg wrote: »

Ulster/Ireland ran him into the ground. Pray the doesn't happen to SOB and Hendon.

He did what he does best and used his body as a battering ram, unfortunately that leads to a lot of injury, he's been unlucky have gotten injured so much.

awec

mulliansg wrote: »

Playing him when he shouldn't have been played. He ran around on that injured ankle for too long before he couldn't do it anymore.

He is just one of those players who are very unlucky. Luke Fitzgerald is another.

Podge_irl

mulliansg wrote: »

Playing him when he shouldn't have been played. He ran around on that injured ankle for too long before he couldn't do it anymore.

If he didn't run around carrying some kind of injury he probably would have retired 4 years ago.

Awful shame for him personally after putting in so much work over the last 2 years just for it to come to this.

English Lurker

funtime93 wrote: »

Jesus yeh could you imagine a backrow of 6 Ferris 7 Wallace 8 O'Brien :eek:

Anyone who didn't want to see that doesn't like rugby.

Even the South Africans normally pick less physical back rows than that.

Neil3030

A guy that big, that strong, that quick, that ferocious, that fearless, that direct.... sadly something had to give

gosullivan89

Screw Achilles heal, it's all about Fez's Ankle....

heel*

.ak

TBH I don't think that's true (that he was ran into the ground), but I wouldn't put it past the IRFU to do it either. Healy and Marshall spring to mind when it comes to player welfare being ignored. Healy in particular, I remember seeing an instagram picture of the strapping they use for his ankles prior to the castres game. Like, heavy strapping on the joint, then the boot over the strapping, then strapping the boot to the leg and joint. There is zero flexibility there. He had to scrummage on his tippy toes.

Zzippy

awec wrote: »

Yes.

http://www.independent.ie/woman/celeb-news/its-over-rory-mcilroy-ends-engagement-to-caroline-wozniacki-30292782.html

Can't believe i just posted a link in the rugby forum from the celeb gossip section .

Banned

Podge_irl

.ak wrote: »

TBH I don't think that's true (that he was ran into the ground), but I wouldn't put it past the IRFU to do it either. Healy and Marshall spring to mind when it comes to player welfare being ignored. Healy in particular, I remember seeing an instagram picture of the strapping they use for his ankles prior to the castres game. Like, heavy strapping on the joint, then the boot over the strapping, then strapping the boot to the leg and joint. There is zero flexibility there. He had to scrummage on his tippy toes.

Perhaps, but we're not (most of us) doctors.

Perhaps whatever injury he was carrying was unlikely to be exacerbated with that level of strapping but needs surgery in the off-season? I see nothing wrong with that - they know far more about the health needs of the players than we do. If Healy playing with limited flexibility in one foot is better for the team and poses no unreasonable level of danger to the player himself than what's the problem?

gosullivan89

Zzippy wrote: »

Banned

woo!

twinytwo

Podge_irl wrote: »

Perhaps, but we're not (most of us) doctors.

Perhaps whatever injury he was carrying was unlikely to be exacerbated with that level of strapping but needs surgery in the off-season? I see nothing wrong with that - they know far more about the health needs of the players than we do. If Healy playing with limited flexibility in one foot is better for the team and poses no unreasonable level of danger to the player himself than what's the problem?

Unfortunately this is down side to professional sport and the win at all costs mentality.

Podge_irl

twinytwo wrote: »

Unfortunately this is down side to professional sport and the win at all costs mentality.

I don't think it needs to be professional for a win at all costs mentality.

Equally, in such a professional structure, they will have calculated the risk of the injury being exacerbated and Healy missing a longer chunk of time because of that. This is all quite scientific (though I don't doubt that rules get bent at times).

Larbre34

Uh-oh mods power struggle! Somebody think of the Rugby minis!

Very unfortunate about Ferris if its borne out. Only a year since we lost the talents of EOM and then guys like McKinley, Flannery, Leamy before. Its a tough old game and bad things happen.

However, the cameo come back was worth it just to see the reception he got in Ravenhill the night he came off the bench against Scarlets and rampaged like an X-Man, poor old Kristian Phillips (I think) was carried into the middle of next week.

Respect Stevie.

GiftofGab

Still only rumors at this stage. I reckon if Ferris or his management don't squash it in the next few days then we have to assume its true.

Wonder what he would do if he retires? Go into coaching? He looks like he would be a handy strength and conditioning coach.

Zzippy

twinytwo wrote: »

Unfortunately this is down side to professional sport and the win at all costs mentality.

I would say all sport, not just professional. Anyone who has played sport to a reasonable level will have played at some time or other when they shouldn't have. Especially for big games, you're pumped up and want to play at all costs. I've played on with fractured bones rather than come off early, and started games against medical advice. A professional player has to consider the future and his career, and the stakes may be higher, but I would imagine they have the same desire to play and willingness to play through injury in order to win.

gosullivan89

GiftofGab wrote: »

Still only rumors at this stage. I reckon if Ferris or his management don't squash it in the next few days then we have to assume its true.

Wonder what he would do if he retires? Go into coaching? He looks like he would be a handy strength and conditioning coach.

I'd like to see him stay involved with ulster, he's be good in some role, maybe he can coach people on how to carry a scrumhalf up the pitch :P

former legend

.ak wrote: »

TBH I don't think that's true (that he was ran into the ground), but I wouldn't put it past the IRFU to do it either. Healy and Marshall spring to mind when it comes to player welfare being ignored. Healy in particular, I remember seeing an instagram picture of the strapping they use for his ankles prior to the castres game. Like, heavy strapping on the joint, then the boot over the strapping, then strapping the boot to the leg and joint. There is zero flexibility there. He had to scrummage on his tippy toes.

Did Marshall not get a few months off last season though? I know he's had a few concussions but has the IRFU been forcing him back? I wouldn't have thought so but maybe I missed something

.ak

former legend wrote: »

Did Marshall not get a few months off last season though? I know he's had a few concussions but has the IRFU been forcing him back? I wouldn't have thought so but maybe I missed something

I was thinking in particular the 6N in 2013 where he was played the week after a bad concussion and then picked up another in that game I think.

gosullivan89

.ak wrote: »

I was thinking in particular the 6N in 2013 where he was played the week after a bad concussion and then picked up another in that game I think.

He got two concussions in 2 weeks and was then ruled out for a few weeks wasn't he? most players would be cleared to play the week after a concussion, it was just unfortunate that he got another one straight away.

.ak

gosullivan89 wrote: »

He got two concussions in 2 weeks and was then ruled out for a few weeks wasn't he? most players would be cleared to play the week after a concussion, it was just unfortunate that he got another one straight away.

I don't think it was unfortunate or luck involved there. There is a back to play procedure but if the concussion is bad it's a lot more than a week before you can play again as the possibility of picking up another concussion is very high. I have a feeling the IRFU didn't follow the set guidelines there.

gosullivan89

.ak wrote: »

I don't think it was unfortunate or luck involved there. There is a back to play procedure but if the concussion is bad it's a lot more than a week before you can play again as the possibility of picking up another concussion is very high. I have a feeling the IRFU didn't follow the set guidelines there.

Could be, but they are generally pretty good with maintaining player welfare

jacothelad

mulliansg wrote: »

Playing him when he shouldn't have been played. He ran around on that injured ankle for too long before he couldn't do it anymore.

He never played after the game in which he injured his ankle in Nov 2012 until last month.

pc7

Jeez that's a real pity, poor guy (and us)

awec

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBPsBUAQO2k

More magic. Notable one at about 2:30 against Scarlets. Scarlet player just bounces off him.

Watching that really makes you remember just how fast the guy is. Unbelievable gas for such a big unit.

.ak

awec wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBPsBUAQO2k

More magic. Notable one at about 2:30 against Scarlets. Scarlet player just bounces off him.

Watching that really makes you remember just how fast the guy is. Unbelievable gas for such a big unit.

The funniest part of that try is the last defender refusing to tackle him.

awec

.ak wrote: »

The funniest part of that try is the last defender refusing to tackle him.

In the interests of self preservation!

shuffol

My favourite Ferris moment was against Leinster around christmas 08 when he floored Elsom with a handoff. Not sure if there's any clips of it.

Funk It

Some legend, have to say though, my favorite highlight of the man was against England when Haskell was furiously roaring at him and trying to go head to head. His response was to merely smile back like a madman.

Heroditas

.ak wrote: »

I don't think it was unfortunate or luck involved there. There is a back to play procedure but if the concussion is bad it's a lot more than a week before you can play again as the possibility of picking up another concussion is very high. I have a feeling the IRFU didn't follow the set guidelines there.

Ah here, that's quite a serious allegation to be making!

.ak

Heroditas wrote: »

Ah here, that's quite a serious allegation to be making!

It's not an allegation, it's just a feeling. Maybe it's the cynic in me. Either way we'll never know.