Ulster Team Talk Thread III: Les Miserables SEE MOD WARNING POST #1924 + #2755

They might recruit Macken. Solid depth guy. Maybe Hume will step up next season. Ulster will be better next season.

Would Keatley be a better player than Ian Humphreys was?

Keatley at his best is roughly 7 and a half billion times better than iHumph. Hence one of those lads started for Ireland in the 6 Nations while the other wasn't really ever close to getting capped.

At his worst though there's not much in it. As a backup you'd probably mostly be getting that version of him.

awec wrote: »

My non-UAFC in-the-know person says Ulster don't really want Carbery and are very reluctant on Keatley. Pushing the IRFU hard for a big name NIQ as a statement of intent after the shambles of this season. Bit of gamesmanship being played in the media.

Who is available for next season at this stage though?

I think it's very disingenuous to say the IRFU created this situation.

They're doing the best they can in the circumstances they've been dealt.

awec wrote: »

My non-UAFC in-the-know person says Ulster don't really want Carbery and are very reluctant on Keatley. Pushing the IRFU hard for a big name NIQ as a statement of intent after the shambles of this season. Bit of gamesmanship being played in the media.

Completely understandable by Ulster.

As for the media there’s a lot of double standards going on. Take Keatley for instance, if Carbery heads to Munster why would he ‘obviously’ go to Ulster? He probably would believe he is a better 10 than Carbery and want to fight for the jersey and who’s to say he wouldn’t win? It’s a better outcome than heading north to be a placeholder until McPhillips can replace you.

It’s all speculation and manipulation right now and it’s pretty ugly.

awec wrote: »

It is very frustrating. The IRFU created this mess and they now expect Ulster to fix it.

No matter how many times you keep saying this, it won’t make it true anywhere except in your head. Unless you believe the IRFU forced PJ and SO to have sex with that girl, then forced them to have that WhatsApp conversation, then forced the CPS to prosecute them and bring that information into the public domain. If you do believe that, I can refer you to someone if you like.

bilston wrote: »

I don't get why they are so intent on a big name. Well I do, it's for season tickets. They just keep making the same f****** mistakes again.

I thought he had moved pass the whole "pick him, he's got a South African/Australian/Kiwi accent".

For example given Ireland are the 2nd best team in the world and SA are No.5 or 6 or whatever it might just be that Ireland's 2nd choice out half is better than South Africa's 3rd choice.

What’s worse is that if this is true they are also continuing to make the same mistake with the IRFU. At what point are Ulster going to realise that they need to work with the IRFU to help develop IQ talent? Signing a big name 10 would relegate a very promising IQ player to the bench. Why would the IRFU ever agree to that? It’s just stupidity from Ulster, like signing a big name back 3 player when they needed to sort out their pack.

If I were a cynical man I’d probably think that UR are looking to ensure the IRFU are getting as much of the ire of the Ulster support as possible to take the heat off themselves.

prawnsambo wrote: »

Burkie1203 wrote: »

No they didnt.

They had to deal with the fallout of a situation they had no control over at all.

Maybe Ulster are a mess because the blame game always points the finger south.

And if people think what the IRFU did (in conjunction with UR) was an over-reaction, they only need to look at how the same situation went down at Sale.

Ah there wasn't that much hassle. I still reckon they will sign for Sale when nobody is paying attention in the summer.

I still think the IRFU were stuck between a rock and a hard place on Jackson and Olding. But let's not kid ourselves and think they revoked their contracts for moralistic reasons. They did it because the sponsors told them to.

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Lads, let's not lose the run of ourselves here.

Joe wants Carbery to be back-up ten at the RWC, which is a year away.

He's not happy with the number of starts Joey is getting at Leinster.

Everything else is secondary. If you think Heaven and Earth are being moved to get Ulster the ideal ten, you're not paying attention.

No doubt the IRFU are trying to move Carbery for Ireland's benefit. That's how Irish rugby works.

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

If you think Heaven and Earth are being moved to get Ulster the ideal ten, you're not paying attention.

Not one person has said this. I think its pretty clear who isn't paying attention.

bilston wrote: »

Ah there wasn't that much hassle. I still reckon they will sign for Sale when nobody is paying attention in the summer.

Well Jackson's lawyer claimed in court a few days ago that he has no current offers of employment.

Anyway, Independent is reporting that Marshall and Ludik are out for most of next season. So we need about ten new players in total.

(N.B. we do not need LITERALLY ten players, and it is not D4's fault. Just to avert any face-pulling.)

prawnsambo wrote: »

bilston wrote: »

Ah there wasn't that much hassle. I still reckon they will sign for Sale when nobody is paying attention in the summer.

I still think the IRFU were stuck between a rock and a hard place on Jackson and Olding. But let's not kid ourselves and think they revoked their contracts for moralistic reasons. They did it because the sponsors told them to.

Their main sponsor made it clear that they didn't want it happening. And they sponsor the stadium as well. If they can get them to come around, fair play, but it was a pretty damn quick reaction from them.

I thought their sponsor later denied that?