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

Stuart Olding is being linked with Brive, who were relegated to ProD2 this season.
https://www.rugbyrama.fr/rugby/transferts/2017-2018/transferts-stuart-olding-vers-brive_sto6776404/story.shtml

Devastating for Payne, but I hope he has a long, happy and healthy career in coaching. Delighed he is travelling to Australia - he has been a great servant to Irish rugby and glad that he is now being given this well deserved opportunity.

jr86 wrote: »

I wonder are they putting out the feelers to test a reaction?

I think Olding will be ok though, he's not as high profile as Jackson and his actions outside the courtroom generated a positive reaction in some quarters

D2 means he won't really be in the limelight anyway. Head down for a year and then go from there

I think there was little or no reaction to Olding at the time, it was mostly focused towards Jackson.

Squad currently : (International duty), (long term injury), (Academy)

L’Head)                      Warwick, McCall, Van De Merve, O’Hagan, O’Sullivan
Hooker)                      Best, Herring, Andrew, MCBurney, McCall, Clarke
T’Head)                      Kane, O’Toole, Moore, Ah You, Herbst
2^nd Row)                    Henderson, Treadwell, O’Connor, Dalton, Regan, Browne, McCusker
B/Row)                      Coetzee, Muprhy, Deysel, Rea Snr, Timoney, Reidy, Ross, Rea Jnr, Henry, Jones, Hall, Dunleavy, 
Scrum’H)                    Cooney, Shanahan, Stewart
Out’ ½)                       McPhilips, Lowry, 
Centres)                     McCloskey,Marshall, Cave, Curtis, Hume, Butler
Wings/Fb)                 Stockdale,Ludik, Gilroy, Addison, Nelson, Lyttle, Busby

*international duty may vary and could also lose Coetzee if he returned to Pre injury form (highly doubtful).

Many more long term injuries and we're fecked in the backs. Not including several players have recurring issues e.g. Herbst, Lytlee, McCall

Utah_Saint wrote: »

We've lost an impressive backline this year...

Pienaar
Jackson
Trimble
Olding
Payne
Bowe
Piutau

Where do Ulster go from here? They need players but players are not available this time of the year?? They must have serious cash freed up in wages at this stage?

jr86 wrote: »

I wonder are they putting out the feelers to test a reaction?

I think Olding will be ok though, he's not as high profile as Jackson and his actions outside the courtroom generated a positive reaction in some quarters

D2 means he won't really be in the limelight anyway. Head down for a year and then go from there

Exactly what I was thinking. Brive is a decent club with a long history and I think there is a good support base. They will be fighting to get back into the Top 14 next season, and Olding could be a good signing for them in that endeavour. It could work out well for him.

I think this is a better situation for Olding also compared to the Sale rumours.

He's more than likely better off distancing himself from Jackson, if the two are announced at the same club he immediately gets dragged into the conversation, whereas on his own the outcry will be quieter sans Jackson.

jr86 wrote: »

Absolutely.

Any (even trivial) off field incident involving Jackson and he'd be dragged in to the conversation there aswell

Move on his own to an obscure division with little media scrutiny, keep the head down and I could see Olding going on to still have a stellar career in Europe (injury permitting)

It remains to be seen will there be a backlash with regard to this development, but I don't think public opinion was ever really strong enough on Olding, and his actions outside the courtroom even warmed him to some, in complete contrast to PJ

Except of course to the twitterati who wanted the other two fired by the IRFU as well. I’m sure there will always be a few disaffected overly loud protestors no matter where they go. France would be a better bet though than England.

His market value would have absolutely bottomed out. Brive have picked up an excellent player for peanuts, you'd imagine.

stephen_n wrote: »

Except of course to the twitterati who wanted the other two fired by the IRFU as well. I’m sure there will always be a few disaffected overly loud protestors no matter where they go. France would be a better bet though than England.

I always find this stuff to be a bit ill-informed. Yes you'll have the odd nutball who wants to have their say, but the vast majority of comments I saw were from Sale supporters who were not in the least bit happy about it.

I think we all knew the Payne news was coming but it’s sad a great player didn’t go out on his own terms. He’s been huge for Ulster and Ireland - remember he was the first to fill the 13 shirt after O’Driscoll and despite misgivings from certain pundits he proved more than worthy of it. He could have huge potential as a coach and it’s great to have him transition.

An important note on him traveling to Aus, not only does it give him experience but apparently Ulster were the only province not running the Andy Farrell / Ireland defence as a base model so hopefully we improve further in that area. Could also help Ulster guys get more into international consideration.

stephen_n wrote: »

I wasn't reffering to Sale fans, I was pointing out that no matter what there will always be someone to complain on Twitter.

If they are in large numbers thay might have an influence. But it's fans reacting en masse that gets the sponsors worried.