Stephen Ferris

Ruck Inspector · 20-05-2013 10:08PM #1

What's happening with him? Is he off to Japan or not?

mfceiling · 20-05-2013 10:14PM

No word on it yet.

Hagz · 20-05-2013 10:18PM

This was interesting to read. It has me thinking he'll stay.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/rugby/rabodirect-pro12/my-heart-is-with-ulster-says-stephen-ferris-29239747.html

awec · 20-05-2013 10:28PM

A fully fit Ferris back for Ulster would be immense. Ferris, Henderson and Williams in the same team? Yes please.

Zzippy · 20-05-2013 11:32PM

Was talking to a couple of Ulster fans at the HEC final who seemed to know a lot of the squad, they certainly had enough photos of themselves with them. They were definitely of the opinion that the Japan talk was just angling for a new contract, and that he would sign on again...

Larbre34 · 20-05-2013 11:46PM

You'd have to hope so. Japan would be a waste of his talent at his age. If he is spared injury for any stint he would be immense. Another guy perhaps who really fancies an Ireland squad under Schmidt

Stan27 · 02-03-2014 02:57PM

When is he back playing?

CatFromHue · 02-03-2014 02:58PM

It's not really known yet.

He is back training on the pitch with Ulster but doing no contact work I believe

bilston · 02-03-2014 05:59PM

Stan27 wrote: »

When is he back playing?

Someone on UAFC suggested he may feature against the Scarlets on the 14th March but then to be honest he may have been taking the p155 so who knows, but I suspect it will be sooner rather than later, or at least I hope it will be anyway.

Stan27 · 02-03-2014 06:04PM

bilston wrote: »

Someone on UAFC suggested he may feature against the Scarlets on the 14th March but then to be honest he may have been taking the p155 so who knows, but I suspect it will be sooner rather than later, or at least I hope it will be anyway.

Ye will be very interesting with the ireland back row with him and sob fit!!

bilston · 02-03-2014 10:27PM

Stan27 wrote: »

Ye will be very interesting with the ireland back row with him and sob fit!!

Well if he returns to his best yes but first thing is for him to get through a game of any level with his ankle intact.

CatFromHue · 02-03-2014 11:20PM

I think he's going to be on the Off the Ball rugby road show this week.

I can't remember anymore of the details though!

clsmooth · 03-03-2014 12:36AM

So it was an ankle problem as opposed to the knee??

awec · 03-03-2014 12:36AM

clsmooth wrote: »

So it was an ankle problem as opposed to the knee??

This time yes.

FellasFellas · 03-03-2014 01:58AM

He was meant to play for Dungannon against Trinity a few weeks back but didnt in the end, he'll be back before the end of the season definitely.

[Jackass] · 03-03-2014 03:07AM

He'd have to fight pretty hard for his place back in the Irish team the way O'Mahony is playing and having O'Brien and Heaslip in there too. Up and coming players like Ruddock, O'Donnell and Jordi Murphy would all be breathing down his neck too.

It's sad to say, but I don't know if he has much rugby left in him even if he does get back. I would say the best way to manage him would be keep him out for as much rehab as possible this season and have a heavily managed game schedule next season to try and get him off the pitch in one piece each time (probably no two games in a row) and get him match fit and his form back and then unleash him in the world cup, hell for leather.

That may be his final swansong.

It's gut wrenching because he's one of the best 6's in the world when fit.

Prawo_Jazdy · 03-03-2014 10:18AM

His power was something we really missed against england especially with SOB out, will be great to see him playing again in the future but it just feels like it's only a matter of time till he'll be out again. have to feel bad for him, the chap always gives 100% when playing

remwhite · 03-03-2014 11:26AM

If he gets back fit and playing to his potential he'll be a dead cert to start for Ireland. Unfortunately that may never happen but let's not forget how crocked O'Connell was a short while ago when the medics were more concerned about his well-being than if he'd play again. If we could wrap him in cotton wool until the world cup it'd be great.

He is, in my opinion alone, the best Irish player since O'Driscoll. He does everything superbly, and with such ferocity! Carries, tackles, offloads, counter rucks, scoring tries from close and from far out, tidy line out option, and what always struck me was his work rate, doing all the ugly stuff like mauling and rucking. Even in crappy Rabo matches his hunger for every inch always stood out for me.

If he makes it back, and that's a giant "if", the Irish back row should be him, O'Brien and Heaslip. Hard to imagine dropping O'Mahony given recent performances but that's how good I think Ferris is.

ScissorPaperRock · 03-03-2014 11:32AM

remwhite wrote: »

If he gets back fit and playing to his potential he'll be a dead cert to start for Ireland. Unfortunately that may never happen but let's not forget how crocked O'Connell was a short while ago when the medics were more concerned about his well-being than if he'd play again. If we could wrap him in cotton wool until the world cup it'd be great.

He is, in my opinion alone, the best Irish player since O'Driscoll. He does everything superbly, and with such ferocity! Carries, tackles, offloads, counter rucks, scoring tries from close and from far out, tidy line out option, and what always struck me was his work rate, doing all the ugly stuff like mauling and rucking. Even in crappy Rabo matches his hunger for every inch always stood out for me.

If he makes it back, and that's a giant "if", the Irish back row should be him, O'Brien and Heaslip. Hard to imagine dropping O'Mahony given recent performances but that's how good I think Ferris is.

I'd love to see him back again, but I don't know about being a dead cert. Like the wings, the back row is somewhere where we have a lot of depth. Admittedly we are missing a bit of ball carrying ability at the moment, and that is something he'd be perfect for.

But with all of POM, Heaslip, Henry, SOB and Ferris fit there would be some stiff competition, not to mention Ruddock and Jordi on their way up.

Edit: Tommy O'Donnell too, of course!

former legend · 03-03-2014 11:50AM

[Jackass] wrote: »

It's sad to say, but I don't know if he has much rugby left in him even if he does get back. I would say the best way to manage him would be keep him out for as much rehab as possible this season and have a heavily managed game schedule next season to try and get him off the pitch in one piece each time (probably no two games in a row) and get him match fit and his form back and then unleash him in the world cup, hell for leather.

But that won't be enough to get him into the World Cup squad. O'Mahony is too good to drop unless his replacement has shown himself to be in fantastic form, and I'd wager Ruddock won't be far behind come September 2015, so wrapping Ferris in cotton wool could actually be counter-productive as it won't let the coaches get a clear picture of what he can do.

LeBash · 03-03-2014 11:58AM

If he does get back schmidt has a fantastic headache picking the back row.

stephen_n · 03-03-2014 04:06PM

I honestly think people forget just how good Ferris is, it may well be a big leap, that he will get his best form back and stay injury free but as good as POM has been, he is still no where near Ferris at his best.

Ardillaun · 03-03-2014 04:22PM

That moment when he tucked Genia under his arm and went for a run is one of my favourites ever.

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience · 03-03-2014 04:26PM

Hasn't played the game in 2 years. He was world class but even two years ago he was rarely consistently fit

Doubt he'll ever play consistent rugby again and there's no guarantee he will be the force he once was

on the river · 03-03-2014 04:30PM

Hopfully ferris will come back a exceptional player

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

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience · 03-03-2014 04:31PM

Knew it would be a tribute video before I even looked at the post

Neil3030 · 03-03-2014 04:36PM

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience wrote: »

Hasn't played the game in 2 years. He was world class but even two years ago he was rarely consistently fit

Doubt he'll ever play consistent rugby again and there's no guarantee he will be the force he once was

But just think of the rage built up inside of him, from two years of not smashing other primates!

on the river · 03-03-2014 04:51PM

Neil3030 wrote: »

But just think of the rage built up inside of him, from two years of not smashing other primates!

ya ferris is very aggressive on the pitch . i heard he redirected his aggression

into art and painting

who_me · 03-03-2014 05:40PM

stephen_n wrote: »

I honestly think people forget just how good Ferris is, it may well be a big leap, that he will get his best form back and stay injury free but as good as POM has been, he is still no where near Ferris at his best.

Hard to compare them given they fulfil so different a role. Ferris is a physical freak who can just smash people in the tackle, and smash through tackles as a ballcarrier. POM provides his worth at the breakdown, and increasingly at the lineout (took more lineouts than POC & Toner combined vs England).

I guess it comes down to a "horses for courses" selection, picking dependent on where you think the need is.

awec · 03-03-2014 06:09PM

bilston wrote: »

Someone on UAFC suggested he may feature against the Scarlets on the 14th March but then to be honest he may have been taking the p155 so who knows, but I suspect it will be sooner rather than later, or at least I hope it will be anyway.

Just saw this.

Someone on UAFC claimed they had been speaking to the man himself and he is hopeful of getting a few games in before the Saracens game.

How true that is remains to be seen, but we only have 3 Rabo games before Saracens.

arodabomb · 03-03-2014 06:13PM

on the river wrote: »

Hopfully ferris will come back a exceptional player

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

That video is just ridiculous. It's easy to forget just how good he was. Hopefully he can come back to something resembling that. He is just immensely powerful.

Oh to hear the commentator say "And Ferris runs through half the team, pops to O'Brien who runs through the other half" It would look like something out of a bad zombie/apocalypse movie, bodies strewn everywhere.

Stephen Ferris

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