Ulster squad additions

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All things relating to Ulster squad changes

Well if Logan is coming out and saying they are looking it is fairly certain something is happening. I would be very surprised if it is a 'name' though.

Well Stand, I want Ulster to do well of course, but I would almost prefer if it wasn't a 'name'. I don't want to give the critics any more ammunition against our success. I would rather the NIQ was a backup rather than a first teamer. But depth is needed.

I don't know Clive. I hear what you are saying but I don't care. Realistically I hope the player is able to play his way onto the first team or else push one of our IQ to hitherto unseen levels.

Either way this NIQ will have to go some to displace ferris or henry. I just hope he displays the same attitude as wannenburg

clivemcl wrote:Well Stand, I want Ulster to do well of course, but I would almost prefer if it wasn't a 'name'. I don't want to give the critics any more ammunition against our success. I would rather the NIQ was a backup rather than a first teamer. But depth is needed.

Who gives a flying feic what the critics are saying! The fact we are successful is enough for me. If it wasn't the overseas players they were writing about it would be something else. That is just how it is.

Come on the Saffers and All Blacks SUFTUM!!

PM for Rava!

MrsP wrote:PM for Rava!

Quick everyone!! Mrs P knows who the new signings are!

I love the optimism in rodders use of the plural.

Mrs P didn't deny it though Notch ..... I'll have to slip Biltong a fiver to if he can hack the PMs.......

a NIQ backrower is on the way.

So we have going

Wannenburg, Kyriacou, Whitten, Faloon, Terblanche - all announced
Danielli a certainty
Cronin and Barker I have been told are certain to go
Porter rumour has legs
McKinney from the academy and I suspect so are the other 4.

Being replaced by Bowe, Payne (effectively), NIQ backrower and Wilson.
So the full squad is 5 less than this year - to be covered by some Acdemy players being promoted.
We will defintely have a more youthful team next year.

Porter is supposedly going because of lack of game time - cant blame him as he is 24.
McComb is not as good as Barker but at least he turns up from training - Barker has gone Awol.

Awol as in having a sulk because he hasn't been selected?

Basically yes

Well I hope his wages have stopped and he has been fined. Seems very unprofessional and with that attitude then he's better off elsewhere.

I spoke to Jared Payne and he's raring to go. He also said that he's looking forward to working with Anscombe again. Says Anscombe is a tough cookie and will take no nonsense. Very good at coaching at the breakdown so look out for Ulster "cheating" next season
He doesn't think Anscombe's son will accompany him though Says hes getting on too well with The Blues

I thought Barker was a pretty decent player, sad to hear about his attitude.

Geoff – do you have a name that you can give us ridiculously flimsy hints about?

Or do you just know that someone has been found?

I just know someone is coming but the club are keeping this one very close to there chest I'm afraid - I will try finding out though.

To be honest whilst Dublin recognize we have to have one more backrower and are prepared to support us in getting one they would really like it to be an IQ player. However with both McLaughlin and Ruddock turning us down in recent years I think even they recognize that this is unlikely

Sorry to pester you Geoff, but do you know if it is a back row signing?

Yep it is a backrower

No chance of nabbing Muldoon in return for Willie?

Can we just play a game of shouting out random backrowers just because anything is better than nothing! Marcel Coetzee anyone?

Does he have a Mustache?

I don't think so. Young sharks flanker. Might want a few years north before he comes into international contention with SA, and sure could even have himself a choice of Ireland if he wanted! lol

rodders wrote:Does he have a Mustache?

Ever play the game 'Guess Who?'

Spoiler:

I for one welcome the arrival of Heinrich Brussow

The one thing I'm really disappointed about this season is our failure to utilise Ian Porter. We've left ourselves with a big gap to fill in two years when Pienaar leaves; I would have liked to see Porter phased in and Marshall slowly phased out. There's been no element of phasing in at all. Marshall, to be fair, has been excellent and has deserved every minute of gametime he's got but Porter can develop into a better 9 in many ways.

He'll be off-I only hope Ulster look at him two or three years down the line when he inevitably develops into an excellent scrum half and we need one.

I think there is a belief/hope that some of the boys leaving will return when the high profile NIQ players leave - will it work ? who knows.

The aim is still to create a largely a team of Irish players in the medium term.
The short term is about using NI talent to up the coaching of local players so that we can stand on our own two feet.

The praticality though is how do we get from here to there.

e.g. If Muller leaves at the end of next year we will need another Lock ?
Tuohy, Stevenson, McComb, Henderson will not be enough.
Leinster seem short as well so where will such a player come from ?

Thats why I'm so disappointed in Barkers attitude and departure- especially since Tuohy is likely to become a member of the Ireland squad soon.

I suppose it happened before (Barker) and he did well. I wish him good luck, just annoyed at hearing that.

I have actually been quite impressed with big Neil McComb whenever I have seen him play this season albeit I think at least a couple of times was backrow. If barker is fannying about then McComb and Henderson will do just nicely for next season.

Notch if what I have heard is correct I do not wish Barker good luck.

He can **** off - totally unprofessional

Geoff have the new rules brought in by Dublin effectively put a spanner in the works for Ulsters long term plans and they have to step up the process of building a team based around the Irish players

I dont think they have put a spanner in the works but I do think they mean we will need to up the tempo.

In other news Neil Best has been named Warwickshire head coach.

In the announcement it was stated he doesn't suffer fools gladly.

As someone else rightly pointed out he clearly doesn't own a mirror then.

geoff998rugby wrote:In other news Neil Best has been named Warwickshire head coach.

I saw that a few weeks ago Geoff.

Does that mean he's hanging up the boots and leaving the Warriors?

They dont have many fixtures so I would guess that he may stay on at Warriors.

Having said that he has only played 1 game since November so effectively he may only be a cover player these days.
Alternatively after his moronic behaviour at the Christmas team bash he may be on the way out. I understand Warriors would be happy to get rid.

Been confirmed that Cronin is off. He has signed for English Championship side Doncaster Knights according to reports.

JayMaster3000 wrote:Been confirmed that Cronin is off. He has signed for English Championship side Doncaster Knights according to reports.

Starting to build up an decent Ulster contingent at Doncaster now

Good for him. He's managed to break into professional rugby pretty late and is making a go of it

Championship rugby will be the making of Cronin as a prop. I can see him returning to Munster after a couple of years.

Dont get too excited as I am only speculating but which Sharks backrowers contracts are up this summer ?

geoff998rugby wrote:Dont get too excited as I am only speculating but which Sharks backrowers contracts are up this summer ?

I've read somewhere that both Ryan Kankowski and Willem Alberts could be out of contract next year... I think either of them would be a good signing for us.

I did read this on a forum discussion between Bath fans however, and what would Bath fans know?

Kankowski would Be a good signing. Alberts would be a farking brilliant signing. I doubt very much he would leave SA with a boks career on the horizon. Keegan Daniel maybe?

Alberts looks at great ball carrier!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brcvS87dUnI

Keegan daniel is captain, so that would be reason for him to stay. I'd love young Coetzee for a few years but again, could well be a springbok soon.

Muller was captain and at a similar age iirc

Deysel is another one who was touted for big thing but never quite delivered. No idea who is out of contract anyway

Maybe Michalak is fed up playing second fiddle to Lambie???

I think we would be more likely to get Kankowski than Alberts honestly. Both would be great signings. All in all the sharks have some fantastic back row options in their team. Crazy depth there. Deysel, Daniel, Alberts, Coetzee, Kankowski..

Rory that is my thinking

We are looking for a backrower
We have strong connections with the Sharks
They have more backrowers than they need and some are out of contract

It all fits

If we signed Kankowski we'd have four backrowers who were most naturally 8s in the squad- even if Henry seems to take to every backrow position. Having glanced over the Sharks backrows, they'd do handily mind you.

This is how rumours get started; wouldn't be surprised if the signing was out of the left field altogether.

Yeah agreed Notch. Henry, Diack and Wilson are all best at 8. I would be looking at a 6/7.

Are we definitely intent on signing an NIQ backrower? Is the any reason we aren't considering an IQ player?