Ulster squad additions

You did not imagine that - it was said. A few weeks ago too.

Ulster Rugby Awards from last night.

The annual Heineken Ulster Rugby Awards Ceremony was held on Thursday evening, at the Culloden Hotel where Ulster, Ireland and Lions back row forward Stephen Ferris scooped the top accolade of Heineken Personality of the Year singled out for his remarkable come-back from injury and subsequent barn-storming performances for Ulster and Ireland this season.

Calor Gas Ulster Youth Player of the Year – Russell Blair, Ballymoney RFC
Ulster Branch Schools' Player of the Year – James Harrison Methodist College
Phoenix Gas Academy Player of the Year – Chris Farrell
URSC Player of the Season – Pedrie Wannenburg
Kukri Club of the Year – Malone RFC
Belfast Telegraph Most Improved Ulster Player of the Year – Paul Marshall
Bank of Ireland Ulster Player of the Year – Chris Henry
Vodafone Young Ulster Player of the Year – Craig Gilroy

Great to see young James following in his big brother's footsteps!

Love the photos fo the event too. They are all looking very tanned and relaxed.

Is Paul Marshall using a ladder, or what height is this man???

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/529934_308181155927657_126216190790822_745261_29216898_n.jpg

Crozier is incredibly tiny rodders.

Nice interview with Roger Wilson.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/rugby/heineken-cup/home-where-heart-as-wilson-returns-to-ulster-16156833.html

Wilson’s choice to return to Ulster wasn’t as simple as many made it out to be. He could have finished his career in France or England and thought long and hard about the former option in particular.

However, after playing professional rugby for over a decade, he also believes playing for Ulster will give him his last opportunity to add to his solitary Ireland cap.

“I was never told I was out of the picture internationally by being over in England, but I personally felt I was giving myself the best possible opportunity to play internationally by coming back home to Ulster,” he admits.

“I didn’t want to finish my career with regrets, and a big regret would have been wondering could I have given myself one last chance to play for Ireland.”

MrsP wrote:Great to see young James following in his big brother's footsteps!

Love the photos fo the event too. They are all looking very tanned and relaxed.

Was Rory player of the year?

Sorry, didn't mean that he was. I was just saying it was good to see him doing well.

Chris Henry I think Aukster.

Rodders

I was asking about Rory Harrison (not Best) - played in the same team as Paddy Jackson and Blane McIlroy so I was a bit surprised if he'd won the schools player of the year that season.

sorry Aukster!

Rory Harrison had an interesting rugby career at School.

Didn't make his school's Medallion team in 4th year and then 2 years later was on the Irish Schools team! Quite an improvement!

Almost identical to Jeremy Davidson MrsP. He was always big, but he too wasn't a nailed on A team player in our Medallion year. But he was in a schools cup winning team 2 years later, and Irish international the next. He was a perfect example of what hard work, good attitude and good coaching can do with raw materials. Hope this guy can be as good.

Any truth in the story that BOD didn't make his school teams 1st XV?

Not acceptable:

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/rugby/heineken-cup/ulster-grounds-naming-rights-up-for-sale-16156834.html

Although the other plans sound great.

Gilroy played for the Methody 4ths apparently, before moving to BRA for half a year or something. Not sure if he went back to Methody after or not, but he certainly wasn't too high up in his school life. Unless he moved up in his final year.

Don Alfonso wrote:Not acceptable:

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/rugby/heineken-cup/ulster-grounds-naming-rights-up-for-sale-16156834.html

Blame Rava..... ....

With new stands being built you'd have thought they'd have followed the Tigers method and just sold the naming rights per stand and kept the name of the ground.

Not as much money in that I wouldn't have thought Sam, you only get your sponsers name mentioned occassionally. With a stadium name you get it mentioned at least once per televised match.

Jeebus it could be the Tayto stadium or something??

Not as much money in that I wouldn't have thought Sam, you only get your sponsers name mentioned occassionally. With a stadium name you get it mentioned at least once per televised match.

True but you get to keep your heritage and don't annoy your fans. There were severe grumblings at WR when the Crumbie became the Holland and Barrett Crumbie. Given the amount of avertisement H&B, Goldsmiths and Catepillar cover their respective stands with I'd say they get a lot more advertising than being mentioned once per game. Goldsmith's have giant posters of diamond rings up which are very visable on tv and Catepillar even have some diggars next to their stand.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:Gilroy played for the Methody 4ths apparently, before moving to BRA for half a year or something. Not sure if he went back to Methody after or not, but he certainly wasn't too high up in his school life. Unless he moved up in his final year.

I'm not sure about any of that Rory.

I can't say which team he may have played in in 5th year but I think he was around the squad but not a starter in Lower 6th.

He definately played in the Schools Cup winning side in his final year alongside Niall Annett, Paddy Jackson, Blane McIlroy and Michael Allen.

Never heard of him being at BRA at all.

Naming the stadium is just the way the game is going. I don't like it but if we want to be at the top I understand it. One thing you can't level at Logan is that he isn't doing his best to bring the money into ulster

MrsP wrote:

Rory_Gallagher wrote:Gilroy played for the Methody 4ths apparently, before moving to BRA for half a year or something. Not sure if he went back to Methody after or not, but he certainly wasn't too high up in his school life. Unless he moved up in his final year.

I'm not sure about any of that Rory.

I can't say which team he may have played in in 5th year but I think he was around the squad but not a starter in Lower 6th.

He definately played in the Schools Cup winning side in his final year alongside Niall Annett, Paddy Jackson, Blane McIlroy and Michael Allen.

Never heard of him being at BRA at all.

It was for a term in lower 6th he came to BRA apparently. I went there myself and can't ever remember him being there, but according to the teachers, he went there for a term or something. Before he came he was on the Methody 4ths apparently.

As you can probably tell, this is all second hand information..

Sounds a bit like a certain school trying to "Coat tail" on the acheivements of another school!



So, BRA are saying,

He was rubbish till we had him for a term and now look at him!

The number of schools in East Belfast that claim to have Georgie Best as a past pupil is fairly amazing. The lad would have had to have changed schools once a week for them all to be true!

My brother did come home the other day and say that his maths teacher, who taught Gilroy during that term and also taught Hendy, claimed it was due to his own tips and pointers on how to be a successful rugby player that led to the success of both players. He was joking of course though. I hope.

I don't think he played any rugby for BRA btw!

This teacher wouldn't have the initials PC would he?

MrsP wrote:This teacher wouldn't have the initials PC would he?

Nope, their last initial begins with B. Can't remember their first name though!

First time I've ever heard tell of it Rory. Will have to check that one out.

Can't have BRA claiming any credit for Gilroy unless it was earned!

I know there can be a few lads who leave for A levels if they didn't get enough in their GCSEs to get back. One lad recently moved to CCB in those circumstances having played for the First XV in 5th year.

Those 2 things may well have been related!

When the schools met in the cup last year there were some jokes flying around about him scoring more points in that match than he had got in his GCSEs!

I'll get more info from my brother when he comes back from school and report back here I honestly was surprised myself when I heard it, because I think I would have remembered him being there.

I suppose you wouldn't necessarily have come across him if he was only there a short while. He would have been ahead of you anyway, no?

MrsP wrote:I suppose you wouldn't necessarily have come across him if he was only there a short while. He would have been ahead of you anyway, no?

Yeah, Hendy was in the year above me, so I don't know if Gilroy was in the same year as Hendy (I think I would have remembered him if he was) or the year above them guys (which is more likely). Gilroy is about 21 now is he? Or is he only 20?

I think he's 21. His last year at school was 2008-2009 I think.

Straight from the horses mouth: http://thefrontrowunion.com/profiles/guys/craig-gilroy/

Played for the 1sts in the Schools cup final in his final year.

Was on the bench for the QF, SF and final the previous year.

No mention of BRA

He didn't play any rugby when he was at BRA apparently rodders. Was just there for a term for some reason. Have no idea why!

Rory_Gallagher wrote:He didn't play any rugby when he was at BRA apparently rodders. Was just there for a term for some reason. Have no idea why!

Apparently MCB had signed Paul Emerick - just short term.

On the backrower front. Nick Williams is in the frame but so are others - it unclear yet who it is. He is definitely not a certainty

I'm concerned he's in the frame.

What is the point in signing Williams anyway? Isn't he another 8? We have a good number of 8s in the squad..

Yes, we need a top class blindside.

For all we know, Ferris could go to New Zealand take another knock on his knee- and his careers over. I've been working on the basis that every game could be Ferris' last for quite some time now and in light of that, we need a top class NIQ blindside flanker in our squad.

Is Ferris still that bad with his knee?

I think we need someone who can play 6 or 7 equally. In terms of our only true 7, we have Birch, and for 6, we have Ferris/McComish. Henry can cover both positions plus 8. We need someone who can play 6 and 7. A sharks flanker would be nice.

As I understand it the problems never gone away Rory. All it takes is one moment of fate and he could be in for more surgery and another long lay-off, maybe not one he can come back from this time.

He's basically been limping around the pitch recently. How he made it through the Munster and Edinburgh games is a miracle, and he's all set to do the same in the Final (touch wood).

Hope to God we choose to rest him for the New Zealand tour. A whole uninterrupted summer of recovery could add another year to his career. Besides, we play New Zealand ridiculously frequently. If he misses the tour he'll get another crack at them within the next 18 months.

The reason I say we should sign another blindside is we can do well with two players most naturally suited to blindside as flankers, but two out and out opensides will leave us slightly lightweight. Plus whenever Ferris is unavailable even when he's not injured, he needs replacing. A guy who is equally comfortable at 6 or 7 would be ideal

Notch wrote:As I understand it the problems never gone away Rory. All it takes is one moment of fate and he could be in for more surgery and another long lay-off, maybe not one he can come back from this time.

He's basically been limping around the pitch recently. How he made it through the Munster and Edinburgh games is a miracle, and he's all set to do the same in the Final (touch wood).

Hope to God we choose to rest him for the New Zealand tour. A whole uninterrupted summer of recovery could add another year to his career. Besides, we play New Zealand ridiculously frequently. If he misses the tour he'll get another crack at them within the next 18 months.

The reason I say we should sign another blindside is we can do well with two players most naturally suited to blindside as flankers, but two out and out opensides will leave us slightly lightweight. Plus whenever Ferris is unavailable even when he's not injured, he needs replacing. A guy who is equally comfortable at 6 or 7 would be ideal

I think we play them in November,it would be good to give him a break and Ireland could explore other options like SOB at 6 and POM at 7,McLaughlin and Henry are both in excellent form too and a call up to the tour would be good reward for the seasons they've had.

The flip side for Ferris is he may not get many more chances against the AB's in a green jersey so if he's fit then he deserves the chance to play.

Notch wrote:As I understand it the problems never gone away Rory. All it takes is one moment of fate and he could be in for more surgery and another long lay-off, maybe not one he can come back from this time.

He's basically been limping around the pitch recently. How he made it through the Munster and Edinburgh games is a miracle, and he's all set to do the same in the Final (touch wood).

Hope to God we choose to rest him for the New Zealand tour. A whole uninterrupted summer of recovery could add another year to his career. Besides, we play New Zealand ridiculously frequently. If he misses the tour he'll get another crack at them within the next 18 months.

The reason I say we should sign another blindside is we can do well with two players most naturally suited to blindside as flankers, but two out and out opensides will leave us slightly lightweight. Plus whenever Ferris is unavailable even when he's not injured, he needs replacing. A guy who is equally comfortable at 6 or 7 would be ideal

I didn't realise Ferris was just so touch and go. I have noticed him limping about recently, but I wasn't sure if it was the same knee or whatever. Agreed on keeping him home this NZ tour. Would love to see O'Brien back at 6, with O'Mahony getting a shot at 8.

As for Ulster, you are right about signing another 6. We will be putting a lot of faith into Birch next year it seems, but so far he has shown great potential. Would be great to see him progress into a real option at 7.

Agreed, we need to use a much wider pool of players. The forwards we took to the World Cup also played the Six Nations and are beginning to look knackered; not just Ferris. I think the whole front row of Mike Ross, Rory Best and Cian Healy are feeling the strain imposed by our lack of back-up and could do with a breather. O'Callaghan is pretty much worn out in general. O'Connell is injured.

I think asking players to play 4 World Cup warm-ups, a full World Cup and a full Six Nations is tough; to finish the international season with a full tour of New Zealand plus a fixture against the Barbarians- sheer insanity for a nation with our resources.

We now need to rest a lot of players in my opinion because since the World Cup we haven't rotated our team and many of the players have played a lot of high-octane Heineken Cup rugby too.

As I mentioned elsewhere Ferris is a doubt for the tour.
He'll want to go but medics may say otherwise.
Best is a possible absentee as well.

He will always have problem he has no cartliage. Bone on bone.
I would be surprised if he is playing beyond the 2017 (?) Lions to be honest.

Some good news - seems almost certain Henry will make it.