Ulster squad additions

First topic message reminder :

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

Thats a great signing for the Chiefs!

red_stag wrote:Clive,

Mumm is already on his way to the Exeter Chiefs.

Apparently DHumphs has been contacting both Matt Williams and Alan Gaffney whom he knew as coaches for assistance in identifying talent.

Elsom is the big target for Ulster as I understand it though it does seem strange when Ferris is at #6 for Ulster. Maybe one of them could move position.

Having been left out of the Aus squad by Deans, Elsom's international ambitions seem to have been curtailed, so maybe a move would appeal?

So we are after Elsom? wouldnt complain about that!

There has also been talk about him coming to Munster which I think would be a better move for him. Ulster don't need a 6 and arguably only require a backup player.

06 Ferris
07 Henry
08 Wilson

Is a very good backrow. Depth is whats required.

Where as Munster have lost Wallace and Leamy. We could do with a strong first team backrow.

06 Elsom
07 O'Mahony
08 Coughlan

red_stag wrote:There has also been talk about him coming to Munster which I think would be a better move for him. Ulster don't need a 6 and arguably only require a backup player.

06 Ferris
07 Henry
08 Wilson

Is a very good backrow. Depth is whats required.

Where as Munster have lost Wallace and Leamy. We could do with a strong first team backrow.

06 Elsom
07 O'Mahony
08 Coughlan

Yea but Ulster are on the up and Munster on the decline...

I'm not too keen on Elsom as I heard he's been having problems with a few chronic, niggling injuries. Need a guy who's available all the time!

Can't argue with his pedigree though.

Presumably Pocock would be a better fir for Ulster then, Staggy?

Clive - Ulster haven't won a trophy in nearly 7 years.

Us on the other hand:

2006 - Heineken Cup
2008 - Heineken Cup
2009 - Magners League
2011 - Magners League
2012 - British and Irish Cup

Its importatnt to keep things ticking over. New cocahes, new players, new style of play, cleared out most of the deadwood. We'll be grand.

Ulster have won loads of moral victories I suppose. Keep it up. You'll get one eventually

I disagree Stag. We DO need a 6.

The only specialist blindside we have in our squad is Ferris. He'll most likely be missing somewhere between 16 and 20 Pro12 games next season.

You need a #6 Notch.

You need a backup #6. I dont see Elsom travelling to the wind and rain of Belfast to warm a bench.

Agreed. That said, Elsom (who I believe will not sign anyway) could easily play 8 when Ferris was in the team.

Payne
Trimble
Cave
Wallace
Bowe
Jackson
Pienaar
Elsom
Ferris
Henry
Muller
Tuohy
Court
Best
Afoa



Or (with Ferris out)

Payne
Trimble
Cave
Wallace
Bowe
Jackson
Pienaar
Wilson
Elsom
Henry
Muller
Tuohy
Court
Best
Afoa

(Both teams could easily have Gilroy in place of Trimble)

A very good first team Clive.

Ulster need to keep doing what they did well this year and Edinburgh did and Munster used to do.

Plow everything into the Heinken Cup. Win the big matches and develop their player base.

Elsom won't be the signing. It'll be someone good, but slightly lower level.

Booooooooo!

Fine then, Pocock will have to do, out of contract like...

What is this fixation with the big star name some Ulster fans are developing?

Every big star name we sign means we have less resources available for other players and a smaller squad. Would rather get someone relatively under the radar who is consistent and quality.

red_stag wrote:Clive - Ulster haven't won a trophy in nearly 7 years.

Us on the other hand:

2006 - Heineken Cup
2008 - Heineken Cup
2009 - Magners League
2011 - Magners League
2012 - British and Irish Cup

Its importatnt to keep things ticking over. New cocahes, new players, new style of play, cleared out most of the deadwood. We'll be grand.

Ulster have won loads of moral victories I suppose. Keep it up. You'll get one eventually

Stag,

Most people would regard the move from Heineken Cup Winners 2 out of 3 years to B&I Cup Winners as a decline....

Notch wrote:What is this fixation with the big star name some Ulster fans are developing?

Every big star name we sign means we have less resources available for other players and a smaller squad. Would rather get someone relatively under the radar who is consistent and quality.

This is true Notch. Its so easy to get carried away I guess. I'm sure you will remember, i was one of the strong advocates for what you are saying just a week or two ago! lol. Funny how the mind works!

Giddy brain placed back on the shelf, and logical brain has been brought in to steady the ship!

MrsP wrote:

red_stag wrote:Clive - Ulster haven't won a trophy in nearly 7 years.

Us on the other hand:

2006 - Heineken Cup
2008 - Heineken Cup
2009 - Magners League
2011 - Magners League
2012 - British and Irish Cup

Its importatnt to keep things ticking over. New cocahes, new players, new style of play, cleared out most of the deadwood. We'll be grand.

Ulster have won loads of moral victories I suppose. Keep it up. You'll get one eventually

Stag,

Most people would regard the move from Heineken Cup Winners 2 out of 3 years to B&I Cup Winners as a decline....

I just realised that after I posted. I am not good at this banter thing

MrsP wrote:

red_stag wrote:Clive - Ulster haven't won a trophy in nearly 7 years.

Us on the other hand:

2006 - Heineken Cup
2008 - Heineken Cup
2009 - Magners League
2011 - Magners League
2012 - British and Irish Cup

Its importatnt to keep things ticking over. New cocahes, new players, new style of play, cleared out most of the deadwood. We'll be grand.

Ulster have won loads of moral victories I suppose. Keep it up. You'll get one eventually

Stag,

Most people would regard the move from Heineken Cup Winners 2 out of 3 years to B&I Cup Winners as a decline....

Not many have that luxury tho!

Notch wrote:What is this fixation with the big star name some Ulster fans are developing?

Every big star name we sign means we have less resources available for other players and a smaller squad. Would rather get someone relatively under the radar who is consistent and quality.

It about managing our dependancy on foreigners.

We were a poor team for many years - 3 years ago we were a shambles.

So it was realized we needed to both employ core players to improve the quality as well as develop the Academy.

This year we had 6 players who had been capped by other sides, next year it will be 3, probably 4.
That is a reduction in dependancy. The plan is to reduce further

At the same time the first crop of players are starting to come through from the Academy - McAllister, Macklin, Henderson, Birch, Jackson, Spence, Gilroy

They will be followed this year by Annett, Farrell, Nelson and others.

It will take time but we are on track to only needing a couple of NIE players in 2/3 years time.

I hope so Geoff thats the dream. Paying your season ticket money to watch guys who have grown up dreaming of playing for Ulster, winning with Ulster.

There will always be room for someone like Johann Muller who really, really buys into the local ethos and invests themselves fully in the club though.

red_stag wrote:

MrsP wrote:

red_stag wrote:Clive - Ulster haven't won a trophy in nearly 7 years.

Us on the other hand:

2006 - Heineken Cup
2008 - Heineken Cup
2009 - Magners League
2011 - Magners League
2012 - British and Irish Cup

Its importatnt to keep things ticking over. New cocahes, new players, new style of play, cleared out most of the deadwood. We'll be grand.

Ulster have won loads of moral victories I suppose. Keep it up. You'll get one eventually

Stag,

Most people would regard the move from Heineken Cup Winners 2 out of 3 years to B&I Cup Winners as a decline....

I just realised that after I posted. I am not good at this banter thing

You are okay Stag. It's just you are trying to play in the HEC of Banter with B&I Banter skills!

MrsP wrote:

red_stag wrote:

MrsP wrote:

red_stag wrote:Clive - Ulster haven't won a trophy in nearly 7 years.

Us on the other hand:

2006 - Heineken Cup
2008 - Heineken Cup
2009 - Magners League
2011 - Magners League
2012 - British and Irish Cup

Its importatnt to keep things ticking over. New cocahes, new players, new style of play, cleared out most of the deadwood. We'll be grand.

Ulster have won loads of moral victories I suppose. Keep it up. You'll get one eventually

Stag,

Most people would regard the move from Heineken Cup Winners 2 out of 3 years to B&I Cup Winners as a decline....

I just realised that after I posted. I am not good at this banter thing

You are okay Stag. It's just you are trying to play in the HEC of Banter with B&I Banter skills!

Now I know how Andrew Trimble must feel.

I played got there for the first time in several months and spoke to someone 'in the know' about the NIQ backrower Geoff has mentioned. I asked him if it was Elsom or Pocock. He laughed so hard that he sprayed Magners in my face. He has only once given me bad information in Ulster matters so although I am not an expert on body language, I'm taking that as a big no. He did say he knew who it was but wasn't going to say as it is not 100% done yet. It seems to be agreed in principle but nothing signed.

Nothing else for it Hookie... you'll have to keep buying this bloke Magners and keep calling out names.... .....

I don't mind playing golf with him, but I hate drinking with anyone that puts lime in their beer*. It makes baby Jesus sad

*edit, unless it's that Mexican muck. It wasn't, it was Tennants.

I don't think anyone seriously thought that would be it did they?

My big, big hope; Keegan Daniel from Natal Sharks.

27 years old, versatile flanker, hasn't made the breakthrough to test rugby may fancy a change, knows key players like Muller and Pienaar already. Would be an outstanding signing, better than an established international we may lose to the odd international.

Dear god.... if there's one thing worse than Tennants, its tennants with lime in it!! What sort of company do you keep Hookie man?!

rodders wrote:Dear god.... if there's one thing worse than Tennants, its tennants with lime in it!! What sort of company do you keep Hookie man?!

I like to keep company with pompous know-it-alls like myself. Probably why I like it in here so much.

Notch wrote:I don't think anyone seriously thought that would be it did they?

My big, big hope; Keegan Daniel from Natal Sharks.

27 years old, versatile flanker, hasn't made the breakthrough to test rugby may fancy a change, knows key players like Muller and Pienaar already. Would be an outstanding signing, better than an established international we may lose to the odd international.

Daniel would be fantastic, but he is doing pretty amazing atm for the Sharks. Deysel would be another good one.

Also, Daniels has been included in the Springboks squad, so he may not want to leave SA. Also, i'm assuming its an aussie if the info is correct that Humph was in Australia.

You know that info came from Hughie right?

Unless he was just there waiting for a connecting flight to Auckland.....

Yeah but there are 5 different Sharks in the back row for that squad.

Daniels, Deysel, Alberts, Kankowski, Coetzee.

The names Rory has mentioned would all be agreeable although i suspect only deysel and Daniels would be realistic option. If indeed Humph is looking in Oz what about ben Mowen (i think) from the brumbies. i may have missed it but i didnt see his name in the Oz squad. I know very little about him other than he has played well in any super15 i have seen.

He probably has ambitions for a wallaby shirt in fairness. Versatility would make me want Daniels probably.

Mowen is only half way through a two year contract with Brumbies so is unlikely. Daniel would be great.

Just checked Keegan Daniel twitter. Its obvious hes a christian. So ... you know how it is, he will be 'called' to Ulster. Happy days!

Standulstermen wrote:The names Rory has mentioned would all be agreeable although i suspect only deysel and Daniels would be realistic option. If indeed Humph is looking in Oz what about ben Mowen (i think) from the brumbies. i may have missed it but i didnt see his name in the Oz squad. I know very little about him other than he has played well in any super15 i have seen.

He probably has ambitions for a wallaby shirt in fairness. Versatility would make me want Daniels probably.

At present, Kankowski would be more likely than Daniel it seems. I think Deysel would be perfect.

clivemcl wrote:Just checked Keegan Daniel twitter. Its obvious hes a christian. So ... you know how it is, he will be 'called' to Ulster. Happy days!

Thats... a quite staggering leap of logic. I'm glad you're tongue is firmly in your cheek!

Amongst the usual drivel on Uafc it seems jacques botes name mentioned strongly

Would be happy with that tbh. Solid player, lower salary than other Sharks backrows, adds a great deal of depth and is available for pre-season. Would be a quality signing as far as I'm concerned.

Notch wrote:Would be happy with that tbh. Solid player, lower salary than other Sharks backrows, adds a great deal of depth and is available for pre-season. Would be a quality signing as far as I'm concerned.

Pretty much agree. I think he is possibly a stronger link man than the likes of deysel which will help. Again all speculation and I know a limited amount about all of them.

If it is Botes (an openside) then Henry must be seen as a 6 for next season? If you look at things like this:

6) Ferris, Henry
7) Botes, Birch
8) Wilson, Diack

Hmm, he is relatively light and short. I think Henry is versatile enough to move between 6 and 7. I would think he is a 6/7 also.

It's insane that being 15 and a half stone is 'relatively light' in modern rugby.

Yeah, but he is only 5 foot 11 too. Certainly isn't a blindside, or 8. Usually plays openside anyway when playing for the Sharks, from what I have seen. If we don't get a 6 and get a 7, then it is likely Henry won't be in the starting line up next season it seems.

Plus Henry is probably the best bench option being able to play 6, 7 and 8.

Don't see why botes couldnt play 6 Rory. Who knows mind you