Ulster squad additions

First topic message reminder :

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

He is way too small to play 6. I haven't heard of any 5 foot 11, 15 stone blindsides. Would be a huge difference between having Ferris at 6 and then someone that size. Plus as I said the only times I have seen him, he has been an openside.

I think I would prefer we get a different player than Botes really. I think we do need a blindside more than an openside, and I want Birch to get a ton of game time next season to develop. Would benefit Ireland a lot too that way. Ireland don't need more 6s.

This is less than ideal. I was hooping for a 16.5-17.5 stone lineout option. Our backrows have been seriously lacking in physicality without Ferris. I hope Wilson can add that, However, any kind of backrower of any quality improves our squad.

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

Reading an awful lot into a possible signing rory. Sharks play alberts at 7 so you can't read too much into it. It's all left and right over there.

Bear in mind he isn't going to be your first choice 6. Simon easterby didn't weigh much more and he was a very good blindside.

Good point about the line out Notch. Ferris isn't a great option due to his knee, Wilson isn't great there, Henry is alright I guess..

Standulstermen wrote:

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

Reading an awful lot into a possible signing rory. Sharks play alberts at 7 so you can't read too much into it. It's all left and right over there.

Bear in mind he isn't going to be your first choice 6. Simon easterby didn't weigh much more and he was a very good blindside.

The springbok sides play their opensides at 6 and their blindsides at 7. That is why Alberts wears the 7 shirt.

Easterby was 6 foot 3, 100kg or so. I think a 5 foot 11, 15 stone blindside would be useless. I can't think of one that small.

Good point Notch. We're definitely short of ball carriers in the backrow. Ferris won't play much and Pedries gone.

We'll be very reliant on Afoa and Tuohy when Ferris isn't available.

Henderson looks like a big dynamic chap though. He's the great white hope for me, not whoever we sign.

Birch is my great white hope. As a much needed 7 for both Ulster and Ireland. Henderson will be an Ireland international eventually.

Faloon was touted as a line out option on here despite weighing less and being same rough height as botes. Let's not go down the 6"5 lock route

Yes I know Rory but I don't know botes playing history enough to know where he has spent all his time with the sharks, hell I don't even know if botes is in the frame. We are getting Clive esque. Eaterby was only 95kg as I remember him frequently being on the telly as the longest forward in the pack at scrum time.

Heaviest John Hayes , lightest Simon easterby etc

Standulstermen wrote:Faloon was touted as a line out option on here despite weighing less and being same rough height as botes. Let's not go down the 6"5 lock route

Yes I know Rory but I don't know botes playing history enough to know where he has spent all his time with the sharks, hell I don't even know if botes is in the frame. We are getting Clive esque. Eaterby was only 95kg as I remember him frequently being on the telly as the longest forward in the pack at scrum time.

Heaviest John Hayes , lightest Simon easterby etc

Do you know what I stand corrected. The gam I thought certain I saw it had Wallace as the lightest at 96 kgs

Standulstermen wrote:Faloon was touted as a line out option on here despite weighing less and being same rough height as botes. Let's not go down the 6"5 lock route

Actually Faloon took a surprising amount of lineouts for Ulster, because he was light and easy to lift. We had a call with him where we'd dummy to one of the locks and then one lifter would put him up. At the tail, I think.

Bit hazy on the details but we did use him at times. Since Muller arrived our lineout has been good enough that we can exploit every option, but Wannenburg jumping at the tail was banker ball for us. Gonna be hard to replace that kind of quick ball off the top at the back of the lineout with a player more naturally suited to openside.

Standulstermen wrote:Faloon was touted as a line out option on here despite weighing less and being same rough height as botes. Let's not go down the 6"5 lock route

Yes I know Rory but I don't know botes playing history enough to know where he has spent all his time with the sharks, hell I don't even know if botes is in the frame. We are getting Clive esque. Eaterby was only 95kg as I remember him frequently being on the telly as the longest forward in the pack at scrum time.

Heaviest John Hayes , lightest Simon easterby etc

eh?

How do you know my surname? And who leaked the news that they are signing me???

You are notorious now Clive. I think your surname is BIG

Hmm.. just realised that while we are speculating about the Sharks back row, wasn't it Sydney where Humphreys was spotted?

Rory_Gallagher wrote:Hmm.. just realised that while we are speculating about the Sharks back row, wasn't it Sydney where Humphreys was spotted?

Again- that information came from Hughie

Whilst i appreciate the reference to my existance, I'm not sure how people were Clive-esque? Nobody was getting irrationally angry were they???

Also, Rory, you are correct. We are actually signing Michael Hooper. Descent squad member sure, just to give us a pull out during 6N!

Yeah it was just in response to Uafc speculation. I think mulligan has tweeted something about a deal being done and geoff has mentioned it is sorted. Either way I think we will here soon enough

Notch wrote:

Rory_Gallagher wrote:Hmm.. just realised that while we are speculating about the Sharks back row, wasn't it Sydney where Humphreys was spotted?

Again- that information came from Hughie

Was he joking then?

Rory_Gallagher wrote:

Notch wrote:

Rory_Gallagher wrote:Hmm.. just realised that while we are speculating about the Sharks back row, wasn't it Sydney where Humphreys was spotted?

Again- that information came from Hughie

Was he joking then?

I think the suggestion is that he is unreliable. I cant personally comment on that.

I'll say this. If we sign Jacques Botes we've been forced to release a 31 year-old former Springbok in Pedrie Wannenburg because he's 'too old', despite the fact he fulfils all our needs and obviously loves Ulster and wishes he could stay. We then replace him with a player the exact same age who might be ambivalent about Ulster and never made the standard for the Boks.

Go IRFU

Notch wrote:You know that info came from Hughie right?

Think what you want notch, but its the truth

Fair enough! Soon all will be revealed anyway

Aye aye it will aye

If there was a top class 7 recruited, I'd start Henry at 8 - he's too good a player not to start (and better than RW).

It won't happen but I'd love to see Ferris start at 8, as that maximises the opportunities to utilise his carrying power.

I agree with what you say about botes and Wannenburg notch and as regards Wannenburg and the line out. The only back rower we have as good as Pedrie in the line out is Diack and he obviously has issues elsewhere

Aukster I agree on Henry being better than Wilson but not on moving Ferris. I think he was born to play blindside... he's a destroyer rather than a creator if you know what I mean.

All this talk about a back rower is pointless in my opinion, Ye should be out looking for s top class 10 if you want to build on.this year

I concur Hoog. Any update on the 10 situation? Did the O'Connor deal fall through?

For your sake I good it has, Jackson is not ready yet, that was proven in both semi and final games. You need to bring in a proven mature head to guide for the next two seasons. Give him game time in the rabo but you need a top class ten if your going to even remotely emulate this years Heiniken run

That would be the ideal Hoog but it doesn't sound like that's on the agenda.

Fly half is our achilles heel and will be for the forseable future I think. Personally I feel we are fairly strong everywhere else.

The hope going forward seems to be about being so strong everywhere else- the pack, scrum half and in the 3/4's - so that Jackson, or whoever else we get, will get an armchair ride but ultimately the 10 has to step up and control the game and make big calls for the rest of the side to function.

Unfortunately as talented as Jackson is, he was found wanting at the top level in the HEC final...so yeah I'd be in agreement with what you are saying.

Pienaar can move to 10 but I'm not a fan of that because he is so much better at 9.

rodders wrote:That would be the ideal Hoog but it doesn't sound like that's on the agenda.

Fly half is our achilles heel and will be for the forseable future I think. Personally I feel we are fairly strong everywhere else.

The hope going forward seems to be about being so strong everywhere else- the pack, scrum half and in the 3/4's - so that Jackson, or whoever else we get, will get an armchair ride but ultimately the 10 has to step up and control the game and make big calls for the rest of the side to function.

Unfortunately as talented as Jackson is, he was found wanting at the top level in the HEC final...so yeah I'd be in agreement with what you are saying.

Pienaar can move to 10 but I'm not a fan of that because he is so much better at 9.

2nd HC start iand it's a final. ROG was shoite in his first final. You grow from it.

Good point Thomond. I've no doubt Jackson will grow from it, my only doubt is whether he will grow fast enough to be at the level a club with our aspirations needs by next season.

I don't doubt his ability but there's no substitute for experience and I agree with Hoog that he needs a good run in the Rabo to learn how to manage games and then introduced gradually into the HEC the way Madigan has been.

I don't want to point fingers or be critical of the Ulster management but he was very badly managed last season for whatever reason. How we manage the young guys coming through needs to be improved for sure.

Standulstermen wrote:I agree with what you say about botes and Wannenburg notch and as regards Wannenburg and the line out. The only back rower we have as good as Pedrie in the line out is Diack and he obviously has issues elsewhere

What have I missed? What issues elsewhere?

His defence and physicality has been poor this season, though it has to be said he REALLY improved as the season drew to a close. In fact, it ties in nicely with what Geoff said about him having an epiphany and realising he hasn't been at his best, and will try harder.

I think Diack will shock us all next season. We won't be as bad in the back row as people think.

If Humph was spotted in Sydney.. is Dave Dennis a possibility? Now that would be some signing.

Diack needs to man up in contact basically. I am a big fan of his but you can't shirk the physical challenge like he has done for the most part of last season. If he can use his physicality he has all the skills to be a very classy back rower.

I think Jackson will be fine. We won't be playing Leinster every week and we will have a pre season and a decent pro12 run before we come into the heineken. I don't think we can judge how Jackson will go at ten until a few pro12 games in.

Diacks performances at the end of the season were up there with his form of a couple of years ago. I believe that coincided with Wannenberg announcing he was leaving. I have always been a fan of his and I hope he gives Anscombe a headache at 8 next season.

Stand not manning up in contact isn't "obviously has issues elsewhere"

Well that is his obvious issue on the pitch. In terms of handling and a line out option he is a skilful Bollix. If he gets back go his form in autumn 2010 I will be delighted

I hear that ulster will be happy with filling the backrow spot with a one year mercenary. Now I know this makes no sense, why would they let Wanndenburg go?? But remember he chose to leave because he couldn't get a long term contract.


They are going with a mercenary because they feel the irfu will relent on the new rules and then they can draft in a bigger name on a longer contract the following season

Was rocky elsom a mercenary? Maybe but without him Leinster Might potentially still be waiting on a HEC.

Just because the player may only be here for a season doesn't mean he is all about the money. The new rules as they stand will make things interesting though.

One year mercenary! Three month mercenary! Not a lot of difference.

Having someone for just a season would be fine. A lot can happen in one season. Ulster may not need another back row in a year.

Hoog wrote:I hear that ulster will be happy with filling the backrow spot with a one year mercenary. Now I know this makes no sense, why would they let Wanndenburg go?? But remember he chose to leave because he couldn't get a long term contract.


They are going with a mercenary because they feel the irfu will relent on the new rules and then they can draft in a bigger name on a longer contract the following season

Yeah, that makes sense to be honest. I think we wanted to keep Wannenburg, he wanted more than a one year contract, so if we just sign a guy for one year thats a great piece of business.

Hoog wrote:I hear that ulster will be happy with filling the backrow spot with a one year mercenary. Now I know this makes no sense, why would they let Wanndenburg go?? But remember he chose to leave because he couldn't get a long term contract.

We wanted to keep Wannenburg, Wannenburg wanted to stay at Ulster, but he wanted job security for his family too and knew in a year he might not get the offers he was getting now. We weren't allowed to offer more than a year.

Notch wrote:Yeah, that makes sense to be honest. I think we wanted to keep Wannenburg, he wanted more than a one year contract, so if we just sign a guy for one year thats a great piece of business.

Depends on the "guy"!

Jacques Botes or better; good.

Nick Williams or worse; bad.

I see brussouw's name is the latest to be plucked from thin air given his non selection for the boks. I really wish they would just announce something so I can focus all my excitement on the HEC draw

If we get Brussow that would be fantastic on the one hand, but not so much on the other. Henry will not start, unless Ferris is out. Birch will not get very much game time, even though he should be developed ASAP. But Brussow is pretty awesome.

Yeah, think that is genuinely a case of a name being plucked from someones arse in truth.