Ulster 2015/2016

First topic message reminder :

Thought i would give ol' GC a helping hand and try and get Ulster types looking inward at what has been a tricky season and looking forward to next season and how we should improve. Dont have time to put down all my own theories but will do so later. This thread is a matawalu free zone btw!

Tbf, clive, the Romanian loose head Lazar is very handy indeed. Pretty illegal but smart with it!

Indeed Notch Ive watches quite a few of the lower tier team games and enjoy most of those sides. Romania being one of my favourites along with Japan and Georgia. Quite like their yellow jersey too....
But... point is... Murphy obviously at one point believed his potential to be much much higher. I don't believe he was delusional - so what's the story??
Why has he not maintained his Brumbies standard nevermind improve upon it under Ulster coaching?

Well, even the likes of Sean Reidy and Peter Browne talk about playing for Ireland even though we all know its not going to happen. At that time, Australia were struggling in the front row- before Ledesma worked his magic- so it would have been a more achievable goal for him. Australia have some real quality but a little depth, and nowhere is that more pronounced than in the tight five. Guys like Ed O'Donoghue and Cameron Jowitt have gone from being unneeded and unrated squad players at Irish provinces to starting for the Reds and the Waratahs! So it's not unrealistic for an average tight five forward to target a Wallaby call-up.

I would also say that when we pick a tight five- we are looking at scrummaging as more of a priority. We scrummage longer and scrummage harder than they do in Super Rugby, where it really is just a means of restarting the game. It's much more of a battle in NH club rugby. So there's that change that he would have to adapt too.

I would guess that Murphy has definitely gone backwards, because he's played almost no top level rugby since signing for Ulster. It doesn't matter if you've the best coaches in the world (he doesn't) if you aren't playing, you'll get rusty. He's never been given a chance to play since arriving. I think that's on the coaches, because we have no real plan if Callum Black gets injured. Warwick will come in and then you have Murphy on the bench, who's had very little chance to play. Having been unused for so long, he's set up to fail in that situation.

Long story short; possibly a good player badly managed, possibly just hasn't adapted to the more attritional nature of NH forward play. Can't tell but would have liked to see him get a run of games to find out.

clivemcl wrote:

marty2086 wrote:

geoff999rugby wrote:Murphy is very much seen as 3rd choice LH - way behind Black and Warwick

The reason he didn't start was because Black needed the game time

He came in from the Brumbies though as a good scrummager and a decent ball carrier now he seems to went a long way backwards

More than just that - there are a few articles on the interWeb where Murphy talks at length about who he was/should have been/wanted to be eligible to play international rugby for. It appears he had aspirations to wear yellow. And it looks as though he wouldn't even be of the standard for a Romania yellow jersey!

He wasn't the only one talking about it, I think I remember some of the Aussie Super Rugby commentators saying they saw his as a potential Wallaby

Murphy hasn't secured the starting shirt for Hinch (a team languishing at the bottom of UBL 1A) - his fall from the heights of the Brumbies is cataclysmic. At 28 he should be at the peak of his powers so what has gone wrong?
Of course it's not just Murphy that has failed to develop, Ulster aren't developing those few Academy forwards that get Development contracts, and some seem to leave broken and disillusioned.
Another Hinch man Paddy McAllister initially showed great promise but had seemed to regress even before his injury setback (and the loss of his great friend Spence). Warwick too is showing signs that having made his breakthrough he is now getting dragged back into mediocrity.
Yet another Hinch man Kyle McCall has been playing all three front row positions with no one apparently able to discern which one should be his future.
Such evidence indicates a totally inadequate forwards coaching structure and one that will condemn Ulster to mediocrity when working in tandem with the draconian IRFU NIQ policy.

All evidence of what is a joke of an Academy/Development structure.

It ain't fit for purpose and we will suffer as a result.

Don't blame the NIQ policy - blame Ulster rugby

And not likely to be a good advertisement to other IQ players we might approach. What foreign IQ signing can we hold up as an example of a success story? And I'm not sure Tuohy counts since he's only from over the pond.

"Have you ever wanted to move half way round the world to fade into obscurity at a club, and spend your Saturdays playing in front of crowds of 100 people for town teams?? Then look no further than Ulster Rugby!"

I bet Murphy would give anything to be back having occasional appearances in Super Rugby. I feel for him truth be told!

Herring comes to mind.

Murphy simply has been outshone by Warwick as Blacks backup - in fairness should Ulster pick the lesser player ?

The players are there - look at O'Connor and Fitzgerald going to Leicester. Both are excellent players and IQ - we didn't even inquire.
Scouting, as with many other things at Ulster, is poor.

In fact the more I think of it the madder I get on those 2 players - Fitzgerald is streets ahead of any IQ lock at Ulster (bar Henderson) , with the possible exception of Tuohy, and unless he bucks his ideas up that will be true as well

O'Connor is a better backrower than any backrower at Ulster except Henderson and Henry and good enough to catch Joe's eye.

Even I had discovered the two mentioned were IQ. How could Ulster not? Was there mot an OQ list floating about at a time. Maybe that was the other forum?

Is there by any chance an unwritten rule that provinces don't compete on signings? Even if just some sort of courtesy?

geoff if Im not mistaken these are two guys either you or someone on here have mentioned a few times in the past as being IQ and good enough to play for Ulster

Did any of the provinces take a look at them? Surely if O'Connor was on Joes radar someone at the IRFU gave a heads up to the provinces to take a look at him?

Cant speak about other provinces but we didn't bother

Just as well we're well stocked in second and back rows

Read earlier too that our injury replacement who got injured before playing for us, Tim Boys has signed for the Crusaders

Yep he has done very well - he was the one temporary player we signed last year who would have been worth having.

Cant say the same about the others

geoff999rugby wrote:All evidence of what is a joke of an Academy/Development structure.

It ain't fit for purpose and we will suffer as a result.

Don't blame the NIQ policy - blame Ulster rugby

I'm not blaming the NIQ policy for the lack of homegrown forwards. The policy has been running long enough to have produced homegrown forwards, if it made any smidgen of difference to player opportunities. That's why I disagree that bringing in further restrictions will do anything positive for either Ireland or Ulster, and is far more likely to harm both.

It's strange that Ulster are able to produce and develop quality backs but not forwards. For me that indicates that the raw material the Academy is working with is more sow's ear than silk purse in the forwards and that comes down to the School's system.

Brian McLaughlin was one of the first 'enlightened' schools coaches to basically play a pack of 8 flankers. That pseudo-League style of rugby is very successful at that level because the competition rules place little importance on size and power. In fact the fastest flankers were even moved into the backs because they could be more effective there - both Olding and Gilroy have experience of playing on the flank at school.

The forwards production line isn't running through the Ulster Schools system and that is a deep-seated problem that won't be changed should Ulster be given zero NIQ signings.

Having said all that, the forwards coaching at Ulster isn't improving the limited talent they do have coming through so hopefully that will be one of the first things Kiss will address.

geoff999rugby wrote:Yep he has done very well - he was the one temporary player we signed last year who would have been worth having.

Cant say the same about the others

Agree on Raaymakers, but thought Stanley was OK.

I couldn't understand why Bryn wanted to sign MS though as it was near the end of the season and both Jackson and Olding were almost back.

I personally didn't rate Stanley

Ulster need to sort out Ulsters problems and I will go further and say I agree with the further restriction in NIQ.
We should be a local team based, largely, on local players - that is what makes Irish rugby special.
If we are badly run it is no ones fault but our own.

McLaughlin was looking for a way out after the way he was so badly treated - heart was not in the job.
We put out sides in the aged sections with players from only 5/6 schools - that is a joke.
We get a lot of talk from Logan about widening the game - little evidence of it actually happening.
Our senior coaching staff are not fit for purpose

Les Kiss has a lot to do

I think the vast majority of Ulster fans would wish to see a full squad made up of homegrown players.

But wishing for it doesn't change the facts that there simple aren't the players available. With the current NIQ restrictions Ulster are forced to scour the globe looking for guys with some claim to be IQ and are prepared to come to Ulster. Black, Herring, Tuohy, Browne, Reidy, Rowley, and Windsor have all come from 'overseas' - and before them there were guys like Doyle, D'Arcy and Roche. The recruitment of good but not great players is forced on Ulster because of the current NIQ limit, and reducing it further will just replace a better player with a lesser one at Ulster. I can't see how forcing Ulster to recruit lower quality players helps Ireland in any way.

The current NIQ policy hasn't disbanded the School's Cup in favour of a more modern inclusive competition to reach a wider catchment of schools, nor is there any move to allow school kids to play for clubs exposing them to the grown-up game. The Ulster coaches since Harry Williams have realised they can't field a homegrown side because the home isn't growing players in the numbers and quality required. So the reality of the situation is that decreasing the NIQs further will simply consign Ulster to a lower level of competition and those Test players that they do have will not develop as they should. Fewer role models will stem the supply even further - so the policy will harm Ireland in the long run.

There is a wealth of talent locally not being captured because the kids didn't go to the right school.
There are talented IQ players out there we are missing on - as I mentioned the 2 lads that went to Leicester this summer.

Leinster and Munster can do why cant we - hell in aged rugby terms we are behind Connacht.

We aren't forced to recruit low quality of players we do so because we are badly run.

The reduction of NIQ will not be the cause of any decline - a badly run club will be.

Allow more NIQ is just papering over the cracks and stopping the need to make the necessary root and branch reforms.
Sometimes Cold Turkey is necessary

The day Ulster field 8 or 9 NIQ players is the day I stop going

Seriously unimpressed as an ulster fan for quite some time and tonights performance has spurred me to post about it.

I've said it before, I'll say it again - Kiss better be bl00dy amazing in the end after this sham of a temporary coaching setup we've been putting up with...

Fear not, Clive. Ulster will be disappointed in their performance, and be disappointed for the fans, and so will put on a big performance at Ravers to cheer us all up

geoff999rugby wrote:There is a wealth of talent locally not being captured because the kids didn't go to the right school.
There are talented IQ players out there we are missing on - as I mentioned the 2 lads that went to Leicester this summer.

Leinster and Munster can do why cant we - hell in aged rugby terms we are behind Connacht.

We aren't forced to recruit low quality of players we do so because we are badly run.

The reduction of NIQ will not be the cause of any decline - a badly run club will be.

Allow more NIQ is just papering over the cracks and stopping the need to make the necessary root and branch reforms.
Sometimes Cold Turkey is necessary

The day Ulster field 8 or 9 NIQ players is the day I stop going

Ulster have been monitoring about 250 school kids across the nine counties for several years and have them on individual improvement programmes rather than just a couple of dozen in the academy - if the talent was out there they'd know about it. McLaughlin was in charge of unearthing the wealth of talent you say is out there but presumably was not doing so and has had to go.

As for other IQ players coming from elsewhere, that is at a far higher level than the academy. Ed O'Donoghue was a Reds player before coming to Ulster, and we know all about Ruaidhri Murphy from the Brumbies, so who knows if Mike Fitzgerald or Brendon O'Connor would have done any better at Ulster? It is a tad hypocritical on the one hand to complain that Ulster don't have enough home grown players and on the other to castigate Ulster for not getting better IQ players from overseas. Recruitment is Bryn Cunningham's responsibility so if you think he's not getting it right - how long would you give him?

ROI schools don't have the playing restrictions that the Ulster ones do. It is possible to play for both school and club which means the players get exposed to the man's game and associated rules. The schoolboys who are being missed in Ulster aren't even playing rugby because the game is a glorified League code where continuity and pace is rewarded at the expense of power and size. It is no wonder that Ulster aren't producing forwards.

I'm not suggesting an increase in NIQ numbers - what I am suggesting is that the current limit of 5 should be maintained rather than decreased if the IRFU want it's provinces to remain competitive in club competitions.

The Great Aukster wrote:  
Ulster have been monitoring about 250 school kids across the nine counties for several years and have them on individual improvement programmes rather than just a couple of dozen in the academy - if the talent was out there they'd know about it. McLaughlin was in charge of unearthing the wealth of talent you say is out there but presumably was not doing so and has had to go.

I have trouble believing that. I accept we, in theory, monitor players across 9 counties but in practise we are asked to believe that after such monitoring all our best players in the aged teams can be found from current or ex pupils from 5/6 schools.
Sorry but that is totally unbelievable.
In practise it is so much window dressing for the public - all the old bias and 'masonic' handshake mentalities remain.

The Great Aukster wrote:  who knows if Mike Fitzgerald or Brendon O'Connor would have done any better at Ulster? It is a tad hypocritical on the one hand to complain that Ulster don't have enough home grown players and on the other to castigate Ulster for not getting better IQ players from overseas. Recruitment is Bryn Cunningham's responsibility so if you think he's not getting it right - how long would you give him?

I've seen Fitzgerald and O'Connor play they would most definitely improve our side. Much better players than O'Donoghue and Murphy.
Not hypocritical at all - if we have to get overseas IQ players it makes sense to get the best available.
What doesn't make sense is signing sub standard ones.
Priorities should be simple:
1 - Homegrown is possible
2 - Best IQ available
3 - NIQ

The Great Aukster wrote:  ROI schools don't have the playing restrictions that the Ulster ones do. It is possible to play for both school and club which means the players get exposed to the man's game and associated rules. The schoolboys who are being missed in Ulster aren't even playing rugby because the game is a glorified League code where continuity and pace is rewarded at the expense of power and size. It is no wonder that Ulster aren't producing forwards.

Agree with that and until the disgraceful hold schools have on players is broken we will fail to reach the top level in NH rugby.

I think the key seems to be you do not want to reduce the number of NIQ because we will not remain competitive, whilst I think, if we correct other issues, then we can still be competitive even with a reduction.
Having said I have little faith in those issues being resolved

geoff999rugby wrote:

The Great Aukster wrote:  
Ulster have been monitoring about 250 school kids across the nine counties for several years and have them on individual improvement programmes rather than just a couple of dozen in the academy - if the talent was out there they'd know about it. McLaughlin was in charge of unearthing the wealth of talent you say is out there but presumably was not doing so and has had to go.

I have trouble believing that. I accept we, in theory, monitor players across 9 counties but in practise we are asked to believe that after such monitoring all our best players in the aged teams can be found from current or ex pupils from 5/6 schools.
Sorry but that is totally unbelievable.
In practise it is so much window dressing for the public - all the old bias and 'masonic' handshake mentalities remain.

You don't have to take my word for it just ask anyone at Ulster Rugby, or indeed any of the kids or parents who are involved in the programmes.

geoff999rugby wrote:

The Great Aukster wrote:  who knows if Mike Fitzgerald or Brendon O'Connor would have done any better at Ulster? It is a tad hypocritical on the one hand to complain that Ulster don't have enough home grown players and on the other to castigate Ulster for not getting better IQ players from overseas. Recruitment is Bryn Cunningham's responsibility so if you think he's not getting it right - how long would you give him?

I've seen Fitzgerald and O'Connor play they would most definitely improve our side. Much better players than O'Donoghue and Murphy.
Not hypocritical at all - if we have to get overseas IQ players it makes sense to get the best available.
What doesn't make sense is signing sub standard ones.
Priorities should be simple:
1 - Homegrown is possible
2 - Best IQ available
3 - NIQ

Everyone in the terrace can say who is substandard in hindsight - no one knows how anyone will perform until they ....er perform. I would expect every fan would have the same priority as you (I do). Guys like Black, Tuohy, Herring, and O'Connor aren't homegrown but have done well - were any of them the best available?

geoff999rugby wrote:

The Great Aukster wrote:  ROI schools don't have the playing restrictions that the Ulster ones do. It is possible to play for both school and club which means the players get exposed to the man's game and associated rules. The schoolboys who are being missed in Ulster aren't even playing rugby because the game is a glorified League code where continuity and pace is rewarded at the expense of power and size. It is no wonder that Ulster aren't producing forwards.

Agree with that and until the disgraceful hold schools have on players is broken we will fail to reach the top level in NH rugby.

I think the key seems to be you do not want to reduce the number of NIQ because we will not remain competitive, whilst I think, if we correct other issues, then we can still be competitive even with a reduction.
Having said I have little faith in those issues being resolved

That is exactly my point - I have no hope of Ulster Schools rugby changing to suit Ulster Rugby's needs therefore reducing the NIQ numbers simply reduces Ulster's competitiveness.

geoff999rugby wrote:

George Carlin wrote:Gilroy is one of the best 3 wingers in the league, so hopefully he pocketed a bit of cash to reflect his status. Only 24, god bless his socks. My haircut is older than that.

I know what you mean - Bowe, Trimble, Gilroy

 Obviously that's whom I meant.

Get ready to face off against our new boy in a couple of weeks, though...

A fine player George. Albeit one who wants to be in Glasgow honouring his contract about as much as a lobster wants to be in a pot of boiling water going by his past utterances!

For Ulster there are several big questions that I'd like to see answered now Ireland are out of the RWC;

1) When can Les Kiss start?
2) When can our international players come back?

I'd quite like to see Paddy Jackson and Darren Cave back in the mix for selection this Friday given they've barely played for Ireland and don't have far to travel. And the less time Doak and Clarke have left with sole custody over the team the better.

Notch wrote:A fine player George. Albeit one who wants to be in Glasgow honouring his contract about as much as a lobster wants to be in a pot of boiling water going by his past utterances!

For Ulster there are several big questions that I'd like to see answered now Ireland are out of the RWC;

1) When can Les Kiss start?
2) When can our international players come back?

I'd quite like to see Paddy Jackson and Darren Cave back in the mix for selection this Friday given they've barely played for Ireland and don't have far to travel. And the less time Doak and Clarke have left with sole custody over the team the better.

I could injure my keyboard typing the amount of +1s I feel the need to typr to that Notch.
There's no reason why we can't get those two lads straight back into Ulster shirts and surely little reason for Kiss to be retained by the Irish setup. Get him into harness ASAP to get this Ulster machine running on all cylinders again. Flip we need something to feel good about at the moment, just any little thing would do right now.

I'd agree with you guys. There is little argument for players on the periphery of the rwc squad not to get straight back into action (they've no competitive minutes on the clock).

Kiss needs to be given time and space now to mould Ulster.... should he step away from the Irish test set-up altogether for the foreseeable future?

The Great Aukster wrote:

geoff999rugby wrote:

The Great Aukster wrote:  
Ulster have been monitoring about 250 school kids across the nine counties for several years and have them on individual improvement programmes rather than just a couple of dozen in the academy - if the talent was out there they'd know about it. McLaughlin was in charge of unearthing the wealth of talent you say is out there but presumably was not doing so and has had to go.

I have trouble believing that. I accept we, in theory, monitor players across 9 counties but in practise we are asked to believe that after such monitoring all our best players in the aged teams can be found from current or ex pupils from 5/6 schools.
Sorry but that is totally unbelievable.
In practise it is so much window dressing for the public - all the old bias and 'masonic' handshake mentalities remain.

You don't have to take my word for it just ask anyone at Ulster Rugby, or indeed any of the kids or parents who are involved in the programmes.

Yup Aukster is spot on.

The reason all the players come from 5/6 schools is because the gap is so big in coaching from the traditional rugby schools and non traditional which is what the above is trying to address but that will take years to bear fruition.

Does Kiss not have an official start date set?

thebandwagonsociety wrote:Kiss needs to be given time and space now to mould Ulster.... should he step away from the Irish test set-up altogether for the foreseeable future?

Well he will be because it's a full-time job, so he is leaving the national team. I don't begrudge him a few weeks off but really the team is spinning its wheels and we need some new input.

It's a good thing too because the one area for Ireland I feel our coaching has let us down is the defence, which has been very passive, and a new defensive coach coming into the Irish set-up to replace Kiss will hopefully tighten things up.

Jared Payne and Luke Marshall out of the opening European games for sure now. Payne probably out 6 to 8 weeks.

Wonder though if Olding might be back?

Here's my question - should Bowe walk straight back into a starting jersey? Or has Gilroy deserved it for now?

Also - despite recent below par performances - I was fairly encouraged by Reidy. I do wonder if... when he returns, we might actually do best with starting Diack at 8.

Wilson and Williams are not up to the standard any more IMO. Maybe even it's time to give Taggart his chance?

The A's were beaten 37-7 at Ballynahinch, these are supposedly the guys just under the first team. Doesn't bode well http://www.ulsterrugby.com/fixtures/14179.php#.Vikudit6Qq9

Not surprised, but still disappointed. The quality of player we are producing isn't good enough and the club scene has little to offer.

Notch wrote:Not surprised, but still disappointed. The quality of player we are producing isn't good enough and the club scene has little to offer.

Maybe the club game has little to offer because schools ruin them before they get there

rodders wrote:

The Great Aukster wrote:

geoff999rugby wrote:

The Great Aukster wrote:  
Ulster have been monitoring about 250 school kids across the nine counties for several years and have them on individual improvement programmes rather than just a couple of dozen in the academy - if the talent was out there they'd know about it. McLaughlin was in charge of unearthing the wealth of talent you say is out there but presumably was not doing so and has had to go.

I have trouble believing that. I accept we, in theory, monitor players across 9 counties but in practise we are asked to believe that after such monitoring all our best players in the aged teams can be found from current or ex pupils from 5/6 schools.
Sorry but that is totally unbelievable.
In practise it is so much window dressing for the public - all the old bias and 'masonic' handshake mentalities remain.

You don't have to take my word for it just ask anyone at Ulster Rugby, or indeed any of the kids or parents who are involved in the programmes.

Yup Aukster is spot on.

The reason all the players come from 5/6 schools is because the gap is so big in coaching from the traditional rugby schools and non traditional which is what the above is trying to address but that will take years to bear fruition.  

Never said we weren't looking at players from a wider spectrum.

Obviously it will take time but do you believe the bias towards those 5/6 schools will not continue because I don't
The quality of the coaching does as much harm as good.
They have a hold on the game in NI which is crippling us and too many vested interest are happy to see it continue both inside and outside the club.

Look at many of our star players in recent year - Best and Ferris - they did not come from the inner circle of schools but kind of prove the point you have to be exceptional to break through the cosy cabal.
Even more recently fair to point out BRA, who are not one of the leading lights, have given us Henderson and Olding. Again you have to be exceptional

Where are the top players, 1 to 9, that Methody, Campbell and RBAI have produced in the last decade

As to the latest 'A' lose that makes W1 L12 I believe, below the 1st XV.

I honestly believe we are heading for a crises.
Just look at the age profile of the forwards we will fall off a cliff in a couple of years.

As an aside Olding, Bowe, Payne and Marshall will play no part in the first 4 European matches.
Actually a slight chance Marshall could but doubtful

clivemcl wrote:

Wilson and Williams are not up to the standard any more IMO. Maybe even it's time to give Taggart his chance?

Trouble is Taggart probably isn't up to standard either.

I honestly am not convinced there is one player coming through at the moment who really impresses - that includes the backs.
To be fair a few who I have seen very little of but it is very depressing

Nothing to do with hindsight Aukster - Windsor and Rowley, to take this years examples, are squad fillers born of desperation.

To be honest they are crap and Brown is mediocre

It's strange that Ulster are able to produce and develop quality backs but not forwards. For me that indicates that the raw material the Academy is working with is more sow's ear than silk purse in the forwards and that comes down to the School's system.

Brian McLaughlin was one of the first 'enlightened' schools coaches to basically play a pack of 8 flankers. That pseudo-League style of rugby is very successful at that level because the competition rules place little importance on size and power. In fact the fastest flankers were even moved into the backs because they could be more effective there - both Olding and Gilroy have experience of playing on the flank at school.

The forwards production line isn't running through the Ulster Schools system and that is a deep-seated problem that won't be changed should Ulster be given zero NIQ signings.

Aukster - can you expand on what you mean by the "pseudo-league" style rugby? I'm not seeking to contradict you just interested in what facets of the game make you see this in current schools rugby.

geoff999rugby wrote:

clivemcl wrote:

Wilson and Williams are not up to the standard any more IMO. Maybe even it's time to give Taggart his chance?

Trouble is Taggart probably isn't up to standard either.

I honestly am not convinced there is one player coming through at the moment who really impresses - that includes the backs.
To be fair a few who I have seen very little of but it is very depressing

Does anyone think we should give Diack a run of games at 8? We have Henderson, and even Tuohy capable of playing flanker, along with henry, Reidy, Faloon and Ross.

Also - maybe it's been asked already - what's the story with O'Connor? Injured?

I just reckon bothe Wilson and Williams could do with the kick up the arse that would come from being dropped from the matchday squad. We won't have the squad numbers do do it though until Henry and Hendy come back in.

Diack is injured and also not good enough
O'Connor got injured in an 'A' game recently

Reality is with Henderson moving to the 2nd row next year we only have 1 backrower, Henry, good enough to play at the top level and no real prospect of anyone else coming through.

A NIQ signing next year will make it 2 but even so not a good situation to be in

ShanesBridge77 wrote:

The forwards production line isn't running through the Ulster Schools system and that is a deep-seated problem that won't be changed should Ulster be given zero NIQ signings.

Who says it  will be zero NIQ signings.

Nationally it will be 3+1 and we will, probably, be allowed 3+2 (or even 4+1 temporarily) in recognition that player movement isn't going to work for us and in recognition of the fact that we have a backrow crises because of our appalling academy.

I am going to be even more damning and suggest that from what I have seen the three quarters in the A team and Academy aren't that great and are being overrated.
No one there makes me go wow !

Some updates - not good ones unfortunately.

Henderson has some sort of arm injury - don't know details
Bowe injury is not good. Not career threatening but wont seem him for months, if at all this season
Wilson continues to be a complete tube - lets just say I am glad I am not his neighbour. (Illegal substances involved ALLEGEDLY)

geoff999rugby wrote:Some updates - not good ones unfortunately.

Henderson has some sort of arm injury - don't know details
Bowe injury is not good. Not career threatening but wont seem him for months, if at all this season
Wilson continues to be a complete tube - lets just say I am glad I am not his neighbour. (Illegal substances involved ALLEGEDLY)

Ulster are well aware of these activities geoff?

I believe so - just hoping to keep a lid on it till his contract end and he retires.

He has been warned by the police but not charged.
If he was charged they would have to take some action.

Poor man management and not a great example for the young players

If he were to get into more trouble it'd tarnish Ulsters image and even more so if they are shown to have failed to act on what they know

Exactly but we have:
Leadership with no authority - Doak and Clarke
A captain who wouldn't tolerate such behaviour - Muller
We are desperate for backrower who knows the rules, let alone are any good and Wilson knows it.
As aside he has been rubbish in the last two games he has played.

It is an absolute joke we have 2 players at the club who, quite frankly, don't have the stomach for it any more - Wilson and Humph

To be fair to Humph while his lack of execution was there last night he did seem to be talking a lot to those around him

Maybe if we start throwing some youngsters in at the deep end we can make something of them. Not much motivation for them if they know no matter how poorly some senior players play or behave they'll still get in ahead of them

Taggart really needs to be in there now he cannot be any worse than wilson they might as well just throuw him in there and give him a run of games

"ROI schools don't have the playing restrictions that the Ulster ones do. It is possible to play for both school and club which means the players get exposed to the man's game and associated rules. The schoolboys who are being missed in Ulster aren't even playing rugby because the game is a glorified League code where continuity and pace is rewarded at the expense of power and size. It is no wonder that Ulster aren't producing forwards."

No disrespect intended Aukster, but this typifies the muddled thinking that is undermining Ulster/Irish rugby. Only last week, everyone was lamenting the lower skills of the NH when compared to the SH, yet when schools try to encourage an expansive game, they are criticised for doing so.

The schools system is producing forwards with much greater basic skill levels than ever before, but at senior level we still favour the old-fashioned 20 stone hulk who's great at the set piece but can't throw a pass off his left hand. To me the problem is that disconnect between what the schools are producing and what Ulster or Ireland seem to want. I thought that making that link was part of McLaughlin's old remit, but may have misunderstood what his role was about.