Ulster Discussion Thread

[Kingshu]

First topic message reminder :

In a backrow of Izzy,Timoney and McCann and any Ulster fan will tell you its McCann whos played the best this season. But the other two are the ones called up. It appears that for Ulster players for national selection you are soley judged on the games V Leinster and Munster, the rest of the season the selectors arnt watching. Izzy and Timoney both had great games V them and had some great highlights, McCann was good but no real showreel moments in those games.

[Pete330v2]

Rugbypass are more often than not full of nonsense but they are reporting that Ulster are in the market for a tight head.

Update:
KOTH on another forum confirms that it's true.

[carpet baboon]

Zac ward listed as a winger for Saturdays match

[geoff999rugby]

Decent run out - caveat being I'm sure how strong Treviso were.

One thing that really bugs me, and for me shows a clear Leinster bias.
Is they get Slimani because they only have Furlong and Clarkson.

We have been told to move O'Toole to LH and
Moore seems broken - only 2 starts since 1st January 2023 and currently missing in action.

Which leaves us with Scott Wilson a Development player with 4 starts to his entire career.
Somehow we only get a player not good enough for the English 2nd tier - go figure.

Its a farce - its crystal clear that if O'Toole moves across we will need a credible TH - 100% certain.
If we don't Ireland will have to go and do one because we will have to play O'Toole at TH.

Also no argument can be made about the number of foreigners at Ulster.
Every player qualifies for Ireland by birth or parentage bar one (Kok).
No other province comes remotely close to that.

[formerly known as Sam]

Bit late to be TH shopping unless it's a season long loan for a player down the pecking order elsewhere. Any rumoured names?

[carpet baboon]

Bit late to be TH shopping unless it's a season long loan for a player down the pecking order elsewhere. Any rumoured names?

And that's what makes it even more annoying, it's been know about the TH situation since last season, yet nothing has been done untill now.

[Kingshu]

Bit late to be TH shopping unless it's a season long loan for a player down the pecking order elsewhere. Any rumoured names?

Barrett on trail, 26-year-old who previously been involved in Ulster age-grade teams, and didnt make it and spent last season playing for Doncaster Knights, bedford blues before that and did get a game for Scarcens in the Premiership cup, before that.

Best I think we can hope for is a short term signing from a super rugby side, untill super rugby starts again.

[geoff999rugby]

The stupidity is that failing to address the issue in the early summer means that by far the most likely outcome is
Ulster will have no choice but continue to play O'Toole at TH.
The biggest losers here will be Ireland not Ulster.

Criminal short sightedness by the IRFU

[Pete330v2]

It's crystal clear that Leinster are the jewel in the crown of the IRFU and in a lot of ways I can understand that. They make up the bulk of the international squad and they do go further in Europe consistently than the other 3 provinces. However they've achieved sod all recently in Europe despite their advantages.
Munster seem able to get a good level of fair treatment as well. Regardless of the stadium debt it seems that when needed they can get high quality players airlifted in whether it be injury cover or summer signings.

Ulster get told to suck it up, use your academy or airlifted in Barrett. If he's the TH we've been reputedly looking to sign then it's going to be a long season. No knock ons please.

I think we can officially start referring to the IRFU as The Starmer with it's 2 tier approach or is the 3 tier approach.

[geoff999rugby]

In case anyone missed it we have three trialists

Ward - winger
Barrett - Tight Head
Pringle - Centre (plays for Ballynahinch)

[geoff999rugby]

Posted on the other site that we have the 5th biggest pack in the URC for next year.
If true, and given 4 Saffers teams, that's impressive.

I certainly noticed that a few players have a bit more bulk about them (not the Marty Moore kind  )
Another positive with respect to the change in coaching personnel

I am really quite positive about next year providing we can cope in the scrum.

[Kingshu]

Even though on the other forum they say pack, it is ave squad size, not sure if we have more forwards v backs than other sides that would unbalance it,but also considering we have Lowry and Morgan in the squad it does give an indication that our forwards pack would be near the top as well. Article is here.

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/all-16-urc-squads-by-average-height-and-weight/

[Kingshu]

It's crystal clear that Leinster are the jewel in the crown of the IRFU and in a lot of ways I can understand that. They make up the bulk of the international squad and they do go further in Europe consistently than the other 3 provinces. However they've achieved sod all recently in Europe despite their advantages.
Munster seem able to get a good level of fair treatment as well. Regardless of the stadium debt it seems that when needed they can get high quality players airlifted in whether it be injury cover or summer signings.

Ulster get told to suck it up, use your academy or airlifted in Barrett. If he's the TH we've been reputedly looking to sign then it's going to be a long season. No knock ons please.

I think we can officially start referring to the IRFU as The Starmer with it's 2 tier approach or is the 3 tier approach.

Leinster 3 Hcup finals in 3 years isnt sod all, I'd be very happy if Ulster also achieved that sod all but we achieve a different sod all.

With Leinster they don't ask for much so guess when they do its given, though having 10 of their highest earners paid for is a big help.

Its Munster And how they are treated differently to Ulster I cant understand. Munster broke even for the first time in over 10 years last season, thats not counting the stadium debt (they have lumped those 10 year losses in with the stadium debt at a near intrest free loan with the IRFU) in that time they were allowed to have 10 NIQ players at one time, havent been short of big signings, had a NIQ player at centre for over 20 years, have had assistance in paying for Zebo, Pom, Murray, and I dont recall them haveing to cut thier squad, and can even afford Ulsters First choice OH as a back up.

Ulster have one years loss, are down to 1 NIQ have cut squad to smallest out of provinces. It just doesn't add up. How come Ulster have to reduce wages and make cuts, yet Munster are given leeway to spend their way out of trouble and IRFU will absorb the debt, and can even afford Ulsters 1st choice players as back ups, when in a worse finicial position.

[geoff999rugby]

Munster don't have to worry about money, Leinster and Munster don't have to worry about NIQ's - its the IRFU way.

Munster only pay £100,000 a year on a multi million Euro loan which is interest free.
Can we have a Loan like this....thought not !

Munster have 3 NIQ's (not including Salanoa who will, I think, be Residency qualified this year)

Leinster have 3 NIQ's and 2 Residency qualified

Ulster have 1 NIQ and 0 Residency qualified

[Pete330v2]

Squad for the away preseason v Exeter.

(15-9) Ethan McIlroy, Zac Ward*, Jude Postlethwaite, Ben Carson, Aaron Sexton, Aidan Morgan, Nathan Doak;

(1-8) Andrew Warwick, James McCormick, Corrie Barrett*, Alan O’Connor (C), Kieran Treadwell, Matty Rea, Marcus Rea, James McNabney.

Replacements:

John Andrew, Eric O’Sullivan, Scott Wilson, Henry Walker, Harry Sheridan, Reuben Crothers, David McCann, Nick Timoney Dave Shanahan, James Humphreys, Mike Lowry, Stewart Moore, Werner Kok, Ben Moxham

[Kingshu]

Is Cooney injured? Hasnt been in either squad

[geoff999rugby]

Rumours are that McNabney making a serious claim to be a starter.
If Timoney and Izzy are not allowed to start because they were sitting on their backsides in South Africa I think he will

[Intotouch]

Hi Kingshu,
What year are you talking about re 10 niqs? You wrote “in that time they were allowed to have 10 NIQ players at one time, ”
I can never remember there being that many.

[carpet baboon]

Anyone know how long Joe Hopes is going to be out for?

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