Ulster squad additions

[geoff998rugby]

All things relating to Ulster squad changes

[clivemcl]

I tell you what, I like the cut of this guys jib. Sounds like the kind of guy to take us to a new level!

Tell you what .... a few quid on us being the first province to win 3 , yes you did hear me right, three, HEC titles might not be a bad investment...... .....

Reporter on Radio Ulster just used this term referring to Ansombe. I know its not an uncommon saying, but my susicious side wonders if he subconciously used that phrase because he had just read it! Makes you wonder who all does read forums like these? Do reporters? Do players? Members of the coaching setups? I know I'd be tempted a wee deaf duke.

[rodders]

Best of luck Whitten lad. Thanks for your efforts this season. Lets hope you leave with HEC winners medal.

[rodders]

Or perhaps clive I am the bbc ulster reporter....... ....... dum dum dum......

[marty2086]

Or perhaps clive I am the bbc ulster reporter....... ....... dum dum dum......

Sure isnt geoffs secret identity Stephen Watson?

[Jenifer McLadyboy]

Imagine he won the Heineken Cup after coming out of retirement at 37! Is it his first time playing in Northern Hemisphere?

There's another 37 yearold with designs on helping an Irish province become the 1st to win 3 x HCs

[Rava]

Our 37yo is better than your 37yo nah, nah

[marty2086]

Our 37yo is better than your 37yo nah, nah

[geoff998rugby]

Or perhaps clive I am the bbc ulster reporter....... ....... dum dum dum......

Sure isnt geoffs secret identity Stephen Watson?

Wash your mouth out ...if you are going to give me a secret identity make it someone classy

[Rava]

Jim Neilly?

[marty2086]

Or perhaps clive I am the bbc ulster reporter....... ....... dum dum dum......

Sure isnt geoffs secret identity Stephen Watson?

Wash your mouth out ...if you are going to give me a secret identity make it someone classy

Apologies geoff how about Pamela Ballentine then?

[rodders]

Jim Neilly?

Well he does confuse Spence and Marshall the odd time I suppose.....

[clivemcl]

And Whitten and Faloon

[Notch]

Will Anscombe bring any more coaches with him?

I notice Humphreys talks about him developing current coaches as well as players.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/17302017?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[Jenifer McLadyboy]

Our 37yo is better than your 37yo nah, nah

Eh....Wha... Brad Thorn bows to no man. Terblanch has not even graduated to wearing Brad Thorn Pyjamas.

Brad Thorn gets better players free with his cornflakes.

[Jenifer McLadyboy]

Jim Neilly?

That's who my money is on. That other lad 999 is Pamela.

[geoff998rugby]

Will Anscombe bring any more coaches with him?

I notice Humphreys talks about him developing current coaches as well as players.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/17302017?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

My understanding is that a backs coach will be added and Doak is out of a job.
Hearing Doak might take up an AIB coaching position to learn the trade
Dinger may well stay though as defence coach.

Humphreys has to get his own back on Doaky for all those crap passes he gave him over the years

[neilthom7]

Maybe geoff is closer to the team than we think, he is a person we do not know the identity of, who else be's at ravenhill every week and we dont know the identity of? Sparky is that you?

[rodders]

That explains the typos! Geoff is typing with his paws!

[neilthom7]

Clearly undeniable evidence there, I think we have gotton to the tail of this issue rodders lol

[Rava]

That's not a tail. He just forgot to wipe his barse

[geoff998rugby]

I may be 57 but I'll take Sparky on in a race anytime.

Compared to that tubby fellow I am an Adonis of a man.

[rodders]

[neilthom7]

hes not aerodynamic really is he geoff

[Don Alfonso]

Is anybody else weirdly gratified that “Ulster squad additions” must now be one of the longest running threads on the Club Rugby segment of the forum?

[neilthom7]

although admitedly don it has slightly got off track unless we can pass geoff off as ulster newest signing?

[Don Alfonso]

I think he's their Minister of Misinformation.

Cheika indeed... pffffft.

[clivemcl]

Someone should change the title to

'ANYTHING about Ulster - Put it here if you can't be bothered creating new topics when something important happens!'

Bit wordy though...

[MrsP]

Ah sure we're grand just sticking stuff on here where we all know to look!

Anyway, still waiting on news about Wannenberg!

And you lot leave our Geoff/Sparky alone!

They're both doing a great job!

[The Great Aukster]

Can't believe Ulster are letting Annett go and keeping Brady (32) and Kyriacou (29). Neither of these guys are ever going to be Test standard, so has Annett fallen so far as to be only English Championship standard?

If Faloon goes then Ulster are back to Henry as first choice 7 with the callow Birch as the only backup. Anyone think Dom Gallagher can make it?

[rodders]

Agree Aukster, was thinking how weak we are at hooker actually. Best is pushing 30 too and theres not much coming behind.

Can't understand the descision to let the two boys go, other than financial but there you go.

Personally I'd rather keep Faloon than sign Wilson. Bowe is a no brainer but are squad is weaker without Whitten and Bowe will be on Ireland duty a fair bit.

[Kingshu]

personnally I think it should be Brady thatr makes way, unless there is a younger hooker coming through the acamady, would have like to have kept Faloon and Whitten but thems the breaks. personally to be a top side i think you need 3 players for every position, a H-cup standard player, a pro 12 standard and an acamady player.

how close the Pro 12 player is to being a H-cup player (ie at other teans they would be first choice h-cup player) and how good the acamady player is (ie top pro 12 with potention to be top h-cup standard player but not quite yet), gives you a guage in what the strenght in depth of the squad is.

Ie Leinsters squad depth is best as their 2nd choice (pro 12 level players) a lot of them are up to h-cup standard, and the acamady players are up to top pro 12 level.

[MrsP]

Annett is only 20 and he has played 7 mins against Leinster in that match we sent the U12s down to play.

He is very young for a front rower and needs to develop and get some game time.

Does he intend to study at Bristol Uni?

Who is he going to play for?

[neilthom7]

Losing Faloon is an issue but who knows this will give Birch a chance to get in there and he has been impressive in his brief performances so far. It will also probably help Faloon and Whitten. It might help Annet as well but really he should have been retained Brady has got to be coming close to the end of his career now and Kyriacou is both not very young and hardly at a great level either so this is probably annets time to be pushed. I dont see how a player that was captaining the Irish U-20's last year could have fallen so much?

[geoff999rugby]

Annett is not ready yet - he has fallen nowhere. He will return and replace Brady in due course.

The club reckon Birch is as good as Faloon.

As I have said elsewhere, for me, Wilson is a key and excellent signing, Faloon is a marginal player.

Also regarding players leaving we have a limit to our salary levels. Rather than say we should have kept x can I ask who, on the same salary level, shoudl have gone instead.

[Notch]

Certainly not Luke Marshall, Chris Farrell, Nevin Spence, Paddy Wallace or Darren Cave one would think...

[Standulstermen]

Keep faloon over Wilson.......

I am a big fan of Faloon but his performances have fallen. I hope he finds the guy he was 2 years ago down there. That player was exceptional. I dont like seeing him go at all but i understand it.

[Notch]

If it's similar to the Seymour and McCrea departures Ulster may have an option regarding Faloon to bring him back in a few years! Meanwhile, we get to see if Birch can develop at openside.

Faloon, to be honest, has had a lot of chances. He's been given a lot of chances and he hasn't kicked on- if anything he's now a much less effective player. I still think he's a real asset when he's on form but those on days are becoming more sporadic... I hope this is the impetus he needs to get back on track. Who knows, we might see him back in white a few years down the line.

I think what Anscombe will bring to our pack and backrow especially will be hugely interesting. He has a reputation as a good technical forwards coach and his NZ U20 team had a lot of aggressive carriers in the pack, all with very good ball skills, and were very sharp at the breakdown. I think he could be the man to start getting the best out of Tuohy, Diack, Birch etc. I think he'll narrow that gulf between our first choice backrow and our second choice.

[geoff999rugby]

For me Wilson is a 7 out of 10 player , Faloon is a 5 out of ten - no comparison.

I can see Seymour back here, McCrea no chance - not good enough.

[The Great Aukster]

Annett is not ready yet - he has fallen nowhere. He will return and replace Brady in due course.

The club reckon Birch is as good as Faloon.

As I have said elsewhere, for me, Wilson is a key and excellent signing, Faloon is a marginal player.

Also regarding players leaving we have a limit to our salary levels. Rather than say we should have kept x can I ask who, on the same salary level, shoudl have gone instead.

Mike Sherry is only a couple of years older than Annett but now has a wealth of experience, largely because of Flannery's injuries and Sheehan being forced to retire. He has moved ahead of Denis Fogarty and is putting real pressure on Varley and on a fast track to higher honours. Munster thought they'd give Cronin experience at Connacht but then found they'd left themselves short and luckily Sherry was able to step up for them. So with Annett leaving who is Ulster's Mike Sherry?

[WillyGilly]

The only front row I know in the accademy is Kyle McCall. 2 years younger than me in school and an excellent player. From memory though I think his preference is LH prop. No idea if we have anyone else lined up in case of emergency. Could someone do a Faloon and come in on the basis of club form.

Also is it around now or later in the year next seasons accademy recruits are announced?

[The Great Aukster]

Willy did you see the U20s last night?

McCall looks better and better every time I see him. He moved from LH to TH for a while in the second half and looked really good there too. Scotland were totally munched in the scrum so it's hard to judge - next week will show a lot more. His younger brother is getting good press as well on the flank.

[WillyGilly]

Thoroughly impressed with Jackson TGA as well. Captain and 10 are quite a juggling act and he's managing brilliantly.

[Hookisms and Hyperbole]

I am a big Faloon fan, but his form at best has plateaued, and at worst he has taken some steps back. The problem for me is this- should we not keep a talented young 7, the only potential 'traditional' type 7 Ireland has or basically set him loose? I ask this because we had two young wings who got capped early for Ireland, went through some majors dips in form at various points and are now pretty decent players having been allowed to develop in the Ulster setup. I'm talking about Trimble and Bowe of course, both of whom were playing very poorly for a while. Trimble turned his game around, as did Bowe before he left for Wales. I think bringing in Wilson, if he is to be a replacement for Faloon, is some very poor business. I am not a fan whatsoever. Last season he seemed to be doing well for Northampton, but this season he has largely been anonymous the 7 or 8 times I have seen them. To think we could have looked at the overflowing Lenister backrow and brought in, lets say for arguments sake, McLaughlin or Ruddock. McComish for me has been a poor signing as well so letting Faloon go is disappointing.

[geoff999rugby]

Also remember young Whitten could well be returning.

Players deveop at different rates Annett simply isnt there yet. Also his move to Bristol is temporary - he plans to return.

Don't know about McKinney but could well be the same deal. These guys are not the same as Faloon, Whitten, McCrea, NOC or Anderson who were/are leaving with no plans to return.

[geoff999rugby]

I repeat if Faloon doesn't go who should instead - our salary bill is not inexhaustable - at a guess the following are on similar salaries to Whitten and Faloon.

Brady, Fitzpatrick, Black, Barker maybe Marshall and Humphreys - which ones should go instead ???

[Hookisms and Hyperbole]

Geoff for a start I would get rid of McComish, Diack, Brady and Barber. I would also have a real think about Ian Humphreys. I know that books have to be balanced and I am a realist here. All I am saying is that there are older players, past their best, or players who are never going to get any better, that could make way before Faloon. Faloon is talented and we have all seen it. Maybe putting a bit more effort in rather than simply shipping him is the way forward.

[Standulstermen]

Diack has a contract till 2014. Barker I don't think will be renewed given that Iain Henderson looks the dogs bollix for the U20's. Mccomish has another year atleast as well and if Annett will most likely return whenever Brady retires so I don't see the issue,

I think it is great for irish rugby that both faloon and birch will see game time next season. If willie hits his straps I'm sure ulster will look at bringing him back but Henry and birch covering 7 works out grand for me.

In an ideal world we would have pollock and faloon covering that position but form and injury dictate otherwise.

[geoff999rugby]

Diack has a contract till 2014.
McCormish would be on a lower salary and would not cover the cost of Faloon.


Brady would leave us with only 2 hookers - I repeat Annett is no ready.
Barker would mean MComb nuber 4 lock - would you be happy with that.

Humphreys has a contract till 2014 as well and anyway regardless of his weaknesses who is your 10 and back up 10 for next year ??

[WillyGilly]

Geoff when you said young Whitten earlier did you mean Alan?

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