Ulster Team Talk Thread IV... Go On My Henderson...

RuPi

bilston wrote: »

Yeah...well senior contra to definitely would make room in the Academy, not sure how it works with development contracts...

It seems to work like so...not sure whether Development contracted players stay in the Academy or not.

Central Contract
Senior Contract
Development Contract
Academy Contract
Sub Academy

Development contract means you are part of the senior squad, so they aren’t part of the academy anymore.

launish116

Just curious does that mean there’ll be a bigger intake than usual. Be hard to know with so little rugby being played as well.

bilston

launish116 wrote: »

Just curious does that mean there’ll be a bigger intake than usual. Be hard to know with so little rugby being played as well.

Just three players have been upgraded I think...Stewart, Doak and Sexton.

I assume McCann and McIlroy will be too, I suppose they may go straight to senior deals.

Sounds like Houston may be moving on.

So potentially 6 gaps...but not sure whether it is a one out, one in policy.

Paul Smeenus

bilston wrote: »

Just three players have been upgraded I think...Stewart, Doak and Sexton.

I assume McCann and McIlroy will be too, I suppose they may go straight to senior deals.

Sounds like Houston may be moving on.

So potentially 6 gaps...but not sure whether it is a one out, one in policy.

Presumably Moxham goes into the Academy.

arsebiscuits1

Any notable omissions from Ulster contract news? Any higher profile players likely getting the chop?

Paul Smeenus

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

Any notable omissions from Ulster contract news? Any higher profile players likely getting the chop?

We don't definitely know when some players are out of contract. Ludik will definitely go - retirement, I think.

A lot of us are presuming Faddes.

arsebiscuits1

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

We don't definitely know when some players are out of contract. Ludik will definitely go - retirement, I think.

A lot of us are presuming Faddes.

Probably prudent.

Ulster have some excellent outside back options at present

Paul Smeenus

McBurney might be off, with Stewart on a 1 year development, 1 year senior contract.

And can I just say, having seen this, I love Mike Lowry even more. Skilled, brave Inst lad, down to Earth and not averse to having a laugh at himself.

Reminds me of me.

https://twitter.com/UlsterRugby/status/1355191141134692360?s=20

Utah_Saint

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

McBurney might be off, with Stewart on a 1 year development, 1 year senior contract.

And can I just say, having seen this, I love Mike Lowry even more. Skilled, brave Inst lad, down to Earth and not averse to having a laugh at himself.

Reminds me of me.

https://twitter.com/UlsterRugby/status/1355191141134692360?s=20

Are you also vertically challenged? ;-)

Paul Smeenus

Utah_Saint wrote: »

Are you also vertically challenged? ;-)

I face a great array of bewildering and idiosyncratic challenges every day, Saint, but no, verticality is not one.

Utah_Saint

Does anyone know if the irfu budgets were the same or less than the previous year? Or are these things agreed years in advance? I.e 3 year periods.
Just trying to figure out what sort of numbers Ulster are working with?

bayern

Utah_Saint wrote: »

Does anyone know if the irfu budgets were the same or less than the previous year? Or are these things agreed years in advance? I.e 3 year periods.
Just trying to figure out what sort of numbers Ulster are working with?

reduced 10 to 15% I think I read in the times.

bilston

2 more years for Nick Timoney

launish116

bilston wrote: »

2 more years for Nick Timoney

He looks to have significantly bulked up!

bilston

1 more year for David O'Connor

Paul Smeenus

bilston wrote: »

1 more year for David O'Connor

Think one is fair - I haven't been totally convinced by him.

launish116

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Think one is fair - I haven't been totally convinced by him.

Has the size and aggression! Keep telling myself hard to judge him coming straight into seniors. 1 year seems fair.

Greg Jones one year now as well

Paul Smeenus

> See Launish's post above <

Paul Smeenus

I have to say, in the absence of our Provincial rugby team playing any actual rugby matches, I'm quite enjoying them making renewal announcements in this way.

Really glad Ulster are training with Ireland. They're going to be so bloody rusty by the time they get back in the pitch.

bilston

Another year for Greg Jones

Edit - Launish was faster (much faster!) on the draw!

bilston

Timoney has 70 caps for Ulster, he looks set to hit 100 now over the next 2 years, provided he stays fit. Its hard not to like him, I still see him more as our bench option in Europe, even with Coetzee going, but given he is only 25, he is only really approaching his best years.

I've said before that I rate Jones, glad he gets another year, whether he will ever grab the 6 Jersey as first choice in questionable, but he is a hard carrier, he maybe misses the odd tackle? It would be interesting to see his development if he got 5-10 games on the trot though.

David O'Connor is a useful deep squad member. He will need to keep improving though if Izzy develops well over the next 12 months.

bilston

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

So, giving credit to Neil_M on T'Other Forum -

2021
Matt Faddes, Iain Henderson, Alby Mathewson, Louis Ludik

2022
Billy Burns, John Cooney, Tom O’Toole, Stuart McCloskey, Jack McGrath, Marty Moore, Matthew Rea, Sean Reidy, Leone Nakawara, James Hume, Craig Gilroy, Marcus Rea, Angus Curtis, Greg Jones, David O'Connor

2023
Will Addison, Jordi Murphy, Rob Lyttle, Stewart Moore, Jacob Stockdale, John Andrew, Luke Marshall, Alan O’Connor, Robert Baloucoune, Aaron Sexton, Kieran Treadwell, Andrew Warwick, Nathan Doak, Rob Herring, Ian Madigan, Nick Timoney, Michael Lowry, Sam Carter, Tom Stewart

Unsure
Bill Johnston, Ross Kane, Adam McBurney, Kyle McCall, Eric O’Sullivan, Gareth Milasinovich, Dave Shanahan

I think that's all updated now.

We need Hendy to re-sign obviously and EOS (IF he is out of contract), and ideally Bill Johnston will pen a new deal, but I could see him moving on. Hope I'm wrong. And as I said last week I wouldn't give up on McBurney yet and I'd keep Milasinovich because of his versatility. Wee Dave's future probably depends on Mathewson. Who knows about the other guys. Also need to get McCann signed up.

launish116

bilston wrote: »

I've said before that I rate Jones, glad he gets another year, whether he will ever grab the 6 Jersey as first choice in questionable, but he is a hard carrier, he maybe misses the odd tackle? It would be interesting to see his development if he got 5-10 games on the trot though.

David O'Connor is a useful deep squad member. He will need to keep improving though if Izzy develops well over the next 12 months.

Actually thought the opposite, though maybe being little harsh. Thought his defence was better than his carrying. Stats shows:

4 games (3 starts), 29/33 tackles, 18 carries for 39 metres.

Actually think he has more potential than Rea now, with a well rounded game. Just lacks the size/weight of Rea has.

Couldn’t agree more though on O’Connor could be looking over his shoulder for Izzy.

launish116

Milasinovich 2 years

bilston

launish116 wrote: »

Milasinovich 2 years

Happy he stays, surprised he got 2 years, but definitely someone I'd like to see more of. The one game I've seen in the flesh this season was Benetton and he looked a big unit in that match.

bilston

2 years for Ethan McIlroy.

Just says upgraded contract, so not sure if it is straight to senior, or one year development and one year senior.

launish116

Reid 2 years - great to see and hope he pushes on.

Shanahan 1 year - quite surprised by that. Must mean Mathewson is gone.

bilston

launish116 wrote: »

Reid 2 years - great to see and hope he pushes on.

Shanahan 1 year - quite surprised by that. Must mean Mathewson is gone.

Very possibly...it will be interesring to see who Cooney's back up is next year. Remember Cooney has a year left on his contract. In 18 months time (Sept 2022), we could be left with just Nathan Doak (and maybe Lewis Finlay).

Put another way, I think Doak could be really fast tracked over the next 12 months. Even if Cooney signs on after 2022, Doak will need to be really challenging him.

bayern

bilston wrote: »

Very possibly...it will be interesring to see who Cooney's back up is next year. Remember Cooney has a year left on his contract. In 18 months time (Sept 2022), we could be left with just Nathan Doak (and maybe Lewis Finlay).

Put another way, I think Doak could be really fast tracked over the next 12 months. Even if Cooney signs on after 2022, Doak will need to be really challenging him.

thats optimistic

Paul Smeenus

bayern wrote: »

thats optimistic

Yeah - he'll only be turning 21 at the very end of 2022. Talented as he is, we need a a scrumhalf in the interim.