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

My own take (with only a modicum of "knowing someone in the set-up" insight) would be -

Soper is a tremendous skills coach - he hasn't done it as assistant coach. I read folk on this thread not long ago writing about how we needed to get our forwards upskilled so that they could play the same sort of way as Leinster/Connacht. Short, short memories. Much of last season (21-22), and certainly the season before (20-21), we had brilliantly skilled forwards. We've never had crunching behemoths but we had accuracy and speed. Tip-on passes, great, incisive lines, offload-offload-offload. Done at pace. Part of the frustration of this season has been how that has dwindled. Our attack generally has been markedly less impressive this season - whether that is merely us going into our shell as a result of our slump, or whether it's simply the fading influence of Soper's skills work as time goes on, I don't know. But we need to get back there, and imho, need a freshening up amongst the coaching team.

Would we have been better if Payne had become assistant/attack coach? Maybe. Would Soper have been happy to stay on had Payne got it? Who knows.

Bell was a massive step down from Payne - at times our defence looked desperate. Although I thought our one-on-one tackling and organisation improved towards the end of the season - I'm not quite as despondent on that front as I was in January or thereabouts.

The IRFU forbade Toomaga-Allen from staying, and have forbidden Dan/Bryn from bringing in a better NIE flyhalf than Burns. No-one is under the illusion that he is good enough to win Europe with, but we aren't allowed to shop around. And in fairness, equally, his hands were on the reins in the games where we did play very well over the last few years.

There's a number of places where we're thinner next season than we were this. Lyttle is absolutely a loss. We are already at Defcon 4 for next season at tighthead, and a ball has not yet been kicked in anger.

We need on-field leaders. Crotchety, demanding, inspiring leaders. We lost to Connacht because we gave away 18 penalties (the most in any game we've played since 2011) - an on-field general would have pulled the fellas in and straightened them out. But no-one, not Burns, not Vermeulen, not Jordi Murphy, not Herring got us to adapt. Will Kitshoff or even Ewers improve matters? I'm sceptical. But if one of them did, it would go a long way to getting us back on track again, I reckon. I think the single biggest presence we could have benefited from, from these last fifteen years, was Johann Muller.

Anything else? Addison is apparently ready to hit the ground running (if that doesn’t break his leg) at the start of pre-season. Reffell will be like a new signing and, let’s not forget, will be 23 at the start of next season – over a year younger than Marcus Rea. Between Sean, and McCann really starting to kick on at the end of last season, hopefully there’ll be a young backrow coming together. Need another ground-hog, though.

Madigan still appears to be on the books. Or maybe not. Would love to see Curtis get some time at ten.

I know we’re all panicked about TH in October, but if there’s an yet another injury to Ronan Kelleher and Stewart plays in the World Cup, we’ve John Andrew and James McCormick. Potential baptism of fire for the young lad.

For now, attention turns to Ireland! Allez les verts!

Glasgow scored more maul tries than any other team in the URC this season (13).

Looks like we're already aping them.

Our phase play has been a shambles this season, agreed.

The question is, do we need new coaching staff to get that, though.

Agree 100%. I don't think Munster have better players overall, but the quality of their coaching has shot through the roof. A really good attack coach and we'd be right back in the mix.

I would have a very similar take, actually, although if he is back as he was I'd have Addison followed by Lowry at FB, and Hodnett I would not rate higher than Timoney. I'd have Treadwell ahead of Kleyn as well. And some other quibbles - but I think we're agreed that it's the coaching. And possibly the OH position - that might be a player quality issue. Would Munster have done what they've done with Carbery?

They should announce it then. What are they waiting for? I know the players are away sunning themselves but the admin folks are probably beavering away like the rest of us. Or maybe they're waiting for Hendy to come back from whereever he is so they can do all the promo stuff.

Keeping Henderson is important, not because he plays a lot, he really doesn't, but because he is the captain and probably our best known player. Losing him would have sent out a terrible signal.

I wouldn't be surprised if he starts to feature for Ireland less and less, which might mean that he lines out at Ravenhill a bit more.

One of the big differences is with Munster, especially against Stormers & Glasgow in the KO stage, is you just always get the feeling that whether it be hook or by crook they will find a way to win. I never get that feeling with Ulster and if anything you feel they will find a way to lose. Yes sure Ulster have won games at the death but alot of the time it seems to be by accident rather than design.

While not disagreeing on Ulster, that point about Munster is pure marketing fluff, in my humble opinion.

I didn't think they'd do it by hook or by crook last season when they came up to Ravenhill and were made to look p1sh-poor, or even when we beat them in Europe way back when in Thomond. They've had a remarkable, enviable resurgence this season, but they've spent years decidedly not getting it done by hook or by crook.

I'm surprised he wasn't released. His injury profile is awful.

Yes Ulster absolutely need a new 10, for all the players they either bring in or are rumoured to be bringing I always find it a mystery how they don't mention the need for a new 10. The likes of BB and IM are just not good enough for a club that has aspirations of winning trophies.

Let's be honest here. Munster have been coached brilliantly and turned the season around in remarkable fashion. Dan McFarland has failed to get the best out of Ulster when it really matters.

Also Munster have best supporter base in Europe and as mentioned much better OHs than Ulster.

Another aspect in relation to Munster is the quality of players coming through the academy. Especially the forwards. Kendellen and Hodnett are both fantastic players. They both will probably be Ireland internationals. McAnn is the only Ulster back row that's come through recently and he's not as good.

Munster have serious prospects coming through in Quinn and Edogbo. Ulster seem to struggle with producing forwards. That said, I reckon Wilson will be a good player. Sheridan should be good and McNabney looks a find.

It's strange that. James Humphreys is in the academy. I don't know how he's doing. Then there's Madigan and Flannery who rarely play?

There's always decent to very good backs. One is retiring at 26 years old.

Petrie isn't really doing much better than the last administrators. I don't see the Vermuellen signing as a win. An aged 8 with a ton of miles under the belt and probably on a good salary. Also Carter, certainly not much quality regardless of being an Oz international.

Would Conor Fitz be a better option than Madigan? Or Flannery? He'd be fairly cheap.

Ive never been that impressed by Conor Fitzgerald.

But the point is why do we need to rely on a 4th choice out half from another province (Flannery) or a reject from Munster (French)?! Why aren't we producing players ourselves. We've been talking about this for 20 years...