The UAFC

thecrouch wrote:You say you don't doubt the players effort. I disagree, I doubt it. Are they giving 100% week in, week out? The performances suggest they are not. They lack the determination and the grit. Munster fans love to bleat on about pashun and pride, Ulster lack it in abundance.

I think there is a lack of ruthlessness, that absolute desire to win that you see in other provinces. We are mentally fragile. I think too many Ulster players think they've made it as soon as they're given their Ulster tracksuit and their free motor. There needs to be a shift in the mentality; that you're nothing until you've got the medals to show for it. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

Whose job is it to fix these issues? It's Kiss's job. It is up to him to deliver the harsh message that our players require. Is he capable of doing that? I'm not sure. I suspect Kiss actually is a decent coach, after all he has shown it when he worked in D4, but he is the wrong man at the wrong time for Ulster. He's too nice.

At the same time, is replacing Kiss going to solve Ulster's problems? No way, the problems are way too deep. The players themselves need to address their attitude issues and think long and hard about themselves. Do they really want to be seen as the bunch of perennial losers that Ulster has become? The CEO needs to stop trying to turn Ulster into a wee night out for the middle class and realise that the rugby should be first and foremost. People turn up to Ravenhill for a laugh and they aren't overly bothered about the match itself. This leads to a general malaise about the place, the players feel they'll enjoy their semi-celebrity status no matter what's happening on the field.

The players also need to shut up talking to the press and do their talking on the pitch. I don't give a stuff if you are hurting after a previous defeat, I don't give a stuff if you are working harder than ever, I don't give a stuff if you are intensely focused on the next match. What you say and what you do are two different things. Rather than telling us this waffle show us. String together some good performances and show us that you're building towards something. Right now we don't look like we're building, we look like we're rubbish. The players should be embarrassed about that.

Also, the fact remains that Ulster just has too many substandard players. We end up relying on these players too often and it hurts us. The dysfunction of the academy has contributed to this. The amount of absolute dross foreign players we have signed in recent years is absolutely staggering. It's time to get a functioning academy that produces competent Ulster men to play for Ulster. Foreign players should be signed to complement what we have and bring it to the next level.

The committees that run Ulster Rugby need to take a long look at themselves. Are they really the right people to be giving input on professional rugby in Ulster?

And Ulster need to find ourselves an absolute bar steward of a head coach. Someone to light a fire under our squad, to cut the dross and instill some good old fashioned grit into our players. If you're too soft you get shown the door. Someone who won't make things seem nice and fluffy. Ulster are looking for their Michael Cheika who addressed Leinster's ladyboy problem.

Russ wrote:Whoever goes needs to take that twunt band with them

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WhiteKnightoftheWeld wrote:

thecrouch wrote:You say you don't doubt the players effort. I disagree, I doubt it. Are they giving 100% week in, week out? The performances suggest they are not. They lack the determination and the grit. Munster fans love to bleat on about pashun and pride, Ulster lack it in abundance.

I think there is a lack of ruthlessness, that absolute desire to win that you see in other provinces. We are mentally fragile. I think too many Ulster players think they've made it as soon as they're given their Ulster tracksuit and their free motor. There needs to be a shift in the mentality; that you're nothing until you've got the medals to show for it. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

Whose job is it to fix these issues? It's Kiss's job. It is up to him to deliver the harsh message that our players require. Is he capable of doing that? I'm not sure. I suspect Kiss actually is a decent coach, after all he has shown it when he worked in D4, but he is the wrong man at the wrong time for Ulster. He's too nice.

At the same time, is replacing Kiss going to solve Ulster's problems? No way, the problems are way too deep. The players themselves need to address their attitude issues and think long and hard about themselves. Do they really want to be seen as the bunch of perennial losers that Ulster has become? The CEO needs to stop trying to turn Ulster into a wee night out for the middle class and realise that the rugby should be first and foremost. People turn up to Ravenhill for a laugh and they aren't overly bothered about the match itself. This leads to a general malaise about the place, the players feel they'll enjoy their semi-celebrity status no matter what's happening on the field.

The players also need to shut up talking to the press and do their talking on the pitch. I don't give a stuff if you are hurting after a previous defeat, I don't give a stuff if you are working harder than ever, I don't give a stuff if you are intensely focused on the next match. What you say and what you do are two different things. Rather than telling us this waffle show us. String together some good performances and show us that you're building towards something. Right now we don't look like we're building, we look like we're rubbish. The players should be embarrassed about that.

Also, the fact remains that Ulster just has too many substandard players. We end up relying on these players too often and it hurts us. The dysfunction of the academy has contributed to this. The amount of absolute dross foreign players we have signed in recent years is absolutely staggering. It's time to get a functioning academy that produces competent Ulster men to play for Ulster. Foreign players should be signed to complement what we have and bring it to the next level.

The committees that run Ulster Rugby need to take a long look at themselves. Are they really the right people to be giving input on professional rugby in Ulster?

And Ulster need to find ourselves an absolute bar steward of a head coach. Someone to light a fire under our squad, to cut the dross and instill some good old fashioned grit into our players. If you're too soft you get shown the door. Someone who won't make things seem nice and fluffy. Ulster are looking for their Michael Cheika who addressed Leinster's ladyboy problem.

What garbage.

therealspratt wrote:Kiss is broadly useless but it does go deeper than him, the culture as a whole is off throughout the squad. You're dead on Crouchy.

Neil F wrote:

therealspratt wrote:Kiss is broadly useless but it does go deeper than him, the culture as a whole is off throughout the squad. You're dead on Crouchy.

What I don't get is this continued instance from some that the "culture... throughout the squad" is somehow detached from coaching / management staff and the values they instil in that squad.

Neil F wrote:

therealspratt wrote:Kiss is broadly useless but it does go deeper than him, the culture as a whole is off throughout the squad. You're dead on Crouchy.

What I don't get is this continued instance from some that the "culture... throughout the squad" is somehow detached from coaching / management staff and the values they instil in that squad.

222toHounslow wrote:I’ll be honest, I skipped Rums post, life’s too short.

Will getting rid of Kiss fix everything, nobody here is dumb enough to believe that but it’s a start.

On the question of blame, it’s bloody well not the fans fault. Should we accept nice guys and mediocrity or actually call shyte as shyte?

thecrouch wrote:Also, the fact remains that Ulster just has too many substandard players. We end up relying on these players too often and it hurts us. The dysfunction of the academy has contributed to this. The amount of absolute dross foreign players we have signed in recent years is absolutely staggering. It's time to get a functioning academy that produces competent Ulster men to play for Ulster. Foreign players should be signed to complement what we have and bring it to the next level.