Sam Windsor signs for Ulster

[Dan Dare]

Surely if we combined Ihump's, O'Hagan's and Windsor's salaries we could sign a decent back up OH (or an even better one than PJ!!!)

I despair - talk about highs and lows between yesterday and today

What do you think the two would be costing then? The nipper is on a first year academy contract and the the new buck who never played a game for a championship club in England or a full game for the Leinster A team. The cost combined would not buy PJ's little pinky!

Just so you know Rovi, thats why it is announced today (PR timing). Get it out there after the great news of busting the bank for an All Black superstar. Keep the faithful in check. What would have been the reaction if this was announced first FFS. They get the good news out first, the one that makes everyone go "wow" with excitement, the one where people go "Who?" comes after.

[WhiteKnightoftheWeld]

Paid pittance (most likely), Irish qualified... what's there to lose?
As long as he's not a d!ckhead there's zero risk.

Potential gain?

Player with a bit of experience, who (from video) looks to be able to kick, pass, find a gap, tackle...
Our team minus RP and PJ could do with someone like that for a while.

Don't know why he didn't make it to a higher level. If he's 27, Leinster may have taken one look at him and put their eggs in the Jahnny Sexpest basket - not being at that standard doesn't mean he's useless...

[BR]

Stanley?

Arthur?

Your turn.

Morgan

Parra

Graph

Steffi

[BR]

I imagine Bobby is willing to play for not very much, as he can hardly be described as a journeyman. Just hope he is fit if/when we need him.

[Cockatrice]

Isn't Ihump planned for new ventures next season and if the Ginger Prince is able to play his way back into the Irish set up pre RWC that leaves us with what? OHagan and who else at 10.

Stanley was signed as emergency cover at 10 and now appears to be not good enough in that we play him at 12 for the Ravens with Heaney coming on to cover 10. Is Heaney being considered as an option for 10 cover now?

This week we sign a player who won't be here playing until September 2016 but which looked a step in the right direction this one does on the face of it seem more like a Rainman/ Boys type of signing.

[BaggyTrousers]

OK, listen up muthafukkas.

Whilst I know we can't all be blessed with intelligence did it occur to anyone there is a world cup on next season? Did you know we will not be blessed with the Ginger Prince until there is a nip in the air and Santa's considering loading up the sleigh?

Is anyone left in any doubt that iHumph will be the best we have allegedly for the first 2-3 months of the season? Looking forward to that? Me neither. Has it occurred to any halfwit what will happen at 10 if GP is away, Ruan is away, Olding is crocked, Luke Marshall might be away and what then happens if iHumph suddenly decides to make a tackle and is broken?

Think of that did we? No, didn't think so. FFS wise up.

So in conclusion, this is a one season deal to cover a time of great peril. Seems like a sensible move by Bryn.

A sensible move by Bryn would be to say to Sean O'Hagan, get yourself back to full fitness, with the WC next years its your chance to show what you can do in, and he can back up iHumph

Ive never seen the Windsor guy play but the fact thats hes currently injured and hasnt been playing at the top level in any country seems like another waste of money, would be surprised if he even steps on the field

I can explain it to you, not even one as magnificent as I can make you understand it.

[BaggyTrousers]

Stanley?

Arthur?

Your turn.

Morgan

Parra

Graph

Paper

[Dan Dare]

Strange, the more you see that the Warriors fans are very unhappy at the lack of loyalty shown by a player who gets injured in his first game for them and effs off to us. The thing for me is that they say that he was on trial at Warriors and he was on trial at Leinster, if he has not played for a year then what has he done to get a one year deal? I know that he has the Oz connection, but is he Esportif?

Of Course signing a 10 makes sense, and we do need that cover especially with PJ back fit and the prospect of the RWC involvment again. Just think that we could have done a wee bit better. Stanley must not have impressed as I thought that he would get another year offered if he was any good.

[BuckRogers]

I wish him well, there are worse out there. A pleasant surprise would he him being more reliable than IHumph, personally I'd take a bit less flair/sideways running or whatever iHumph does for someone who would be at least competent in the majority of OH functions.

[BaggyTrousers]

Sorry BR didn't realuse you had joined the game.

Knee

[BR]

Sorry BR didn't realuse you had joined the game.

Knee

Sax

[scrum5]

Name another IQ 10 who we could have got as cover during the RWC we now have Humphs O'Hagan and Windsor

[Cockatrice]

Name another IQ 10 who we could have got as cover during the RWC we now have Humphs O'Hagan and Windsor

Can I presume that an NIQ precedence may have been set when they signed Stanley as cover for 10 and as such that opened the door somewhat to get someone that both covered Paddy's injury and extend beyond the RWC. Not easy but then again unlike Esportif I ain't getting paid to surf the world and find one somewhere….

I did manage to find one in the same Counties Manakau team who was keeping Stanley well down the pecking order there and who also had played Super Xv for the Blues. He also left wanting to ply his trade in the NH and is currently loaned out to an English 2nd tier team through Saracens but I understand he isn't an Esportif player.

I accept that there is nothing lost with taking up an IQ option after all we have tried that with Murphy, Ryan and Buttwerworth to name three but none of them are setting the world alight and I fear that this player may fall into that category. If we are so short on 10's coming through that Heaney is providing the back-up option for the Ravens then god help us when we try to find a replacement coming through for Ruan.

[Nightsoil]

However, I find it difficult to believe that there isn't anyone better out there who would be available for next season (money talks and 10 is one of our weakest positions without PJ / RP) - is the barrel really that empty? - if it is then Bryn could prove to be a very wise man.

Assuming that they have to be Irish Qualified, then the answer is "Yes, the barrel really is that empty".

We know it's that empty because we've already been forced to have second gos at O'Connor and McKinney, both of whom managed to make bringing back iHumph look a good idea. Look at what the other provinces have waiting behind their first choice men - academy players and AIL players. There's a very limited supply of IQ fly-halves you'd genuinely want playing for you and none of them are about to move to us.

He may well be crap. There's a good chance of that. We have signed a lot of crap, and will continue to sign a lot of crap, simply because they are IQ'ed and the rules forbid us from having more than 5 NIQs (barring injury cover). But we have no choice but to gamble on those players because of said rules. Windsor will probably be cheap, he's unlikely to be crapper than NOC/McKinney, and it doesn't look like there will be anyone better available. Not sure what there is to complain about.

p.s. No, Cockatrice, you can't use signing a NIQ as injury cover as precedence for signing an extra NIQ for the entirety of next season, World Cup or no, as I can't recall any Irish province as having done so.

[ruckover]

Smart signing. May not be top quality, but will at least provide some credible opposition to iHumph as opposed to O'Hagan.