TRANSFER RUMOURS!!

[Jackie Brown]

Sammy Arnold ain't coming back

No loss

[justinr73]

So where is Cobus Reinach heading....?

[nonplussed]

France... Japan... £££££££££££

[solidarity]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/51129870
Jamie Roberts off to the Stormers in South Africa. I wonder is this a one - off or a new trend? Have any others headed there to end their career?

[justinr73]

Not unless there’s a corporate sponsor behind it like there apparently is for him!

[kingofthehill]

Have to wonder if Ulster are going to bring anyone in this season.

With the contracts up of some senior players I can't see us having much money to spend as well as keeping them.

So, with that in mind, what positions do we need to sign and who is available? Is there a space for another NIQ? (don't know what the rules are anymore)

If we are allowed a NIQ i can't imagine its going to be a big name.

[Snipe Watson]

Have to wonder if Ulster are going to bring anyone in this season.

With the contracts up of some senior players I can't see us having much money to spend as well as keeping them.

So, with that in mind, what positions do we need to sign and who is available? Is there a space for another NIQ? (don't know what the rules are anymore)

If we are allowed a NIQ i can't imagine its going to be a big name.

For me, a lesser name with a lower cost can often be a better fit.
A marquee player is great and brings in the crowds, but a grafter like Pedrie Wannenburg or Matt Sexton can bring a whole lot to the table.

[kingofthehill]

Have to wonder if Ulster are going to bring anyone in this season.

With the contracts up of some senior players I can't see us having much money to spend as well as keeping them.

So, with that in mind, what positions do we need to sign and who is available? Is there a space for another NIQ? (don't know what the rules are anymore)

If we are allowed a NIQ i can't imagine its going to be a big name.

For me, a lesser name with a lower cost can often be a better fit.
A marquee player is great and brings in the crowds, but a grafter like Pedrie Wannenburg or Matt Sexton can bring a whole lot to the table.

Without a doubt but is it important that they are a guaranteed starter?

[kingofthehill]

Have to wonder if Ulster are going to bring anyone in this season.

With the contracts up of some senior players I can't see us having much money to spend as well as keeping them.

So, with that in mind, what positions do we need to sign and who is available? Is there a space for another NIQ? (don't know what the rules are anymore)

If we are allowed a NIQ i can't imagine its going to be a big name.

For me, a lesser name with a lower cost can often be a better fit.
A marquee player is great and brings in the crowds, but a grafter like Pedrie Wannenburg or Matt Sexton can bring a whole lot to the table.

Without a doubt but is it important that they are a guaranteed starter?

Also, what positions do we have no youngsters/quality coming through? Im struggling to answer this question which is a good thing.
Last thing we want to do is bring in an NIQ and have them struggle to get a starting place and then hold back an academy prospect/young player.
Bryn must have a 3 year plan with the academy boys and mapping out when they are to get game time. We haven’t really seen any academy guys get a run this year other than Moore, Regan and McIlroy (who isn’t even in the academy). Does this shock anyone or is that a normal amount getting a run? Seems very low to me when you look at Leinster.
Years ago Humph,Logan or Bryn said that an NIQ would only be signed if he was world class. For me, the only world class NIQ we have is Marcell. Gone are the days of Ruan, Afoa, Muller etc

If you had a choice of NIQ who would you go with?

I’m struggling to think with the current squad we have where I think it’s best to bring somebody in. I would love to see Scott Penny come up North.

[solidarity]

I want Finn Russell NOW!

[Columbo]

Also, what positions do we have no youngsters/quality coming through? Im struggling to answer this question which is a good thing.
Last thing we want to do is bring in an NIQ and have them struggle to get a starting place and then hold back an academy prospect/young player.
Bryn must have a 3 year plan with the academy boys and mapping out when they are to get game time. We haven’t really seen any academy guys get a run this year other than Moore, Regan and McIlroy (who isn’t even in the academy). Does this shock anyone or is that a normal amount getting a run? Seems very low to me when you look at Leinster.
Years ago Humph,Logan or Bryn said that an NIQ would only be signed if he was world class. For me, the only world class NIQ we have is Marcell. Gone are the days of Ruan, Afoa, Muller etc

If you had a choice of NIQ who would you go with?

I’m struggling to think with the current squad we have where I think it’s best to bring somebody in. I would love to see Scott Penny come up North.

Good question - IMO on most areas of the park we have depth that is at least reasonable (taking into account academy), and in some cases very strong - e.g. centres and wings, where we may have the opposite problem in the next couple of years (i.e. guys heading elsewhere for starts..), with two exceptions: for all that Shanners has come on in the last couple of years, we lack calibre in the 9 stocks; back row, in particular openside, it's really only Coetzee who threatens over the ball, and of the academy guys, the more promising ones seem to be more 6/8s (McCann, Allison).

If I was the king, I'm not sure I would have brought Faddes in - decent player, but I'm not clear that we were crying out for more back 3 resource - if I had 2 more NIQs (or IQs for that matter) to add, I would bring in an openside in the Cloete / Fainga'a mould (Penny would be an amazing coup, because he's class, and well down the stack as things stand), and a solid experienced scrum-half to take some of the burden off Cooney and give time for Finlay / Doak to come through.

[drumquinandy]

Pieter Steph du Toit. World class 7. That would be enough to win silverware.

[Snipe Watson]

Pieter Steph du Toit. World class 7. That would be enough to win silverware.

He's a blindside.

[mea97mb]

Pieter Steph du Toit. World class 7. That would be enough to win silverware.

He's a blindside.

Wrong actually, there is no such thing as open/blindside in SA as they play left/right. So sometimes he will be playing openside and others blind during the same match.

[kingofthehill]

Also, what positions do we have no youngsters/quality coming through? Im struggling to answer this question which is a good thing.
Last thing we want to do is bring in an NIQ and have them struggle to get a starting place and then hold back an academy prospect/young player.
Bryn must have a 3 year plan with the academy boys and mapping out when they are to get game time. We haven’t really seen any academy guys get a run this year other than Moore, Regan and McIlroy (who isn’t even in the academy). Does this shock anyone or is that a normal amount getting a run? Seems very low to me when you look at Leinster.
Years ago Humph,Logan or Bryn said that an NIQ would only be signed if he was world class. For me, the only world class NIQ we have is Marcell. Gone are the days of Ruan, Afoa, Muller etc

If you had a choice of NIQ who would you go with?

I’m struggling to think with the current squad we have where I think it’s best to bring somebody in. I would love to see Scott Penny come up North.

Good question - IMO on most areas of the park we have depth that is at least reasonable (taking into account academy), and in some cases very strong - e.g. centres and wings, where we may have the opposite problem in the next couple of years (i.e. guys heading elsewhere for starts..), with two exceptions: for all that Shanners has come on in the last couple of years, we lack calibre in the 9 stocks; back row, in particular openside, it's really only Coetzee who threatens over the ball, and of the academy guys, the more promising ones seem to be more 6/8s (McCann, Allison).

If I was the king, I'm not sure I would have brought Faddes in - decent player, but I'm not clear that we were crying out for more back 3 resource - if I had 2 more NIQs (or IQs for that matter) to add, I would bring in an openside in the Cloete / Fainga'a mould (Penny would be an amazing coup, because he's class, and well down the stack as things stand), and a solid experienced scrum-half to take some of the burden off Cooney and give time for Finlay / Doak to come through.

A scrumhalf to take the burden off Cooney could be an excellent shout Columbo.
Leinster are so stocked on backrow options that it would seem obvious that someone like Penny would be better suited up North.
Bryn and Nuciforia HAVE to be pushing these guys to another province. Look at the likes of EOS, he has thrived with game time that is now ahead of some of the guys at Leinster that he was initially behind.
Younger players from other provinces should be the number 1 targets now. For the simple reasons of being cheaper and having a point to prove.