The UAFC

ovalballs wrote:Tommy Seymour comments on Ulster are somewhat telling:

Seymour has flourished at Glasgow since joining in 2011 after failing to make his mark at Ulster where he says he was deemed "surplus to requirements".

He has developed into a top-class winger at Scotstoun, but says the thought of pulling on the Lions jersey was not even on his radar when he first arrived at the club.

"I don't think anyone at that age, moving clubs that young, would dare to think along those lines," he said.

"I can never have enough thanks towards Glasgow and the SRU for giving me the chance to carry on playing. When you have to leave a club at that age, somewhat surplus to requirements, you can definitely have doubts in your head - and to have doubts at a young age isn't great.

The thing is though, he was surplus to requirements at Ulster. There was a fair few ahead of him at that time in the pecking order and rightly so. Whilst the coaches can be blamed for a hell of a lot of the sh!te that's been served up for the past few years, I wouldn't say that letting Tommy go was a major error. Fair fecks to him to getting where he is today

But he does join a list of players who have done well since they have left. It is not easy to tell at very young ages, but someone sees potential. Total far fecks to him though, brilliant to see.

On the same point, many have left only to prove that UR were right to let them go.

I thought that Seymour wanted to leave because he thought he had more chance of playing for Scotland than Ireland.

Gary wrote:I thought that Seymour wanted to leave because he thought he had more chance of playing for Scotland than Ireland.

He left because Humphreys didn't offer him a contract !

Rooster wrote:

Gary wrote:I thought that Seymour wanted to leave because he thought he had more chance of playing for Scotland than Ireland.

He left because Humphreys didn't offer him a contract !

Wouldn't blame Humph, not that you are. Seymour was behind established players / internationals in Bowe and Trimble at the time. Gilroy coming through. Danielli still on the books....

Just one of those things. I don't remember Seymour leaving and thinking to myself that was a bad move by Ulster.

Humph also let Paddy Mac go.

UlsterNo9 wrote:

Rooster wrote:

Gary wrote:I thought that Seymour wanted to leave because he thought he had more chance of playing for Scotland than Ireland.

He left because Humphreys didn't offer him a contract !

Wouldn't blame Humph, not that you are. Seymour was behind established players / internationals in Bowe and Trimble at the time. Gilroy coming through. Danielli still on the books....

Just one of those things. I don't remember Seymour leaving and thinking to myself that was a bad move by Ulster.

Tommy Bowe was still with the Os when Seymour left and didn't rejoin until 2 seasons after. The other wingers on Ulster's books during Seymour's last season were Mark McCrae (who also left), Danielli and Trimble, I think Nevin Spence would have been viewed as a utility back covering centre and wing. In the academy were Gilroy, Michael Allen, Conor Gaston and Chris Cochrane.

As things turned out, the next season Danielli retired and Gaston left. Cochrane lasted until the season after but only got a handful of caps, Michael Allen lasted for 3 further seasons but he was another utility back.

I'd hope that if the Ulster management think a player can make it as a pro, they will keep him, even if the position is well served.

The conclusion must be that D Hump et al didn't think that Seymour was going to make it. So he is on the list along with players like Steenson and Finlay Bealham who didn't make it as Ulster senior players but achieved a lot more elsewhere.

CHARLES had a poor game against Munster at least now I understand why.... and why was Cave not playing?

Dave wrote:Humph also forced Paddy Mac to go.

Fixed that

He would have been better asking Cave, he was taught years ago by the master Steinmetz before video analysis became fashionable in the Northern Hemisphere[/quote]


Wish we had players with the brains of Steinmetz. Seriously intelligent player and hard as nails.

Rooster wrote:

Dave wrote:Humph also forced Paddy Mac to go.

Fixed that

I'd say that Paddy Mac's development at Glaws has been aided by the presence of a certain Mr Afoa, who by all accounts did a lot of good work with our props when he was here.

mikerob wrote:Tommy Bowe was still with the Os when Seymour left and didn't rejoin until 2 seasons after. The other wingers on Ulster's books during Seymour's last season were Mark McCrae (who also left), Danielli and Trimble, I think Nevin Spence would have been viewed as a utility back covering centre and wing. In the academy were Gilroy, Michael Allen, Conor Gaston and Chris Cochrane.

As things turned out, the next season Danielli retired and Gaston left. Cochrane lasted until the season after but only got a handful of caps, Michael Allen lasted for 3 further seasons but he was another utility back.

I'd hope that if the Ulster management think a player can make it as a pro, they will keep him, even if the position is well served.

The conclusion must be that D Hump et al didn't think that Seymour was going to make it. So he is on the list along with players like Steenson and Finlay Bealham who didn't make it as Ulster senior players but achieved a lot more elsewhere.

Jeez. Some of the players mentioned there... Ulster really were scraping the barrel for wingers at a point... All of that said, I don't remember thinking Seymour was much of a loss when he left, either. Saw him play a few times for Ulster's senior team and certainly never thought he'd make the professional grade, let alone go on to do what he has. Fair play to him. Maybe coaches should have seen more than the errors I saw him make in the senior team but if he performed in training like he did on the pitch...

Seymour has undoubtedly progressed and developed far beyond where he or anyone else expected him to and for which he deserves an enormous amount of credit.

I don't recall too many on here bemoaning the loss of him, in the way that plenty did last season about Rory Scholes and equally questioned why on earth we were keeping Stockdale instead.

Among the players we have let go (Bealham, Steenson, Whitten, Farrell, McAllister etc) he has progressed far beyond the others.

For some the forced exit is the kick up the ar$e which spurs them on, as their comfortable Ulster career is snatched away and they realise they have to prove themselves good enough to earn a contract to pay the bills.
Some would argue we have a few 'Comfortable' players in our squad.
I don't think we've completed the journey from a Rugby Club to a professional Team and only then will we kick on.