Offski??????????????

[rocky]

Is it not Aurillac with Jeremy D?

[Russ]

Grenoble with Jackman?

[Joe Schmo]

Is it not Aurillac with Jeremy D?

aye that's it I take it's been mentioned before

[Amiga500]

So by your logic McKinney left to play at Rotherham , then he came back to play at Ulster as what, competition for PJ or a back up, now he has went back to Rotherham , is that for more development . No because at a push that's his level.So now Ihumph returns after a hissy fit, that too will be for second fiddle to PJ.

Really would not use Joyce as an example

F**k me Ban-Ki Moon, but your hard work. What part of "if we didn't have PJ and did need a starting 10" did you not get?

Steenson wouldn't come back right now as he'd most likely end up picking splinters out of his Brennan on the bench. But if there was no PJ, then its a different story. McKinney came back to be a break-glass option with hope he'd maybe show improvement and now he leaves as not even a break glass option having shown no improvement. Incoming arrivals also factor in his departure.

Re Joyce, I did say, "just to throw a name out", obviously you didn't comprehend that either.


Do you want me to write it up in crayon using small words next time?

[Kofi Annan]

Yes please, as your shîte about players going to develop else where's is a wet dream, every time a player leave the same old cack is spouted oh they will come back better players, can you name one, infact ones who have come back recently gave been offloaded very quickly, playersarev going are because they are just not good enough and they are going to their level.

Macklin and PaddyMac had potential to be Ireland players but were never developed correctly, who's fault is that?

Anyway when you have finished with your crayons pass them on

[Eggs]

Has it been mentioned here that PaddyMac is off to Oyonnax next season? I can't seem to find any mention of it here. Anyway decent deal for him, just the one year to see how it goes and I think-but I might be wrong- the intention is to play and get time in the other side of the scrum at th.

Are you sure??

A mate of mine was talking to him within the last week or so and he told them he had turned down other offers and signed a 1 year contract with UR

[Joe Schmo]

Nope off to France for a year.

[Amiga500]

Yes please, as your shîte about players going to develop else where's is a wet dream, every time a player leave the same old cack is spouted oh they will come back better players, can you name one,

Niall O'Connor did come back a better player - just not improved enough. Still good enough to bail us out twice in Italy last season.

Michael Heaney left the academy to go to Doncaster, he was nowhere near the first team at the time. Now he is back and on the latest squad selections, it looks like he is now our 2nd choice scrumhalf.


Correct me if I'm wrong, but we haven't had a forward depart "for development" and come back in recent years...? [Sarge doesn't count obviously.]


More obviousness - stand-outs like Henderson/Olding/Gilroy etc don't go for development. They are good enough to take their chance when it comes. Others aren't quite that good and hence not that ready. Someone that has to go away to mature is unlikely to be anything more than solid, but not earth moving, on their return.

[Joe Schmo]

Has it been mentioned here that PaddyMac is off to Oyonnax next season? I can't seem to find any mention of it here. Anyway decent deal for him, just the one year to see how it goes and I think-but I might be wrong- the intention is to play and get time in the other side of the scrum at th.

Are you sure??

A mate of mine was talking to him within the last week or so and he told them he had turned down other offers and signed a 1 year contract with UR

Sorry Eggs, I hadn't read you previous and very recent posts too, but the news I heard was as recent as this week, but maybe he's changed his mind. Maybe to do with him getting married this summer, maybe the wife-to-be doesn't want to travel. So you could right or my source could be right, time will tell I guess!

[ColinM]

Yes please, as your shîte about players going to develop else where's is a wet dream, every time a player leave the same old cack is spouted oh they will come back better players, can you name one,

Niall O'Connor did come back a better player - just not improved enough. Still good enough to bail us out twice in Italy last season.

Michael Heaney left the academy to go to Doncaster, he was nowhere near the first team at the time. Now he is back and on the latest squad selections, it looks like he is now our 2nd choice scrumhalf.


Correct me if I'm wrong, but we haven't had a forward depart "for development" and come back in recent years...? [Sarge doesn't count obviously.]


More obviousness - stand-outs like Henderson/Olding/Gilroy etc don't go for development. They are good enough to take their chance when it comes. Others aren't quite that good and hence not that ready. Someone that has to go away to mature is unlikely to be anything more than solid, but not earth moving, on their return.

Court

[Kofi Annan]

Court played 9 games for Pertemp Bees, now feck me Sadie he must have been a fecking quick learner he went there for game time purely because he only started playing the bloody game year and a half before so you cannot put him in the same category of a guy who has played representative rugby at age grade at both club and country and does not improve. That sir us a player of limited ability and by going to a lower level is not about development it's about finding your level.

Heaney , not far from being on his way out, did he start tonight because we need beagle next week as Ruan won't be playing . Did Heaney look like a Snr player tonight, no he was there as we needed a 9.

O,Connor, wise up , did McKinney not almost become the new messiah after the Edinburgh game

Wilson , he went away a good player and came back a good player and also learnt to keep his pecker in his pocket, pity His cohort did not learn his lesson, what's it now three charges for DIC.

Amiga, you mention Gilroy , how is he an example , unless your saying that he wanted it more , developed more and obviously a better play than some of the ones leaving or left. Remember Gilroy was overlooked by Ulster at age grade as they deemed him not good enough, but after scoring a wack of tries as an 18 yr old in AIL they had no option to look at him , same applies to McCloskey. Players going will not be back .their going to their level

[CIMANFOREVER]

Tommy Bowe- came back much better than when he left. Maybe that says a lot about how UR develops players..

To be fair, young front row or front five forwards going off for game time seems to make more sense to me. Backs, no. Imo KcKinney, for example, going by what limited views we saw of him before he went first time, seemed a better prospect than when he came back, bringing an attitude only it seems.... and that saddens me, as I had high hopes...

[Dan Dare]

Tommy Bowe- came back much better than when he left. Maybe that says a lot about how UR develops players..

To be fair, young front row or front five forwards going off for game time seems to make more sense to me. Backs, no. Imo KcKinney, for example, going by what limited views we saw of him before he went first time, seemed a better prospect than when he came back, bringing an attitude only it seems.... and that saddens me, as I had high hopes...

Agree, I had high hopes for McKinney, but he can't say that he did not get a fair crack at it? They gave him ample opportunities.

I also think that it is different for forwards, they get battle hardened by going away and getting game time. I am hoping Niall Annett comes back a better player. It can work for some backs as game time is what it is all about at the end of the day, but agree that it is more beneficial for forwards on the whole.

[OneMore]

I agree with Kofi that in nearly every instance in the past, there is no argument to be made that the returning player has developed into an Ulster starter.
I think there probably is an argument somewhere that says a player (take Annett for example) who can go away, he'll probably develop somewhat, but not into an Ulster starter. Now if he takes 5 years away, or 8 years or whatever and has been starting for some lower table English side, doing well for himself generally, if the door was open, a guy like that might return to be our replacement hooker. Let's assume in the mean time we've found the next big thing at 2 and he's the new Rory. NA might e at a stage in his career where he'd be content to play a bit part in a team that's challenging for world domination (obvs) rather than being the main man at a crappy team. It's not that he's turned into a world beater, but he'd have a damn sight more experience than he would playing Ravens games, and for us he'd be our dependable backup.

[Dave]

Some players have left and improved but haven't come back. Tommy Seymour the best example and is unlikely to return now he is a scot. Willie Falloon would be another and I'd love to see him return. Just because there aren't any obvious examples of players leaving and returning having improved does not mean it won't happen. We just have to leave the door open incase it does.