The UAFC

Now that we have confirmed D'Arcy, Payne, Afoa, etc for next season, how many spaces are left to be filled in the squad? Are we light in any particular areas?

By my calcs we have:

FR: McAllister, Black, Afoa, Court, Fitz
H: Best, Brady, Kyriacou
SR: Muller, Barker, Tuohy, Stevenson, McComb
BR: Ferris, Diack, Wannenberg, Henry, Faloon, McComish
SH: Pienaar, Marshall
OH: Humphreys
C: Wallace, Whitten, Cave, Spence
W: Danielli, Trimble
FB: Payne, D'Arcy

Which is to say 30 full contracts confirmed..

Gilroy and Marshall to be awarded full contracts?

I'd be really surprised if Gilroy did not get a full contract now it sounds like Carr isn't coming, us having only four contracted back three players.

I suppose McIlwaine, Cochrane and Gaston will continue to provide cover, but not on full deals? Surely we have a contract still open for an additional prop and another outhalf, positions that definitely need additional cover.

I would like to see Gilroy and Marshall get full contracts because other clubs will be sniffing around them soon enough. Signing both now would definitely be the smart move.

With Paddy Jackson on the fringes I think we will be covered at 10, would like to see another prop coming in and with Ferris and his fitness concerns maybe another backrow forward.....

and just for a bit of controversy could Alan Whitten or Adam Macklin be converted to the backrow, both are stong and aggressive runners with reasonably good hands, i think Adam played backrow in school.... only a thought

scrum5 wrote:only a thought

A daft one at that

During the RWC we could be very exposed by a couple of injuries at 9 & 10. More than likely paddy and Ruan will be away and if humph and/or small Paul were to get injured it would place a fair bit of pressure on Jackson and porter.

Yeah but so will most teams and it will do them a world of good if they get the opportunity.

Bring Humph On!! wrote:During the RWC we could be very exposed by a couple of injuries at 9 & 10. More than likely paddy and Ruan will be away and if humph and/or small Paul were to get injured it would place a fair bit of pressure on Jackson and porter.

I'd go one step further and say that we ware only one I jury away from iHumph going to NZ,then we would be in serious trouble.

I think Jackson is showing serious potential, ? Worth a contract?

A daft one at that

Thanks Snipe

Keep looking on the transfer rumours to see anymore speculation for next year. I still see 1 or 2 IQ possible?

10 OUT= Cunningham, Pollock (Injury) TJ Anderson, BJ Botha, R Cauldwell, Mark McCrea, Niall O'Connor, Jamie Smith, Tommy Seymour & Bryan Young possibly? (D'arcy took Bryns place!)

5 IN = Payne, Afoa, McCormish, Callum Black & Lewis Stenson.

Luke Marshall, Craig Gilroy & Connor Gaston were all Academy and deserve at least developement contracts.
David McIlwaine, Ian Porter & Paddy Jackson I would keep on Academy contracts as they still havent made the progress of the others? (Would actually let McIlwaine go if I'm honest)

I have no sources or am I the owner of any dogs, were is the real need in your eyes and can cables maybe post the latest Excel on what we have.

Another 1F would be first on my shopping list as I'm fedup watching our backrow be outmuscled. Not a complaint on 4 of our boys who have played the whole season with little restbite!

Anybody any thoughts or info other than the black lab gave you whilst drunk?

C'Mon ULSTER!!!

Agree ref. Back row cover. 2 maybe needed. Backrow now looks shot, due to excessive demands and covering for Fez.

Not sure if this is the right place to mention but Fiday's match was probably the first "last" home game where none of the players on the pitch were leaving in a long time!

You know something about Bryan Young we don't Sham?

Need more than 5 props on the books, give Young and Cronin/Macklin contracts

We need more good backrowers, McComish has replaced TJ as the squad filler but with Ferris' injuries and international unavailability we can't afford to flog Wannenburg and Henry as we have done this season. Obviously need to be IQ but they need to be decent, Humph on the hunt in super 15 looking for flankers with Irish grannies?

Need cover at 9 and 10. I thought Porter was already on a development deal so he's there? Leinster have signed a 10 and look to be letting one of McKinley/Madigan go, we should try and sign McKinley up for a couple of years imo and let us ease Jackson in.

I'd imagine Luke Marshall will get a full contract as another centre.

Need more cover in the back 3, Gilroy should be on a full contract, Cochrane has apparently done well this season, bump him to development perhaps? Gaston likewise?