Petries Answering Questions

[kingofthehill]

16 in the academy for next season as it stands, McKillop and Ward are NTS (Sub Academy).

16 new intakes or overall?


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[RuPi]

16 overall, I think 8 new intakes. It wasn’t announced until mid July last year so could be a while yet before they confirm and announce.

[kingofthehill]

16 overall, I think 8 new intakes. It wasn’t announced until mid July last year so could be a while yet before they confirm and announce.

Does the 8 new intakes include sub academy?


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[kingofthehill]

Any pressing questions?


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No complete waste of time.

He's happy to engage on social media. It's very important for him.

Don’t know what more you wanted from him

Mentioned changing the game plan to suit the young back line again but I’ll hold my breath on that.
Also said about changing selection policy to increase rotation in the squad (specifically named Flannery and Izzy)

Academy intake increasing by 50% with academy players getting opportunities to play next season

Wasn’t able to watch the interview but can’t imagine he answered any hard hitting questions.

Did he answer or did anyone ask ‘who was at fault for the LAR pitch mess?’, ‘why was McFarland given such a long contract when he would know what the players thought?’

Increasing full academy places or just putting more into the sub academy for them to realise it’s not worth the bother for the time and money?

Have you heard who’s in the academy yet?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

On the La Rochelle mess he said “there are things we should’ve done better but also things epcr should’ve done better”

On the academy I’ve heard
Ward
Mckillop
Kenny
Mcfarlane
Graham
Stevens

Boal?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ljsulster]

16 in the academy for next season as it stands, McKillop and Ward are NTS (Sub Academy).

9 new intakes with no Ward or Mckillop?

Where are they finding these players and who are they

[ljsulster]

No complete waste of time.

He's happy to engage on social media. It's very important for him.

Don’t know what more you wanted from him

Mentioned changing the game plan to suit the young back line again but I’ll hold my breath on that.
Also said about changing selection policy to increase rotation in the squad (specifically named Flannery and Izzy)

Academy intake increasing by 50% with academy players getting opportunities to play next season

Wasn’t able to watch the interview but can’t imagine he answered any hard hitting questions.

Did he answer or did anyone ask ‘who was at fault for the LAR pitch mess?’, ‘why was McFarland given such a long contract when he would know what the players thought?’

Increasing full academy places or just putting more into the sub academy for them to realise it’s not worth the bother for the time and money?

Have you heard who’s in the academy yet?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

On the La Rochelle mess he said “there are things we should’ve done better but also things epcr should’ve done better”

On the academy I’ve heard
Ward
Mckillop
Kenny
Mcfarlane
Graham
Stevens

Boal?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wouldn’t have thought so
Would say doak would be before him

[Cockatrice]

So the La Rochelle debacle was a bit of ours and a bit of ERC but really nobodies fault … I though sacking all ground staff and not replacing them might have been a factor as well…

[SOU]

He said a lot without saying much.

Mentioned the pitch, said they’d been considering options for a year. Didn’t confirm or deny that its def happening and no timeline.

Also called James French a “serious operator”. Not sure if he’s checked his Wikipedia or he’s just reading an email from the guys agent.

Talked of Academy success. Even though we continually get it wrong, going back as far as Big Stu to more recently McIlroy.

Switched off after that. Boring same old.

We’ll be the 4th best province next year.

[Kanbei]

It has been a difficult season on and off the pitch for Ulster Rugby. A Quarter-Final exit at home to Connacht in the URC brought the curtain down on a campaign that has featured greater fan discontent than at any time since 2018.

In the middle of it all was a contentious falling out with EPCR over whether the side’s Champions Cup clash against La Rochelle could have been staged in Belfast despite a frozen pitch, a controversial decision to replace Ravenhill’s grass pitch with an artificial surface and the continued fall-out over the organisation’s long association with Kingspan in light of the ongoing inquiry into the Grenfell Tower tragedy. The province’s CEO Jonny Petrie sat down with Belfast Telegraph rugby correspondent Jonathan Bradley to discuss the big issues in BT6.

JB: Let’s start with the playing surface. When the Belfast Telegraph ran the story back in February there was a definite negative reaction and it’s fair to say that there is still significant opposition to this decision. How much was the fan reaction expected, taken into account, and what would you say to those that remain dead set against this move?

JP: We’ve been looking at investment in the pitch for well over a year now. I think we understand the pitch struggles at certain times of the year and there’s a few things that play into this. One is that we want to have a consistent high performance surface during the course of the season. With weather and overuse that becomes difficult to do with the pitch as it currently stands and doesn’t allow the team to play the type of rugby that we generally want to play.
That’s one side of it.
Another is more from a governing body perspective where we have a responsibility and desire to host all our domestic finals here, schools and clubs matches during the course of the year and what we’ve seen partly in trying to protect the pitch for the men’s senior team is that we’ve had to shift some of those to The Dub or to other venues and that causes issues, rightly, with clubs etc so that’s another factor in why we’ve looked to invest in this.
Obviously everything coming off the back of La Rochelle and the EPCR stuff as well, that’s an added factor and we don’t want to create further risk of the pitch not being playable again.
We’ve been looking at this for well over a year, at what type of investment to make, and looking at the usage profile that we need, yes you could do a grass surface, yes you could do a hybrid surface, but you’d still be constrained in how much you can use that. Really the only solution that worked on all fronts was to go down the route of artificial.
There’s been a huge amount of consultation over a long period of time with players, staff, medical research, and we feel comfortable with where we’re landing on it. We’ve still got a bit of work to do with Belfast City Council in the background but it is our intention to move ahead with that this summer.

​JB: You mention La Rochelle, after the postponement there was plenty of claim and counterclaim, but the story starts with a weather forecast and when your preparations to protect the surface in light of that forecast began. Put the record straight, what did Ulster do and when did they do it to ensure the game could be played?

JP: In reviewing that whole situation, there are definitely things that we could have done better. I think in having the provisions to deal with what ended up being a pretty sustained period of bad weather. The provision that we had wasn’t adequate to deal with that.
We’ve never had anything like that before. We recognise there are things we could have done better. There are things that EPCR could have done better.
It was a fraught week on a number of fronts and it was disappointing where it ended up. That’s just something that we all need to learn from and make sure that that situation doesn’t happen again. It wasn’t great for us as a club, including the financial impact from that. Clearly it (annoyed) supporters for any number of reasons so it is what it is. We’ve done a full review with EPCR and we’re moving on and making sure it’s not going to happen again. We recognise that there are things we could have done better.

​JB: £700,000 was the estimated cost of moving the game to the Aviva Stadium at the time. Did that come to pass and can you put that into real world terms for us whether it be in the budgets at professional or domestic level?

JP: In real terms it probably ended up being closer to the half million mark. That has a significant impact on our year end position this year. We’ve been dealing with the IRFU around that and they’ve been very understanding and very supportive of us in that space.
Does that have an effect going into the budget next year? Not directly but as you’ll see in rugby not just here in Ireland but elsewhere, it’s a pretty tricky business to make work. We need to make sure that we’re running a lean business and we’re driving as much commercial business as we possibly can to make ourselves sustainable. That’s always a balancing act when you’re trying to make sure that your product at the high performance end, which ultimately drives a lot of your revenue, continues to deliver. That’s the balance that we’re trying to strike. Yes, there was clearly a big impact on our year-end position this year but that’s not directly affecting our position going forward. It’s a challenge to make that sustainable and that’s the balance we have to strike.

​JB: You talk about the balance of commercial and sponsorship is a huge part of that. Yes or no answer, is Kingspan on the jersey next season?

JP: We’re still working that through. Listen, that’s at a commercially sensitive stage. I’m not trying to straight bat that or dismiss it. There’s been a pretty extensive review process that we’ve done independently and done that alongside Kingspan as well. We’ve concluded that and we’re at a discussion stage around that and we’ll have more to talk about in the next couple of weeks.
I’m not trying to avoid the question but the stage that it’s at, I can’t talk more about it.

​JB: Separate from anything commercially sensitive, the jersey sponsorship is up this season and there’s another year on the stadium naming rights so it’s a big issue right now. At the time of the previous deal, it was said that the relationship between yourselves and Kingspan was founded upon “shared values and aspirations”. This is a company whose former employees have admitted to practices that have been described as “deliberate and calculated deceit.” How do you square that circle?

JP: I think we’re still in the middle of an ongoing inquiry and we’re not here to prejudge the outcome of that inquiry. A lot of those claims, as we’ve publicly stated before, we’ve gone through in our full and independent review and spoken to the stakeholders including meeting with Grenfell United as well. There’s been a fairly chunky process at this stage but we’re still in the middle of an ongoing inquiry around that. We’re not here to prejudge the outcome of that and we’re expecting that to come later on this year.

JB: Even without prejudging the outcome, sponsorship and associating another brand with your own is a big decision. A part of that is the public perception or public confidence in that brand. I’m not saying it’s fully representative of every fan, but this year we’ve seen anti-Kingspan graffiti daubed on the stadium — that’s a negative association — we’ve anecdotally had some fans in London say they feel uncomfortable wearing Ulster gear in the city because of the Kingspan name. What do you say to those fans who essentially feel disconnected from a jersey that should represent home to them.

JP: Yeah, I understand there’s a depth of feeling around that and we certainly got that when we met with Grenfell United. We feel that’s where it’s important to have committed to a full review around this, we feel it’s important not to prejudge the outcome of a lengthy and important inquiry and that’s what we’ll do.

​JB: Moving on, in terms of that connection to the fans, in reference to Leinster’s URC Semi-Final against the Bulls drawing a reduced attendance last year, Leo Cullen said they had a realisation that there was a need to be “really engaging with supporters” to bring the crowds back. With only one sell-out this year, and that coming with reduced ticket prices, and the size of the crowd for the knock-out game against Connacht, is there a thought in your mind regarding what needs to be done in the summer and into next season to bring those fans back?

JP: We’re very aware of the fact that we’re in a cost of living crisis. In terms of hoiking — is that a Scottish word — up our ticket prices, it’s not the right time to do that. We’re very sensitive on the amount that people outlay and it does show the sensitivity to price that the one fixture we sell out is the Zebre fixture which wouldn’t normally be the case but was because it was significantly discounted ticket prices. Clearly we have a financial situation to balance. If you massively reduce your match ticket and season tickets then you don’t get the income for what you need to pay for. There’s always that balance. We do know that we need to be creative and innovative in what we do with our matches to attract people back.
We’ve frozen our season ticket prices and will continue to look at how we do our match tickets to make sure it’s attractive for people to come along to and an affordable one. We have to be attuned to that.

​JB: A huge part of that will always be the product on the field. Regardless of what anyone thinks of the overall job that Dan McFarland has done since he arrived in 2018, everyone can see that there has been more criticism this season directed towards the coaching. What is your confidence in this coaching ticket to guide the team back onto an upward trajectory if we can accept that URC Quarter-Final and Champions Cup last-16 exits this season were a step backwards?

JP: I think we were all incredibly frustrated in getting put out at the Quarter-Final stage. Dan especially is part of that.
We had a brilliant opportunity to go pretty deep into the competition. We recognise that that wasn’t up to the standards that we set ourselves. The manner in which we lost, and fair play to Connacht, they outplayed on the night but that shouldn’t have been the case. We lost the battle at the breakdown and got figured out.
That was frustrating and that was a backwards step based on the fact that we’d been in a Semi-Final the year before and a Final (two) years before that. You’ve got to balance that against the fact that we were third last year and second this year, we got nine more points this year than last year, we scored 75 tries against 47 this year from last year.
So there’s progress in some areas and then a backwards step at that final stage. That’s the hurdle we have to get over and that’s where we work this summer in reviewing where we ended up last year and looking ahead to where we need to be next year in an effort to keep moving forward.
Yeah, we’ve got things we need to build on, we understand that it was frustrating and we share that frustration over where we ended up this year but there was also good stuff to build on.
It’s not to shy away from the fact that we went out too early but we shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. There’s lots to build on and that’s the job for Dan and his coaches to get on with going into next year.

​JB: On those frustrations, you made reference on your own Twitter account to the fact that some of what you were receiving had strayed into abuse. How did that manifest itself and how did that impact you personally?

JP: It’s pretty tough. I think, listen, you would rather people cared than didn’t care about it. People are perfectly within their rights to express an opinion on us as an organisation and what happens as a club. I think that’s part of why I’ve tried to use social media as a way to being accessible and open and listening to what people say, I think that’s an important part of it.
I think sometimes when that strays into personal territory, that’s quite difficult. You can argue that it’s part of the job I suppose but when you’re getting WhatsApp messages in the middle of the night after a Quarter-Final loss that are pretty abusive, it goes beyond the pale a bit.
I had a degree of frustration around that. People are entitled to their opinion and I do want to listen to that and engage and be seen to act upon it where opinions are reasonable. I think it went beyond that.
You’re always going to get a bit of that but I think reflecting on it, a lot of what you see is constructive feedback and constructive engagement around things. If it gives people an outlet in that they feel they’re being listened to and I’m accessible then so be it but there’s a line in that as well.

​JB: So that experience, or indeed any other experience that season, won’t change the way you approach social media because it is different to what we’ve come to expect from a CEO?

JP: I think so but I think it’s an easy way for me to engage. That brings with it its pitfalls but I’d rather do it than not because I think it’s important to be accessible. I like that people care.
Listen, there was a lot off the back of the La Rochelle game, frustration, and after that I think I was probably a bit quieter for a period but I felt that was the right thing to do and get on and rebuild the season. It wasn’t that I disappeared, it was just a period of being a bit quieter and getting on with the job.
I see public engagement as part of my job. It’s the way I am anyway. I was burnt by some of the personal stuff but it is what it is and it’s not going to change who I am or the way I do things.

​JB: Not strictly your remit but to address the concerns of fans, Iain Henderson, a hugely important figure, this season is over and we’ve had no confirmation of a contract for next season, can you give us an update?

JP: It’s an IRFU-led discussion but that’s working its way through. We’re delighted to see him named in the World Cup squad. I would expect that we’ll have more on that in the next wee while but that’s an IRFU piece. It’s encouraging to see him in that World Cup squad and I think that tells a story about where the IRFU see him.

​JB: In a wider sense, you’re five years in the post now, what’s your biggest achievement?

JP: We talk there about some of the negativity of this year and this year has been really challenging. Dealing with a lot of stuff around the dip we had in the middle of the year, chuck into that the issues around the La Rochelle fixture, and some other stuff we’ve had to deal with both in the professional end and the financial picture, it’s a tough old picture and it’s been a tough old season. But I’m pleased with the progress that we’ve made. I know people will have a go at that but I think going from the point that I came in when the club had pulled itself through the mire for a long period of time and there was a huge amount of dissatisfaction. Ultimately people can be hacked off with us getting put out in a Quarter-Final but certainly, the fact that we are consistently in the mix at the end of the season, I’ve got to see as solid progress.
Ultimately rugby is a fickle business and sport is a fickle business. You’re judged on winning and losing. I feel like there’s a lot to be proud of but we want to get to the point where we win silverware and at this point we’ve fallen short. That’s the aim moving forward, to set up a sustainable future but ultimately at the top end we want to be winning silverware. Having a good elite game for the men’s team and the women’s team is going to be in the future.

https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/ ... content-on

[Columbo]

Don’t know what more you wanted from him

Mentioned changing the game plan to suit the young back line again but I’ll hold my breath on that.
Also said about changing selection policy to increase rotation in the squad (specifically named Flannery and Izzy)

Academy intake increasing by 50% with academy players getting opportunities to play next season

Wasn’t able to watch the interview but can’t imagine he answered any hard hitting questions.

Did he answer or did anyone ask ‘who was at fault for the LAR pitch mess?’, ‘why was McFarland given such a long contract when he would know what the players thought?’

Increasing full academy places or just putting more into the sub academy for them to realise it’s not worth the bother for the time and money?

Have you heard who’s in the academy yet?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

On the La Rochelle mess he said “there are things we should’ve done better but also things epcr should’ve done better”

On the academy I’ve heard
Ward
Mckillop
Kenny
Mcfarlane
Graham
Stevens

Boal?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wouldn’t have thought so
Would say doak would be before him

I heard both..

[Bart S]

A rugby correspondent for the Belfast Tele is never going to do rottweiler journalism on ulster. In fairness to Jonathan Bradley he did ask some decent questions there and I am sure made Petrie feel uncomfortable at times, particularly around Kingspan.

However he (and we) need to stop making it all about silverware. I didn't view the previous season as a failure and we won nowt. Then it was about taking that next step towards winning the URC. The season just finished was a failure as we moved further away from silverware. Petrie seems to imply it was a failure because of the lack of silverware but that hides the real problem.

[kingofthehill]

Wasn’t able to watch the interview but can’t imagine he answered any hard hitting questions.

Did he answer or did anyone ask ‘who was at fault for the LAR pitch mess?’, ‘why was McFarland given such a long contract when he would know what the players thought?’

Increasing full academy places or just putting more into the sub academy for them to realise it’s not worth the bother for the time and money?

Have you heard who’s in the academy yet?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

On the La Rochelle mess he said “there are things we should’ve done better but also things epcr should’ve done better”

On the academy I’ve heard
Ward
Mckillop
Kenny
Mcfarlane
Graham
Stevens

Boal?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wouldn’t have thought so
Would say doak would be before him

I heard both..

Jacob Boyd
Josh Stevens
Ben McFarlane
Lukas Kenny
Ethan Graham
Zack Solomon
Cameron Doak
Jack Boal

No Ward or Mckillop is very strange IMO.


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[Columbo]

Not surprised Petrie’s UR q&a was a damp squib, not likely to get any enlightenment when the whole things on your own terms.

In fairness to Bradley, those are some pretty direct questions - not much by way of frankness or introspection in the responses, but the complete lack of engagement with the specifics of the questions around pitchgate (what you knew, when, and what did you do) certainly tell a story…

[Columbo]

And because Petrie is so weasel-worded, all of the interesting things are what you read between the lines - very interesting to me that he is very much placing the onus on the IRFU when it comes to Hendy’s contract negotiations - getting his alibi in place early perhaps, because the last I heard Hendy was very much lining up the Japanese lessons

[ljsulster]

On the La Rochelle mess he said “there are things we should’ve done better but also things epcr should’ve done better”

On the academy I’ve heard
Ward
Mckillop
Kenny
Mcfarlane
Graham
Stevens

Boal?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wouldn’t have thought so
Would say doak would be before him

I heard both..

Jacob Boyd
Josh Stevens
Ben McFarlane
Lukas Kenny
Ethan Graham
Zack Solomon
Cameron Doak
Jack Boal

No Ward or Mckillop is very strange IMO.


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Sack the selectors