The UAFC

We look clueless on the pitch. Played 13 Lost 6 = Dan

Recruitment has been terrible, yes funds are low, Connacht signed Joe Joyce and Sean Jansen who are tearing up trees. Their low profile NIQ Bolton is tearing up trees. Hansen and Prendergaast two we could of had = Bryn

When I look at the terrace and subs all I see is a sea of blue tops, identity lost = Petrie

Plus so much more

And two international class exiles betrayed...

I'd keep only Soper. What's Grant doing? Bell?

To be fair, some of the Mexican rejects show more pride in the jersey than our entitled grammar school soft soy boys

Absolute embarrassment of a performance. We are currently capable of getting occasional decent wins / performances simply through the players muscling it out - because we do have good players, which is the killer - but systematically we are just so woefully off the pace that when we come up against good side we come apart at the seems. All of the things that McFarland initially had a big impact on - set piece, breakdown, skills, and under Peel/Payne, attack - have all completely gone to pieces.

It’s gone horribly wrong, and the sooner we pull the sticking plaster off the better.

It used to be I quite enjoyed listening to McFarland’s post-match interviews, back in the ‘fight for every inch’ era. He was tough, determined, always spoke confidently and composedly, made good sense. Now i can’t bear to listen to him, he’s completely lost credibility and he doesn’t remotely seem to have a grip on what’s happening.

Complete clear out needed

All out

Columbo wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 4:16 pm Absolute embarrassment of a performance. We are currently capable of getting occasional decent wins / performances simply through the players muscling it out - because we do have good players, which is the killer - but systematically we are just so woefully off the pace that when we come up against good side we come apart at the seems. All of the things that McFarland initially had a big impact on - set piece, breakdown, skills, and under Peel/Payne, attack - have all completely gone to pieces.

It’s gone horribly wrong, and the sooner we pull the sticking plaster off the better.

It used to be I quite enjoyed listening to McFarland’s post-match interviews, back in the ‘fight for every inch’ era. He was tough, determined, always spoke confidently and composedly, made good sense. Now i can’t bear to listen to him, he’s completely lost credibility and he doesn’t remotely seem to have a grip on what’s happening.

Complete clear out needed

There's only so long players and fans can listen to the same sounds before the motivation fizzles out. He was given a further contract to 2025. That's 7 seasons since he arrived in 2018. What coach is given 7 seasons at a club that is no closer to silverware than he arrived. Who thought that was a good idea?

All out.

If Rory decided to give Ulster a load of cash to do a clear out and pay players/staff off, and lets say a cool £800k was offered to me to run the show (not a penny less), here is what I'd work with:

LH - Kitshoff, Warwick AN Other
Hooker - Herring, Stewart, Andrew
THP - New Signing, TOT, Marty
Locks - Hendy, New Signing, Treaders, Izzy
Flankers - Timoney, McCann, Ewers, Sheridan, some academy pups
Number 8 - Big, Bad, New Signing

9- Cooney, Doak, academy
10- New Signing, Billy, Flannery
Wings - 2x New Signings, Stockdale, Baloucoune
Centres - 2x New Signings, Moore, Stu, Hume (the later 2 given an absolute roasting about their attitude, especially Hume)
FB - New Signing, Lowry

So I make it we need 9 New Signings/Superstars coming out of the academy, in order to have a competitive squad. New signings at TH, Lock, 8 and 10, need to be quality signings. The rest can be squad fillers with potential. (Obviously I know none of the above can physically happen due to the NIQ rules bur it shows to what extent we are behind where we need to be)

Players that are not good enough to play, or are no longer good enough to play for Ulster, and must go:

EOS
Callum Reid
AOC
Matty
GJ
Marcus
Reffell
Shanahan
Curtis
Moxham
McIlroy
Addison

Plus all the no-name, never heard of before journeymen that are paid by Ulster but never play.

Would keep Reffell and Marcus- assume you meant Matty?

But rest even Addison ( sadly a shadow)have go

800k? With kits off you couldn’t even afford a front row

CIMANFOREVER wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 9:42 am Would keep Reffell and Marcus- assume you meant Matty?

But rest even Addison ( sadly a shadow)have go

Can maybe compromise on Marcus, but Reffell is a perfect example of the wrong mentality with the team. He might be a decent player, but 5 appearances in 1.5 years . . . . I know its not necessarily his fault and he's had bad luck through injuries etc., but he has not paid for his own salary and this cuddly environment needs to end. Same with Addison.

I know we hung in there with Coetzee during his injuries, and imo he ultimately repaid us with his performances, but that was a major gamble. He could've easily been a Snyman case at Munster.

Senior team players that are not putting in 10+ appearences per season should be on notice, simple as that. If you can't keep yourself fit and healthy on a consistent basis, you aren't adding value you to the club. It might sound harsh, but its the type of harsh reality that Ulster needs right now. Naturally superstar players with a bad injury will get more leniency, but Reffell doesn't fit that bill.

Bigfacthunt wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 9:59 am 800k? With kits off you couldn’t even afford a front row

The 800k is for my Cayman bank account.

Rory would need to spend above and beyond that for the clear out and the 9 signings

Bigfacthunt wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 9:59 am 800k? With kits off you couldn’t even afford a front row

I thought the £800K was So-It-Is's annual salary to take on the coaching job, not his budget for players.

I'd take the job for £500k, and happily fall on my sword when called upon to resign by the good bergers of this forum after one year of under-achievement.

So It Is wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 10:12 am

Bigfacthunt wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 9:59 am 800k? With kits off you couldn’t even afford a front row

The 800k is for my Cayman bank account.

Rory would need to spend above and beyond that for the clear out and the 9 signings

Ahhh - so I did read it and understand it correctly.

All need to go but player power at Ulster needs sorted also. I've heard of plenty of stories about cocky players but one that always annoyed me from years ago is hearing about Robbie Diack challenging Brian McLaughlin in front of the whole group that he didn't rate his coaching. Now, all I remember Robbie Diack for is being soft as sh!te and single handedly costing us the 2013 final at the RDS. Who tf is he to come out with something like that, especially after said coach got us to a European Cup final the year before. These boys think they are something, as said on here many times before ... more happy to be strutting about the coffee shops of the Lisburn Road in their tracksuits or picking up their new motor at Bavarian BMW. The guys at Leinster must be p!shing themselves laughing at these losers. In the grand scheme of things (Irish Rugby) they are absolute nobody's. Also rans. A collective joke. Look at the plethora of coaches we've had and not one of them has been able to do anything with this lot. Does that not say something?? In saying that, DMF out. Cunningham out. Petrie out! And take a third of the squad with you.

Cap'n Grumpy wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 10:13 am

Bigfacthunt wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 9:59 am 800k? With kits off you couldn’t even afford a front row

I thought the £800K was So-It-Is's annual salary to take on the coaching job, not his budget for players.

I'd take the job for £500k, and happily fall on my sword when called upon to resign by the good bergers of this forum after one year of under-achievement.

No chance you're getting out that easy. Five years of under achievement is the minimum before anyone at Ulster Rugby resigns.

Serious question, can anyone tell me something that Cunningham or Petrie has actually done that they were impressed with? I would prefer to replace both with one competent person.