The UAFC

Cockatrice wrote:Best remembered for turning the club into a house investor spending half a million cash on something totally unrelated to sport never mind rugby whilst gurning about the loss of £700k on a match..

Maybe had they not got rid of the groundsmen without replacing them in advance of the cancelled game that knowledge might have made the pitch playable .. instead they turned the lights on two days before in an attempt to defrost the pitch .. amateur hour

Harsh on Rory.

Sacked

Sources have told the Belfast Telegraph that Ulster’s current Head of Operations and Recruitment Bryn Cunningham will be handed that role as the province, which is haemorrhaging money and slashing the wage bill, look to cut costs by not making an external interim hire.

Also - There are several intriguing candidates who could be in the mix, such as the likes of former winger Andrew Trimble who has just sold his sports tech business, Kairos, to an American investor for a reported £15m and has a razor-sharp business acumen.

Ex-flanker Matt McCullough is now a Managing Director of financial advice service Beltrae while long-time Dungannon RFC man Paul Magee is highly respected as the Head of Corporate Banking in Northern Ireland for Bank of Ireland

Bewlay Bros wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2024 4:45 pm Sources have told the Belfast Telegraph that Ulster’s current Head of Operations and Recruitment Bryn Cunningham will be handed that role as the province, which is haemorrhaging money and slashing the wage bill, look to cut costs by not making an external interim hire.

One step forward with Petrie gone, followed by the London Marathon backwards then it seems.

horslips wrote: ↑Mon Mar 25, 2024 10:44 pm When you consider all that has happened in the past few weeks its hard not to attribute significant IRFU involvement in proceedings.
The "removal" of DMF running in parallel with Burns move to Munster. The swift appointment of RM as interim head coach, along with the emergency deployment of Fogarty and now Petrie,s departure. I cannot see these events as a series of unrelated events but consider them to be part of a co-ordinated restructuring process. If nothing else the speed and timing of them, in my view, confirms the deployment of an already formulated plan.
Let us also not forget that the incoming High Performance Director will more than likely have had a say in these matters, perhaps even settling a few scores and laying down clear markers as a warning to others.
So logically the most pressing matter to resolve would be the number 10 position. I don't really believe that D4 have that much faith in either Doak or Flannery, but given the number of decent 10's going spare in Mexico perhaps creating the right environment in Ulster makes a move north an attractive option, particularly if if was seen as a viable route to a green jersey.

Which Mexican 10 is going to want to come North? Not really that appealing a vista at the moment and there is no compelling argument to get someone to move.

RB knows he is not AF's cup of tea, so he is going to stay where he knows he is appreciated. CF knows he will get in Irish squads for his versatility, so don't think he is moving. HB doesn't appear to be totally trusted by Leo and company so I suspect Harry Byrne is the most likely to be saying in the next few months he always dreamed of playing for Ulster. While he can be very good he can can be pretty middling too betimes, and he's permacrocked. Don't think any of the Connacht 10s would be on the shopping list.

Richie Murphy will be trying to get Prendergast up I suspect but if Prendergast has half a brain cell he will stay where he is going to be developed at the right pace. He's like a string bean, to my eyes he still needs a fair bit of S&C to be be meaty enough to cope with 15+ games a season. Hes about the same height as his brother but is 3 and a half stone lighter. Personally think that would be a bad move for Irish rugby as a whole to throw him in before he is physically ready. The other possible option is Tector who is a handy player hardly getting a look in. Pretty unproven at the level Ulster are looking for but can see him being tempted by the prospect of gametime.

Remember being quite jealous of Ulster at the 99 HEC final, the wave of humanity that came down, the success. (Likewise with the Dungannon invasion when winning the AIL) That kind of success seemed a long way off for Leinster at the time who didn't even make it out of the group stages that year. Strange how the worm turns but this might be the start of it turning back for Ulster. What I don't get in all of this is Burns' move to Mordor. For me that bit doesn't really compute for either Burns or Munster.

Bewlay Bros wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2024 4:46 pm Also - There are several intriguing candidates who could be in the mix, such as the likes of former winger Andrew Trimble who has just sold his sports tech business, Kairos, to an American investor for a reported £15m and has a razor-sharp business acumen.

Ex-flanker Matt McCullough is now a Managing Director of financial advice service Beltrae while long-time Dungannon RFC man Paul Magee is highly respected as the Head of Corporate Banking in Northern Ireland for Bank of Ireland

Paul Magee , you are having a laugh

Dave wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2024 2:38 pm

Cockatrice wrote:Best remembered for turning the club into a house investor spending half a million cash on something totally unrelated to sport never mind rugby whilst gurning about the loss of £700k on a match..

Maybe had they not got rid of the groundsmen without replacing them in advance of the cancelled game that knowledge might have made the pitch playable .. instead they turned the lights on two days before in an attempt to defrost the pitch .. amateur hour

Harsh on Rory.

I think tector is the most likely to seek a move from leinster. Both byrnes are getting into ireland squads where they are and prendergast is the heir apparent who will be given the opportunity to oust both in the next 2 years. Tector will have limited opportunities bar a few sub appearances in low key URC games. Not enough to catch the eye but the opportunity to be the main man at ulster without the pressure to immediately challenge for trophies may be tempting.

horslips wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2024 1:35 pm

Cockatrice wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2024 11:03 am Best remembered for turning the club into a house investor spending half a million cash on something totally unrelated to sport never mind rugby whilst gurning about the loss of £700k on a match..

Maybe had they not got rid of the groundsmen without replacing them in advance of the cancelled game that knowledge might have made the pitch playable .. instead they turned the lights on two days before in an attempt to defrost the pitch .. amateur hour

Sorry whats that about getting rid of the groundsmen?

As I understand they terminated the employment of its ground-staff before the cancelled debacle and replaced with some form of contract management company…. Sort of like us having gardener call by once a month to trim the grass and cut the hedge…. I wouldn’t be surprised if the lack of pitch experience led to it being left to the elements which in turn had them turn the floodlights on for the two evening before KO in a desperate attempt to defrost ..

Bewlay Bros wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2024 4:46 pm Also - There are several intriguing candidates who could be in the mix, such as the likes of former winger Andrew Trimble who has just sold his sports tech business, Kairos, to an American investor for a reported £15m and has a razor-sharp business acumen.

Ex-flanker Matt McCullough is now a Managing Director of financial advice service Beltrae while long-time Dungannon RFC man Paul Magee is highly respected as the Head of Corporate Banking in Northern Ireland for Bank of Ireland

Magee would be my pick. He would have the contacts to gain sponsorship much badly needed.

Bewlay Bros wrote:Also - There are several intriguing candidates who could be in the mix, such as the likes of former winger Andrew Trimble who has just sold his sports tech business, Kairos, to an American investor for a reported £15m and has a razor-sharp business acumen.

Ex-flanker Matt McCullough is now a Managing Director of financial advice service Beltrae while long-time Dungannon RFC man Paul Magee is highly respected as the Head of Corporate Banking in Northern Ireland for Bank of Ireland

Please tell me you're joking

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Cockatrice wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2024 10:30 pm

horslips wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2024 1:35 pm

Cockatrice wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2024 11:03 am Best remembered for turning the club into a house investor spending half a million cash on something totally unrelated to sport never mind rugby whilst gurning about the loss of £700k on a match..

Maybe had they not got rid of the groundsmen without replacing them in advance of the cancelled game that knowledge might have made the pitch playable .. instead they turned the lights on two days before in an attempt to defrost the pitch .. amateur hour

Sorry whats that about getting rid of the groundsmen?

As I understand they terminated the employment of its ground-staff before the cancelled debacle and replaced with some form of contract management company…. Sort of like us having gardener call by once a month to trim the grass and cut the hedge…. I wouldn’t be surprised if the lack of pitch experience led to it being left to the elements which in turn had them turn the floodlights on for the two evening before KO in a desperate attempt to defrost ..

Were the circumstances of the debacle not independently investigated.....but then the findings considered only by the Politburo? Maybe someday someone on here can tell us the full story of the timing and decision making

I was kind of hoping we could move on now.

Move on? Never! Tis the Ulster Way.