Transfers rumours

[SelimNiai]

Shhhhhh be veewy quiet ...I'm hunting Jouwnalists...

Is that a direct quote from Roy Hodgson?

 

[lucky number 7]

Is that a direct quote from Roy Hodgson?

No John Gilligan....




**** it I'm going to hell.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

I wake up to find people wittering on about the return of O'Connor and have to pinch myself to see if its a nightmare.

BETTER WAY OF DOING IT:

Jackson/Pienaar/Wallace/Olding. Gods. Not O'Connor. No. Please.

I agree with you but can see the logic behind swapping Humphreys for O'Connor. If Humphreys is backup from now on, he's an expensive luxury to have on the bench especially when Ruan Pienaar is a better replacement 10. Humphreys could find himself third choice next season and not see much game time. O'Connor will be a far cheaper third choice flyhalf.

I love David Humphreys' ruthlessness. He shipped a lot of criticism for allowing BJ Botha move to Munster with no alternative in sight. John Afoa's performances have proven him right. He was criticised for allowing Isaac Boss and Ryan Caldwell leave. Ruan Pienaar and Johann Muller aren't half bad replacements. Stefan Terblanche seemed like an odd choice to come in for 6 months but his arrival has coincided with Ulster's upturn in form this season. He's swapping Simon Danielli for Tommy Bowe next year and getting Roger Wilson in instead of Pedrie Wannenburg is another good move. When his brother is deemed too expensive for the amount of game time he'll see, he's out the door too. He's built a strong starting XV for his coach and has cleared the dead wood from the squad allowing younger players get game time. He's hardly put a foot wrong in his time as DoR.

 

[Conal]

aye but o'connor is woeful
can we not find some sort of talented age group player instead?? would be even cheaper

 

[Peat]

While Pienaar is a better 10 than Humphries, he is a far better scrum-half than Marshall; whether you want to move him is a big question. You've no choice with O'Connor, he is simply unworthy of the word back-up, and I'd rather pay a bigger wage to the flake than a smaller one to O'Connor. I would also far rather give the money to Olding and never have O'Connor set foot in the building.

And I think you're possibly overstating whose choice this was. O'Connor is not the move of a non-desperate man imo. I'd also far rather have Wannenberg than Wilson, and the fact we don't has far more to do with than the bloody IRFU's dictates than anything else (elsewise we'd probably have both). I'm generally in his favour, but this is a bad replacement. We could find a better fly-half in the AIL.

 

[Feicarsinn]

O'Connor is nothing but speculation right?

If Ulster had an sense they'd make an effort to bring Gareth Steenson in. He's cheap, not getting very much game time since Mieres became brainfarts as Humphreys. Also, the fact that he's a very good goal kicker gives you more scope to play Marshall.

Anyone know how long his contract is as Exeter?

 

[Peat]

O'Connor is nothing but speculation right?

If Ulster had an sense they'd make an effort to bring Gareth Steenson in. He's cheap, not getting very much game time since Mieres became brainfarts as Humphreys. Also, the fact that he's a very good goal kicker gives you more scope to play Marshall.

Anyone know how long his contract is as Exeter?

Several people I trust to have an inkling have the long face on over O'Connor. Although the Belfast Telegraph is apparently reporting my favoured option.

Steenson is under contract - I think a year left - and with the 4N, will get gametime next year. Also, while a very good goalkicker, he is iHumph-esque as a tackler by all accounts. I'd favour him over O'Connor but my gods that's not saying much...

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Pienaar is much better than Marshall but there's not much difference between a halfback combination of Marshall-Pienaar and Pienaar-Humphreys.

This is just a guess but I get the impression that this is a purely financial decision. Ian Humphreys got a good offer from London Irish and approached Ulster about a release. Ulster weighed up his potential contribution on the field against the value of his contract. When a cheaper option (O'Connor) became available, Ulster decided the risk of losing Humphreys was worth the savings to be made from shaving his contract off the books. The squad will be weaker with O'Connor there but he's coming as 3rd choice in my opinion. It's a risk worth taking if money is tight. If money isn't tight, why not keep Humphreys for a year and bring in O'Connor the following season when Jackson has more experience and the backup won't be needed?

 

[Peat]

Snoopy - You appear to be labouring under a crucial misapprehension, which is that bringing back O'Connor can ever be justified unless he shows vast improvement elsewhere. Which I don't believe he has yet. I can see why iHumph wants to go, and I can see why Humph snr reckons its a good idea, but the logic for me breaks down at the O'Connor stage. He's not good enough . Olding on a development would be cheaper. I imagine someone from the Championship with an Irish granny would be cheaper.

Also, given Jackson's size and pluck = injury risk, plus likely interest in him from Ireland, and I think we are going to have to seriously consider his back-up getting reasonable amounts of time - maybe not from next season, but certain fairly soon after.

Next season, we'll have five guys (assuming McKinney goes) who are probably more competent at 10 than O'Connor - Jackson, Pienaar, Mincer, Olding and Luke Marshall. There's no point bringing in a new guy to be 6th choice.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Don't get me wrong, of the teams involved, Ulster come out worst off from these deals. Connacht clear a backup from their wage bill who's no better than Nikora, Jarvis or Parks and can use the money to bring in depth at centre, prop or hooker. London Irish get a guy who can compete for a lot of starts and who on his day, is a damn fine player. Ulster get worse in terms of depth but improve their bank balance.

If I was David Humphreys, I would want an experienced backup 10 in place of his brother but what worthwhile flyhalf is going to want to back up 20 year old Paddy Jackson? Given Ruan Pienaar can play 10, Ulster could have coped without bringing in O'Connor but I suppose he's viewed as an experienced safety blanket is case Stuart Olding isn't ready. His signing reminds me of how Leinster brought in Cillian Willis because neither John Cooney nor Luke McGrath were ready for Pro 12 level.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Aye, there must be cheaper, better, Irish qualified options than O'Connor. Jeremy Staunton is currently 3rd choice at Leicester...

 

[Peat]

The difference is that Willis is actually quite decent at what he does... is there really no Adam D'Arcy-esque fly-half down under who fancies a year in Belfast?

edit: Apparently the back-row signing's going to be pretty poo as well. The balance sheet could be more stretched than thought...

edit edit: The whisper is Nick Williams

 

[psychic duck]

although O'Connor seems to have signed a contract according to the Ulster fan site
http://thefrontrowunion.com/2012/05/oconnor-to-return/

there are some other Irish qualified options


Jeremy Staunton - very experienced journeyman, has been released by Leicester and is available
Declan Cusack - barely got a game at Munster and has been released and is available
Kieran Hallett - former Ulster academy player, has been in the Championship the last few years, the Cornish Pirates are trying to sign him so it would suggest he's available if Ulster wanted him

edit: Apparently the back-row signing's going to be pretty poo as well. The balance sheet could be more stretched than thought...

edit edit: The whisper is Nick Williams

Nick Williams was pretty poor with Munster but that was because he was injured a fair amount and developed a rather large waistline

but he's done decently at Aironi though, scored 5 tries this season, more than any other forward in the league, the Aironi fans see him as one of their better players

If Ulster had an sense they'd make an effort to bring Gareth Steenson in. He's cheap, not getting very much game time since Mieres became brainfarts as Humphreys. Also, the fact that he's a very good goal kicker gives you more scope to play Marshall.

Anyone know how long his contract is as Exeter?

why do you say that?

I've not seen much of Exeter, but I've heard Mieres has been a key factor in their success, and that he offers some good distribution to the team, he was nominated for the player of the month in the Premiership in March

although I did see him bottle the Amlin quarter final against Stade Français though, missing kicks at the end of the match

 

[Feicarsinn]

Hmm, I edited that post and must have deleted something by accident. It's supposed to read 'he's cheap, hasn't been getting much game time since Mieres became first choice and isn't prone to the same brainfarts as Humphreys.' Apologies.

 

[Peat]

I have to admit, if it is Williams, and its a Williams who is focused on his rugby and taking care of himself, I'm not as pessimistic about the signing as those who told me.

There's a pretty big if there though.

edit: While I'm gurning on, apparently Tim Barker is quitting Ulster to play for Rainey OB and work for PwC.

 

[mulldog]

I have heard whispers throughout the province that Gareth Anscombe is in talks with ulster at the minute. Young Gareth is apparently unhappy with the Auckland management after being dropped for the blues squad for the match against the hurricanes.

As we all know his father Mark Anscombe will also be taking over at Ulster next season and with Ian Humphreys departure already confirmed, it sounds like this rumour could have some truth in it!

Any thoughts?

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

I dunno, I reckon he'd look to another Super squad before going overseas... He's only 21.

 

[Peat]

Sounds pretty unlikely to me, or at least I'm hoping it's unlikely, with a fair amount of evidence.

One, much as I'd like to dodge it, the rumour that NOC is sealed and delivered is very strong. Really can't see both.

As for the rest of it - I'm surprised he'd walk away from the All Black reckoning, him coming would mean no NIQ back rower which would be a disaster imo, I could do without the nepotism calls again and Ulster are inundated with young fly-halves.

edit: Forgot to say - the chances of the IRFU rubber-stamping an NIQ fly-half to be parachuted in front of Jackson seem really slim. The chances of Anscombe coming north to be second choice even slimmer.

 

[mulldog]

Sounds pretty unlikely to me, or at least I'm hoping it's unlikely, with a fair amount of evidence.

One, much as I'd like to dodge it, the rumour that NOC is sealed and delivered is very strong. Really can't see both.

As for the rest of it - I'm surprised he'd walk away from the All Black reckoning, him coming would mean no NIQ back rower which would be a disaster imo, I could do without the nepotism calls again and Ulster are inundated with young fly-halves.

edit: Forgot to say - the chances of the IRFU rubber-stamping an NIQ fly-half to be parachuted in front of Jackson seem really slim. The chances of Anscombe coming north to be second choice even slimmer.

You make a good point; the likelihood of this happening in hindsight is very low and could prove to be very disadvantageous to the ulster cause. (However would be be surprised if this notion hasn't crossed the new manager's thoughts in some shape or form at the same time!)

If NO'C is sealed and delivered I'm still concerned what would happen if Paddy Jackson were to pick up an injury next season aswell.

 

[Peat]

If NO'C is sealed and delivered I'm still concerned what would happen if Paddy Jackson were to pick up an injury next season aswell.

Hopefully they'll move Pienaar to 10 first. Or chuck Olding in the deep end. Or move Wallace inside. Or move Marshall inside. Or move Nevin Spence inside... ok, maybe I've taken it too far... or maybe not...