It’s the time of season when, whether their team is in the mix for honours, or hasn’t much to play for, fans are already casting their minds forward towards the next one. The recruitment phase can run right into summer, and April can be a frustrating month – while some ins & outs will have been confirmed, there are usually a few big unresolved questions hovering over the squad, whether about new signings or contract extensions.
Thus it is with Ulster – we’ve had confirmation of a couple of big name returnees in Bowe and Wilson; but also a drip-feed of departures, with Wannenberg, Faloon and Whitten confirmed. Including the assumed departures of Danielli and Terblanche at the end of the season, we’re looking at a net reduction in the squad size (albeit Payne will be back next season, offsetting the loss of Terblanche). While the only front-line departure so far announced is that of Pedrie, the impression is of a few patchy spots appearing in a squad which was the smallest and tightest of the big Irish provinces to start with. And with some ‘dogs’ on the UAFC street appearing to cast some doubt as to whether things are in hand behind the scenes – time for concern?
Taking a whistle-stop tour through the squad as it currently stands, updated with the known arrivals & departures for next year: front row looks ok, with the only change from this season the possible departure of Brady. Second row likewise – the only question is whether Barker extends, or makes his bi-annual trip back to Glasgow! Half-back, well that depends on where you stand on whether Humphreys is good enough, or whether Jackson can step up to provide competition/cover (my answer, for what it’s worth, is yes and yes) – notwithstanding some rumours about McKinney’s departure, we’re probably ok there. Centre – we look fairly well-set, with Paddy’s good form, and a couple of promising youngsters, it’s sad to see Dizzy leave, but understandable in the circumstances. Back three – great to have Tommy back, we still look a little light here, but Payne will be like having a new signing.
Now, observant readers will have noticed that I skipped over back row in my prior paragraph – therein, observant readers, lies the rub! Great to have Wilson back – serially under-rated throughout his career by many fans and pundits – aged just 30 and looking in good shape for the Saints. He’s a different player to Wannenberg, but for my money the squad nets out about equal for their exchange.
However with Ferris maybe good for half a season tops these days, between injury and Ireland duty, Henry likely to miss quite a few league outings through international call-ups/camps, the only other back rows on full contracts are Diack (of whom I remain a fan, but he has been strangely out of sorts/overlooked this season) and McComish – a useful squad member, probably hasn’t many more gears. We have no fetcher – notwithstanding Henry’s increasingly good impersonations of one over the last couple of seasons.
Looking down to the academy – Birch has looked pretty good on the one or two times he’s been picked, but even with Faloon clearly not featuring in the management’s future plans, Birch has essentially not featured at all this year, which isn’t exactly a vote of confidence. Neither have any of the other back row players. We have one NIQ contract left, so if we have the financial firepower left, we should be looking to use it to recruit some depth in our back row – without it you have to say our squad will look weaker next year than this year.
It sounds like we were in some kind of contact with Kaino, and also with Wannenberg about an extension (it may be that the IRFU’s latest fatwa precluded us re-signing Pedrie) – in any event neither have signed. There don’t seem to have been many whispers about other names, with the UAFC’s ‘Transfer Rumours’ thread at risk under the Trade Descriptions Act, having become more of a ‘this player’s good’ thread; this may be down to Humphreys playing his cards close to his chest – and he has some recent form here, with the announcement of Anscombe taking all and sundry by surprise – or more concerningly it may be because we are plumb out of options.
Generally speaking over the last few seasons, big new signings have been announced by the end of March – Muller, Rush, Afoa, Payne were all announced in February or March – although the Pienaar saga ran all the way through until July when his release date was finally confirmed. So what is it – squeaky bum, or will we have another rabbit-from-a-hat moment in th enext couple of weeks??
Whatever else you may say about Humphreys, recruitment on his watch in the last couple of years has been top-notch – by this stage he has earned the right to confidence that he will deliver again. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was getting a little nervy…
Corrections, comments or questions?