Lealiifano Signs

[Rooster]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/40797444

[Bart S]

I was thinking about posting something about fans being realistic about their expectations and we can't expect to sign a quality ten at this stage bla bla bla. Then I remembered why expectations were so high. Our CEO, stated that they had been looking throughout the past year for another flyhalf. This time last year Christian Leali'ifanlo was diagnosed with leukemia. I'd very much doubt that he was on the 'radar'. This is a last minute opportunistic deal that probably fell into UR's lap. Shane Warren Gatland must go.

I am assuming Logan was trying to say that UR have not been naive about the whole situation and hence started looking at last summer when they became aware of it. However, i honestly think ulster's position was extremely difficult Ierms of planning. Let's face it, there have been accusations of similar crimes before involving sports people/celebrities which have got into the media and then nothing further ever happened. Whilst planning for the worst makes sense in a lot of ways, would D4 have sanctioned a top replacement a year ago when they knew about it? I doubt it. They would not have wanted ulster to have an expensive top class 10 competing with Jacko if he was available this season. We would all love to have Beauden Barrett or the like for the pro12 games at the start, but we were never going to be allowed to sign a top class 10 with pj around. Imagine the uproar if we had spent all of our money on one and then he was competing with jacko whilst we had no funds to boost the forward pack.

So whilst can see why Logie said they have been looking at it from a year ago, i tnk the reality in practical terms of knowing what they could offer and likely role/gametime etc would have been a difficult one.

However the PJ back up question regardkess of this matter is a subject which has been out there for a year now, since Ruan's departure was known. Cooney has huge shoes to fill and at the minute seems to be our best choice at 9,10 and goal kicking. No pressure on the guy, when if he just played 9 with no goal kicking pressure and was decent we should all be delighted.

As i have said elsewhere, we need to invest in future options at 10, even if that means dropping down a level to get regular gametime there.

Sensible post Bart. I agree with what you are saying. It is a shitstorm of a scenario. What annoys me is how Logan comes out with this crap about radars and year long searches. The fact that Leali'ifanlo is available, and happens to have an ex-Ulster agent, might suggest a mixture of pure chance and a mutual solution that all parties were seeking. If he came out and said we were caught a bit cold or we are doing our best to sort something, I'd have more respect for him.

I think when the dust settles we will be very happy to have Christian here and it will give us time to sort another temp from Feb-June.

Total agreement with you both there including the Feb to June scenario though I am not convinced by the previous mutterings of searches that anyone will bother till mid January with that instead of sounding out every 10 who is working in Japan at present and also any Brumbies players who may fancy heading North, also the deadline for 3 year project players approaches and should be pretty high on the adgenda as well

Indeed Rooster, the Feb to June scenario should be looked at now given the risk we face that PJ is not available when Lealifano goes. If we end up having to pay someone for that period with PJ back then so be it. The risk now that we face a scenario where we have no PJ come Feb and CL has gone is too real to be ignored and dealt with in January. No excuses for UR not being proactive about that one.

[Cockatrice]

Part of the problem here is that we never really had any adequate back-up at 9 or 10 for a number of years but somewhat rode our luck... Now the Perfect Storm with first Ruan and now Paddy.

On the one hand we can blame D4 for the Ruan situation but at the same time we knew it was coming yet persisted with smallp and dabbled with other 3rd rate options on the cheap... and YES 9's don't grow on trees.

Whilst we didn't see the Paddy situation coming at the same time what if it was broken leg or an ACL because my understanding is that D4 have pushed this back at UR in that you have done little but sign several second/third rate back-ups (Stanley, Windsor and Heron) and are now complaining because two have been let go as not worth keeping. The third turns out to be a player that UR don't have enough faith in to throw into the role.. well maybe they should have thought about that before forking out £75K a year in wages on the likes of a third rate 10 that can't be played in a break glass situation.

The Brumbies need to see if Christian can play again so sending him north is good for them.. if he breaks down or doesn't get back to the level expected he will likely retire and take up a coaching role that the Brumbies already have mapped out for him.

This month will see the wheels of the legal process start to grind and come what may we may be faced with either welcoming PJ back in the new year or having to find yet another 10.. that on the basis that Christian is back to anywhere near his form pre-life threatening illness and that after one and a half games in June will hit the ground here running come September...

[Kofi Annan]

DAve , sounds plausible but I suggest you all read the Cols statement again, he stated that they had been planning for a year, then in the next sentence he stated, it's hard to find players at this time of year , so either he is making it up,as he goes along, or just confused, he has been confused before ( infidelity goes that I believe), any way , looks like we are getting a player to help him in his recovery so that he hits the Brumbies season fully match fit. I suppose that will do, BUT what happens come new year and we are still two players short in the deck, we may have to play an out half with very little game time, spent either most of his time on the bench to getting 20-30 every so often with Hinch or the mighty Ravens against Littlehamoton 1st XV. Yep a good signing if he was ours and not a player get game time to be up to speed for super rugby, I agree he fell on our lap, God works in mysterious ways.

[Snipe Watson]

DAve , sounds plausible but I suggest you all read the Cols statement again, he stated that they had been planning for a year, then in the next sentence he stated, it's hard to find players at this time of year , so either he is making it up,as he goes along, or just confused, he has been confused before ( infidelity goes that I believe), any way , looks like we are getting a player to help him in his recovery so that he hits the Brumbies season fully match fit. I suppose that will do, BUT what happens come new year and we are still two players short in the deck, we may have to play an out half with very little game time, spent either most of his time on the bench to getting 20-30 every so often with Hinch or the mighty Ravens against Littlehamoton 1st XV. Yep a good signing if he was ours and not a player get game time to be up to speed for super rugby, I agree he fell on our lap, God works in mysterious ways.

UR have known about the possibility of this happening for a year, but they could not have approached a player until they were sure the guys were going to be prosecuted and therefore unavailable.
What planning could have happened a year ago? Putting out feelers to see who may become available at the end of the Super Rugby season? Asking a few agents?
All of the inquiries in the world mean nothing until you are in a situation to seriously approach a player with an actual offer.
This thing became real on or around 25 July.

I'm no Logan apologist. Dear knows I've attacked him enough on this board for his . But dissecting his statement looking for errors of fact is bogus. If he hadn't mentioned that this has been in the offing for a year, he would have received a barrage of "We knew this was a possibility a year ago why were you not looking then?".

If you want to find errors in anyone's statement just look hard enough and you'll find them. This time I think Logan got it about right.

[UlsterNo9]

Well said Snipe

Yours Sincerely

Another person who has openly berated Logan

[againstthehead]

Considering Ruan can also play 10, the decision for Ruan to be forced to leave is even more galling. The IRFU have really take away our paddle.

[Rooster]

Still does not get round the fact that we should have already had a decent backup for Jacko, at least we have had a few weeks to sort something, a bust knee in match next Thursday was always something that could happen and we were not prepared, irrespective of this present problem we were open to a disaster at 10, no other side is as badly placed if their regular 10 goes down injured.

[Cap'n Grumpy]

Considering Ruan can also play 10, the decision for Ruan to be forced to leave is even more galling. The IRFU have really take away our paddle.

Only the paddle?

Sunk the canoe as well.

[Rooster]

Considering Ruan can also play 10, the decision for Ruan to be forced to leave is even more galling. The IRFU have really take away our paddle.

Only the paddle?

Sunk the canoe as well.

Did we ever even have a canoe ?

[Cap'n Grumpy]

Considering Ruan can also play 10, the decision for Ruan to be forced to leave is even more galling. The IRFU have really take away our paddle.

Only the paddle?

Sunk the canoe as well.

Did we ever even have a canoe ?

Yeah.

Albeit it was a kid's inflatable.

Did we have a paddle though?

[Dave]

Considering Ruan can also play 10, the decision for Ruan to be forced to leave is even more galling. The IRFU have really take away our paddle.

Only the paddle?

Sunk the canoe as well.

Did we ever even have a canoe ?

Yeah.

Albeit it was a kid's inflatable.

Did we have a paddle though?

No, and we were up sh1t Creek too.

[Cockatrice]

Credit where credits due.. Yes Logie had an inflatable dingy for just such an emergency.

rooster we can agree that this was a disaster waiting to happen.. also on conspiracy I had read that D4 had more than a passing input to the suspension of the two players.. both are after all fully contracted to the IRFU are they not. Anyhow they seem to have waited until Ruan was physically gone and signed up before sticking their kneb in and making some suggestions knowing that Ryan couldn't come back... they now immediately approve another NIQ signing when Ryan could have switched to 10...

Anyhow if and when Christian comes and leaves in the new year I assume that PJ will be fully match fit and simply be able to slot in overnight.. Out of interested does his/their suspension cover training with the squad so as to keep them up to speed and will Ireland have them in camp as tackle bags to keep them part of the set ip or does this mean they are training alone and away from the IRFU?

[scrum5]

I'm no fan of Logie , UR or the IRFU but there is only one person responsible for this mess.....

[Rooster]

Credit where credits due.. Yes Logie had an inflatable dingy for just such an emergency.

rooster we can agree that this was a disaster waiting to happen.. also on conspiracy I had read that D4 had more than a passing input to the suspension of the two players.. both are after all fully contracted to the IRFU are they not. Anyhow they seem to have waited until Ruan was physically gone and signed up before sticking their kneb in and making some suggestions knowing that Ryan couldn't come back... they now immediately approve another NIQ signing when Ryan could have switched to 10...

Anyhow if and when Christian comes and leaves in the new year I assume that PJ will be fully match fit and simply be able to slot in overnight.. Out of interested does his/their suspension cover training with the squad so as to keep them up to speed and will Ireland have them in camp as tackle bags to keep them part of the set ip or does this mean they are training alone and away from the IRFU?

They are not training with the squad at present anyhow.