Ulster Rugby Round-Up podcast

[Tender]

Surely as a ‘Professional Rugby Outfit’ our players are all signed up on professionally written, watertight employment contracts.
So why was Craig Gilroy allowed to go anywhere near a feckin motorbike?

I know several ex Wendyballists who all bemoaned the part of their contracts which prevented them from riding a motorbike and indeed also excluded many other ‘Fun’ activities which many of us mortals take for granted.
I always assumed (ass u me) our Pro Rugby players were under similar restrictions.
Is this yet another example of Ulster struggling to come to terms with the professional game?

I rode bikes all my adult life, firstly as cheap transportation and as salaries increased, purely for shits’n’giggles. They are dangerous things. You will break bones...if you’re lucky.
If you can ride a bike properly, you’ll know that almost every Sunday blast to The Port, Newcastle, or Gortin Glen will involve at least one near death experience.
It’s not a question of, if you come of, it’s more a question of when.

If there isn’t a clause in our senior squad’s contracts preventing them from doing dangerous sports (outside of Rugby) then it needs to be addressed quickly.
We can’t just leave it to common sense as many rugby players don’t have any. I think we’ve enough proof of that already.

[Dave]

He's not the only player to do so. Also, when they go to Portugal in preseason several of them hire scooters for the day and ride around wearing shorts, helmets appear optional. Maybe if they at least wear knee pads it would be ok. Watch them ACLs.

[Cockatrice]

Surely as a ‘Professional Rugby Outfit’ our players are all signed up on professionally written, watertight employment contracts.
So why was Craig Gilroy allowed to go anywhere near a feckin motorbike?

I know several ex Wendyballists who all bemoaned the part of their contracts which prevented them from riding a motorbike and indeed also excluded many other ‘Fun’ activities which many of us mortals take for granted.
I always assumed (ass u me) our Pro Rugby players were under similar restrictions.
Is this yet another example of Ulster struggling to come to terms with the professional game?

I rode bikes all my adult life, firstly as cheap transportation and as salaries increased, purely for shits’n’giggles. They are dangerous things. You will break bones...if you’re lucky.
If you can ride a bike properly, you’ll know that almost every Sunday blast to The Port, Newcastle, or Gortin Glen will involve at least one near death experience.
It’s not a question of, if you come of, it’s more a question of when.

If there isn’t a clause in our senior squad’s contracts preventing them from doing dangerous sports (outside of Rugby) then it needs to be addressed quickly.
We can’t just leave it to common sense as many rugby players don’t have any. I think we’ve enough proof of that already.

I assume we just have a very relaxed attitude to anything contract related i.e. we sign a player even when injured when one might assume any professional club would again have a clause that when you get off the plane who will be subject to a medical.

I also wonder are these little half time snippets pushed by the BBC and that someone in UR needs a big wake up call. You and I can see it tender but a professional outfit with people getting paid to do this job seemingly can't. Another aspect might be when did this take place was it last week or was it when Craig was recently injured indeed what if it was the cause of that injury.

Anyhow you know better than me the dangers of riding a bike and for a novice as Gilroy was to be allowed to take out a race bike and then sit pillion at 136mph was in my opinion stupid. Again you would know that playing again might be the last thing on his mind had he come off the back... hence it will be interesting to see the issued tackled this week coming by the podcast and not just a vague question or comment but instead getting a detailed answer from UR.

[ADM]

I don’t like to respond to comments directly on here, but I want to address this one, which has been asked before:

Can I ask whether undertaking the recording on what presumably appears to be UR premises is in anyway impacting on being too hard edged for some... Again just a suggestion but what about recording a regular 30 second slot from a supporter designed to get their view over..

We record at Kingspan Stadium after press conferences purely for convenience as the three of us are all there at the same time, and for no other reason. We could just as easily record it in the office but we thought it would be better to have it on location. Ulster Rugby have no input to our podcast, either officially or unofficially, besides letting us interview the players and coaches.

With that out of the way - some listener questions for this week please! This week’s recording will be on Wednesday so slightly later than usual.

[Cockatrice]

Thanks for that.... reading back over the past few days there appears to be plenty of other questions to consider...

[Dave]

Do you feel you have complete freedom to write what you want as journalists or would any criticism of Ulster rugby be met with bad feeling?

[muscles]

What is the most challenging question you have ever asked Ulster Rugby?

Do you seek and get unattributable feedback from the players?

Do you like Les & Aaron blame the players, it seems, or are the coaches to blame for the team “playing like drains”? Presumably as Les is such a good defence coach (per IRFU!), it must be the players at fault for the number of tries conceded? Or is it the choice of available players?

Is Darren Cave not good enough in your view or do you agree with supporters that he brings much need flair & organises our defence well? If so why does Les ignore him? Say something about the personal character of Les or Darren?

How many of our forwards in squad merit playing for a team looking to win trophies?

What is your view of our player acquisition policy?

Some more insightful journalism needed, please. This applies to all local media. There are good articles to be had here or is everyone too frightened to be frozen out? Time to call in Spotlight Team!

[Cockatrice]

Jez... looking forward to your personal response on that.. all I queried was if they recorded the program at UR.

[justinr73]

Is the fella who takes all those photos for the BT in the Bot and Filthy McNastys any relation of Adam McBurney?

[Dave]

Jez... looking forward to your personal response on that.. all I queried was if they recorded the program at UR.

Hmmm...seems you touched a nerve cockers

[Russ]

Is the fella who takes all those photos for the BT in the Bot and Filthy McNastys any relation of Adam McBurney?

Would help if you gave us the fellas name

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[Tender]

Please don't use the Gilroy Crotch Rocket debate detract in anyway from the real issues.

If you lot can take any positives from the last three shambolic performances, you may be better served writing some fantasy fiction.

We are nothing short of pathetic.
We are going rapidly backwards.
We have no light at the end of the tunnel.
We have clueless leaders.
Attendances are down.

We've been embarrassed both home and away against the weakest teams in the Pro14.

Don't try to sugar coat it. Ex players are now saying what we've been yelling for months.
It's not that our expectations are unrealistic, we just don't expect to see Ulster embarrassed by the dross teams which every other team beat without getting out of third gear.

I think I'll give it one more listen. If it's the same platitudes and 'Let's be Positive' hugs and kisses shyte, it'll be my last. I know I'm not alone.

[Dave]

What's wrong with Deysel?

[Russ]

What's wrong with Deysel?

Labour government encouraged everyone to buy
Tories taxed the shyt out of it

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[Kofi Annan]

What's wrong with Deysel?

It's dearer than petrol.