Bryn Cunningham in the Daily Telegraph - stop thinking about winning

[Bobbievee]

“Head of Rugby Operations and Recruitment”.

Which doesn’t really sound unlike a DOR, does it?

Maybe he could let us know in advance which matches and competitions we are contesting and we could save a few bob on tickets?
( ST holders excluded)

[justinr73]

“Head of Rugby Operations and Recruitment”.

Which doesn’t really sound unlike a DOR, does it?

Maybe he could let us know in advance which matches and competitions we are contesting and we could save a few bob on tickets?
( ST holders excluded)

I don’t follow why anyone who has watched the interview that I posted a link to would ask a question of that nature.

[justinr73]

For someone at the top of a sports team to say stop thinking about winning is a total disgrace

If you hadn’t quoted Bryn literally saying something else I might have believed you.

[Dave]

The minimisers will minimise and the maximisers will maximise. It's in the programming.

The main thing is NOT to talk about winning trophies. The players are too pressured by this. The good news is that no one actually is talking about it.

Master communicator here is using a classic 'deflection' technique. Blame something irrelevant. Hide yourself from the spotlight. It's all this talk of winning trophies that's the issue. FACT.

I pity any fool reading it and thinking 'christ, better stop this trophy talk'. The yes men will yes men.

Bryn out.

[stu]

Isn't "focus on the process and the results will look after themselves" not generally accepted as the route to build sustainable success?

[justinr73]

I was a bit disappointed that he couldn’t think of another word beginning with ‘e’ to complete our three pillars.

[So It Is]

Isn't "focus on the process and the results will look after themselves" not generally accepted as the route to build sustainable success?

That maybe buys you a year or 2 of poor results in sport, but with clear signs that the organisation is moving in the right direction.

It certainly doesn't allow for near a decade of mainly mediocre/rubbish signings (with the occasional good one thrown in), and ultimately the squad being in a much worse off position at the end of the decade than you were at the beginning of it, which is currently the case.

[CIMANFOREVER]

Isn't "focus on the process and the results will look after themselves" not generally accepted as the route to build sustainable success?

That maybe buys you a year or 2 of poor results in sport, but with clear signs that the organisation is moving in the right direction.

It certainly doesn't allow for near a decade of mainly mediocre/rubbish signings (with the occasional good one thrown in), and ultimately the squad being in a much worse off position at the end of the decade than you were at the beginning of it, which is currently the case.

Was Bryn responsible for signing RP, JM, PW, JA?

[flatpass]

I think you know the answer. DH the prime mover in signing RP and JM. Possibly also PW. Not so sure about JA.

[So It Is]

Tbf to Bryn, Coetzee was a quality signing before he wrecked his knee and was on the physio table for 2 years. Exactly what we were crying out for at the time. Unfortunate timing of his injury but he still carried our pack whenever he was fit.

Vermeulen was over the hill when we got him but was still a quality player for us.

SK hasn't had enough time to make an impact. Jury is still out.

LLF and Speight were both decent, but only short term.

I liked the ballsy move in going for Piatau (I know many didn't) but probably should have invested that money in a few forwards instead.

JTA and Sutherland were both decent players that should have been kept on.

Marty Moore was a good bit of business before he lost the run of himself the last year or so after his injury.

‐--------------------

But the above are massively outweighed by the sheer volume of stinkers that hes paid good money for. Some of them have been unfortunate with injuries like Addison, but some seriously self inflicted wounds like SVDM, a geriatric Jack McGrath, Ian Madigan (who was decent enough but never played), and the Clive Ross/Greg Jones + the legions of other AIL standard players signed over the years. No point bringing in lads like Coetzee or Vermeulen or Piatau when they are running out onto the pitch with lads like Matty Rea and Greg Jones.

[justinr73]

As you can’t quite bring yourself to admit, the signings in recent times have been pretty good.

You’re clearly struggling if you’re going back to Jones and Ross.

[So It Is]

As you can’t quite bring yourself to admit, the signings in recent times have been pretty good.

You’re clearly struggling if you’re going back to Jones and Ross.

Coetzee - 2016, not recent
Vermeulen - 2021, recent
SK - 2023, recent
LLF - 2016, not recent
Speight - 2018, not recent
Piatau - 2016, not recent
JTA & Sutherland, recent
Moore, 2018, not recent
Jordi, 2018, not recent
Madigan, 2020, kinda recent
Addison, 2018, not recent
Ewers, 2023, recent

Think I'm going to stick with my original point that our recent recruitment has not been great, and our squad is in a worse position than it was when he took over the job.

[Big-al]

As you can’t quite bring yourself to admit, the signings in recent times have been pretty good.

You’re clearly struggling if you’re going back to Jones and Ross.

What about James French and Greg NcGarth, our two most recent signings on professional contracts? Or Dave Ewers?

[So It Is]

I should clarify that a lot of those players were quality for Ulster.

BUT, and its a big BUT. . . Is that there was never a critical mass of them all playing together at one time, like when we had our "glory days" of the early 2010s, when you had world cup winners like Muller, RP, Afoa etc., all on the pitch at the same time, backed up by the likes of our homegrown star players like Fez, Wallace, Best, Jackson, Trimble, Bowe etc.

We had a superstar in Coetzee, who didn't play with world cup winner Vermeulen, who didn't play with world cup winner SK. (Coetzee probably played with Piatau I imagine).

But recently we have not assembled a group of signings that have a critical mass of quality to supplement our homegrown players, as we did have in the past. And we have brought in a lot of dross to fill the squad numbers up.

SK on paper is a quality signing. But in isolation its not going to work. You need more quality elsewhere for SK to have a major return on investment, as a LHP ain't a match winner, unless the rest of the front 5 are baby eaters.

Obviously a lot of this is down to finances, but the money spent on squad fillers like Matty Rea, Greg Jones, those props that no one has ever seen, the full back that never played, the lads that are forever injured but get their contracts extended anyway after managing 2 decent games together around contract re-signing time . . . Surely could be better spent. We aren't going to afford any more world cup winners, but we can certainly do better than what we've got.

[Cockatrice]

What's Bryn's job role?

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The man in charge of all Rugby Operations as I understood… Teflon man as others have fallen he has been the one constant through all the failure… not fit for the job