South African second-row Johann Muller in Ulster switch

[BPH]

Boss is concerned. If the management don't see how important he is to the team and the supporters they are in need of a wake up call.

Would these be the same supporters a majority of whom have spent the last few seasons deriding him for having a slow pass and being indecisive? That wanted Cillian Willis as the starting scrum half up until a few months ago?

And who says Ulster fans are fickle

[Hot in the Tropics]

The fact that we are taling about sigining some, not all, of these 'big names' would surely suggest our ambitions are not limited at being a feeder club. And anyway I seriously doubt if David Humphreys has committed himself to a career with Ulster Rugby, rather than one in his chosen professional qualification, with the intention on baby-sitting a 'feeder club' to simply nurture and develop home grown talent, who then drift away for pastures greener. A business modelled on that strategy might function satisfactorily for a few years, but ultimately would stop attracting quality sponsors and even quality home grown talent.

[Rooster]

Irish club Ulster are set to announce the signing of Sharks lock Johann Muller, 29, later this week.

Muller - who relinquished the Sharks captaincy to John Smit this season- is likely to be released from his Currie Cup obligations in Durban to allow him to link up with Ulster at the end of the Super 14.

The 23-cap Springbok will join up with BJ Botha at Ulster. The former Sharks tighthead having signalled his intent to remain in Ireland rather than returning to South Africa.

Ulster also looked into luring Sharks flyhalf Ruan Pienaar abroad, but they were unsuccesful.

If Muller decides to leave it will be a huge blow to the Sharks who are sure to miss his experience, hard-nosed attitude and leadership.

http://www.sarugby.com/news/News/article/sid=12948.html

[Freddie Benson]

After the disapointment against Bath

What dissappointment would that be? Winning in England for the first time in the ERC? Comprehensively outplaying the opposition (Whether they had 14 or 15 men)?

[Big-al]

Irish club Ulster are set to announce the signing of Sharks lock Johann Muller, 29, later this week.

Muller - who relinquished the Sharks captaincy to John Smit this season- is likely to be released from his Currie Cup obligations in Durban to allow him to link up with Ulster at the end of the Super 14.

The 23-cap Springbok will join up with BJ Botha at Ulster. The former Sharks tighthead having signalled his intent to remain in Ireland rather than returning to South Africa.

Ulster also looked into luring Sharks flyhalf Ruan Pienaar abroad, but they were unsuccesful.

If Muller decides to leave it will be a huge blow to the Sharks who are sure to miss his experience, hard-nosed attitude and leadership.

http://www.sarugby.com/news/News/article/sid=12948.html

[Teenage Grandad]

Pienaar would be an awesome signing. We WILL NOT sign both him and Pienaar. Pienaar will cost 500000 and Blair will cost 350000. Thats 8500000 worth of players for one position!!!!!

Has anyone anywhere said any different

Actually yes they have. A number of people (and not just on this forum or this thread) have been talking about signing both.

Being realistic I think its time to get used to us being a feeder club. We simple don't have the support or money to support a team strong enough to compete against europes top teams.

You base this assessment on what?
None of the departures, including Boss, are because we are in feeder club status

Maybe feeder is a bit strong but they are leaving to join clubs that can be competitive in europe. We may have won the european cup in 99 but that was 10 years ago - hardly competitive. My assessment is based on:
Roger Wilson - left to further career and be in with chance of competing beyond the group stages of the heiny cup
Neil Best - as above
Tommy Bowe - as above and turned us down because he didn't think we would be competitive in europe
Stephen Ferris - has already stated his desire to play in the southern hemisphere especially SA when his contract expires
Isaac Boss - why else is he leaving. I suspect to play in a competitive European side

We don't have the money to go buying big name players to bolster out squad.

Are you going to tell BJ and Harrison or am I?

Happily - How many world class players have we signed bar these two since we won the europen cup? Again - the only reason we could afford Botha is because we no longer had Harrison. Replace one large salary with another - that has always been Ulsters way as we don't have the large budgets that the likes of Leinster and Munster have.
Not eaxactly sure what our budget is but based on ticket pricing and number of fans it is very hard for us to compete.
We may get the highest avergae attendance but that becuse we also have very cheap ticket prices and strong local support. When ulster hit a rough patch however the numbers fairly fell as the team performances dropped. Both Leinster and Munster have a consitent support basis with considerably higher ticket prices.
Some examples:
Guiness premiership average gate for last season was 11000. Average ticket price is £31. Numerous BIG money days at twickenham and Wembley.
Munster - tickets range from 22 Euro up to 40 Euro for a magners league match. Their capacity is 26000.
Each team that qualifies from the groups in the heiny get £500000 plus £500000 per round they get through plus whatever in match day receipts at higher prices than standard magners/premiership/top 14 prices they take. Thats a LOT of money we haven't been getting over the last 10 years

[bigchiefally]

regardless of the budget if we are able to put out a team of

Court, Botha, Best,
Muller, Caldwell/Tuohy
Pollock/Faloon, Henry/Diack, Ferris
Some decent 9
Humph
Wallace, Cave
Trimble, Danielli
A decent FB

we will win more a fair few more games than we lose next year

[ColinM]

Hmmm it would be the filling of the 9 and 15 positions that concerns me BCA

[McPepper]

Johann Muller has requested an early exit from his Sharks contract in order to leave at the end of the Super 14.
Muller’s contract with the union runs until the completion of this year’s Currie Cup, but last season’s captain has asked to leave before the tournament begins in order to join Ulster. Sharks CEO Brian van Zyl told keo.co.za that the future of the Bok lock will be resolved next month.

‘Johann has spoken to me and asked to leave,’ Van Zyl told this website. ‘The matter still has to be ratified at our quarterly board meeting in March.’

Reports stated that Ulster’s operations manager David Humphreys flew out to Durban recently to speak to the 29-year-old Muller about a two-year deal. It has also been reported that Ruan Pienaar has been approached by the Belfast-based club, but his financial demands could rule him out.

‘That is news to me,’ said Van Zyl. ‘Ruan’s young [25] and we’d never allow him to go at this stage of his career.’

The pair are the latest Sharks players to be linked with moves away from Durban, as last week reports suggested Bismarck du Plessis was in talks with French big-spenders Toulon.

‘I don’t know anything about that. I have no idea why there are so many stories going around about our players, probably because we have so many Boks,’ said Van Zyl.

Meanwhile, the Willem Alberts and Louis Ludik contract saga is no closer to being resolved. Last week, Saru were forced to get involved in the matter when the Lions laid an official complaint as Alberts made his debut against the Force last Tuesday.

Saru referred the matter to judge Lex Mpati, the chairman of the judicial committee, who will appoint a disciplinary committee to hear the matter.

‘I thought I would have received a letter from Saru by now, but we still haven’t had any response,’ said the Sharks CEO. ‘It would be nice if this matter could come to an end soon.’

[King Ding]

fullback problems could be solved by looking in limerick imo, felix jones will be a class act if he is given game time, anybody who saw the highlights of irelnad A churchill cup win will verify that, grea under the high ball and a good turn of pace with a decent boot. Surely he would come up here if he was assured of game time.

[Ardglass2]

Teenage Grandad - please provide examples of people saying we will sign both Blair and Pienaer.
I have read none anywhere.

The reasons you give for Wilson, Best and Bowe leaving are wrong.
You are obviously are not aware what weas going on in the club at that time.

You guess why Boss is going - you guess wrong.

As for Stephen Ferris I have heard him stay that what he really wants is to stay here and qualify for the HC knock stages with Ulster and ultimately win it. If we can succeed in the next, say three years, he'll go nowhere.

You say we cannot sign World class players and when I mention two you reply except them.
So if another comes along will it be except them as well.

[Windeos]

fullback problems could be solved by looking in limerick imo, felix jones will be a class act if he is given game time, anybody who saw the highlights of irelnad A churchill cup win will verify that, grea under the high ball and a good turn of pace with a decent boot. Surely he would come up here if he was assured of game time.

A couple of problems are the fact he is under contract for at least another season with Munster and he is currently injured (meant to be a real serious injury as well).

I'd love Jones to sign for us but I can't see it until at least when Jone's contract is coming to an end at the end of next season.

[ColinM]

Felix Jones will, given full fitness, be the 15 at Munster in a year anyway. Dougie will go and Earls will spend more time at wing/centre. ROG will be resting for the RWC and winding down a bit so Warwick will spend more time at 10.

We should have plucked him direct from Connacht, and asked him if he preferred to be our first choice 15, or Munsters 3rd choice. Chances are he would have come here.


PS maybe we ought to ask David Kearney the same thing now

[bigchiefally]

Does anyone think Smith is good enough to be the first choice this year?

He certainly hasnt set the world alight so far but I havent seen enough of him to categorically state an opinion either way.

[ColinM]

I reckon he'll be good enough to do a job somehwere. Too early to say where and when