The UAFC

jackthelad wrote: 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.

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.

againstthehead wrote: After the disapointment against Bath

Rooster wrote:

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

Ardglass2 wrote:

Teenage Grandad wrote: 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.

Teenage Grandad wrote: 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

Teenage Grandad wrote: 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?

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 wrote: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.