Eddie Jones gets his top target as Joseph Suaalii signs with Rugby Aus

Look back at previously successful Ulster teams and they had great coaches with deep squads full of quality overseas players.

Up to 2006 they had Alan Solomons and Mak McCall coaching them, during the revival after 2012 they had David Humphreys as DoR and a very deep squad featuring NZers like John Afoa and Jared Payne, and Saffers like Muller, Wannenberg and Pienaar.

Just looking at their centres they had quality operators like Darren Cave, Luke Marshall, Ian Whitten [who had such a successful career at Exeter], Chris Farrell and Stuart Olding. That’s a very deep group.

If a club has already enjoyed two major cycles of success in the pro era they have the infrastructure to do it again.

Atm their squad only has two non-international overseas players in it [Werner Kok and Juarno Augustus] and their coaching looks to be a notch down on what it was. That change has nothing to do with junior pathways so better coaching and signings ought to be the priority.

Absolutely believe SL would have been highly sought after, he’s a world class coach and I’d expect him to have his pick of some top opportunities. No surprise in that whatsoever but I wouldn’t expect someone like him, if he had chosen a gig like Ulster to be personally implementing the schools/youth/academy initiatives. I would on the other hand expect him to be all over it like a rash to make sure that others were in place to drive it, unless ofc you’re going to tell me that he pays no attention whatsoever to these aspects and doesn’t see them as having any value?

Now ike says it’s not going to work because there isn’t enough interest in sport participation around Belfast and across Ulster, and where there is interest, GAA has an unbreakable stronghold over them. He could be correct, I don’t know if he is or he isn’t but my point is why would they not try?

The bottom line is Ulster Rugby have gone from the highest levels and leading the way in Ireland to a pretty dire position near the bottom of the pile. And there hasn’t been anything from you guys on how they should be approaching this other than just accept it’s too difficult.

Anyway, I'm glad QC had a great moment on the big stage in 2021. Aus rugby owes him more credit - simply for the sheer entertainment he provided!

Fully agree!

Has a ring to it.