Ulster must base their future on young home-grown players
With the squad in transition and given an unenviable financial position, province must base its future on young home-grown playershave underperformed so badly both on and off the pitch in the past year that they’ve lost both their head coach and chief executive in the last month, and so along with an interim head coach, the province is about to appoint an interim CEO.
This has been compounded by commercial targets not being reached this season and, whether unrelated or not, the IRFU’s 68-word statement confirming the departure of CEO Jonny Petrie by “mutual consent” this week.Joey Carbery looking forward to a fresh start abroadOn the pitch, having arguably overachieved under Dan McFarland for four years or so, they underachieved in the last year to 18 months.
Their squad will be trimmed, with Nathan Doak set to cover outhalf along with Jake Flannery, but the drain could have been worse. Leinster wanted to sign Tom O’Toole, but that was seemingly blocked by the IRFU . Bayonne have since signed Manu Tuilagi, while Jan Serfontein has agreed a new deal at Montpellier, suggesting McCloskey will be staying at Ulster for another year anyway.
Werner Kok: Ulster have signed the South African winger, formerly of the Hollywoodbets Sharks. Photograph: Steve Haag/Inpho
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