Ulster would dearly love to have some more good news to report over the festive period.
Les Kiss, Jonno Gibbes and Dwayne Peel are in the midst of a wildly interesting season and we’re not even at the halfway point. Attempting to make their pack a formidable unit and add a cutting edge to their backline, it has not been all easy for the northern province but there have been encouraging signs.
They ran into the La Rochelle juggernaut after beating Wasps in their Champions Cup opener but a hard-fought win over Harlequins has given them a good chance of making the knock-out stages. Jacob Stockdale, John Cooney and Nick Timoney have all done well while Chriatian Lealiifano has impressed the Ulster faithful.
Jordi Murphy and Marty Moore are on their way next season but Ulster’s recent run of ugly PRO14 wins have been wins nonetheless. They are still in the hunt on both fronts.
What they could do with next is another tranche of contract signings and some high-profile names too. At present, Rory Best, Tommy Bowe, Iain Henderson and Jared Payne are all out of contract next June. Andrew Trimble will switch to a provincial deal so will be added to the wage bill but Charles Piutau is off to Bristol.
Best is likely to sign on and play up to his likely retirement post World Cup 2019. Talk around a new deal for Payne will wait until he is cleared to play again and shows that the migraines that cut short his Lions tour do not have a long-term impact or affect performances. Bowe will have to settle for a provincial deal if he is determined to play on into 2018/19.
That leaves Henderson as Ulster’s priority. After Tadhg Furlong’s three-year deal was confirmed by the IRFU and Leinster, the Ulster forward is Ireland’s new number one priority.
On The Hard Yards podcast, former Munster and Ireland centre James Downey raved about the 25-year-old and his form of the past 18 months [from 4:00 below].
“Henderson, again, put his hand up,” Downey commented. “He’s having a great year.”
Like a handful of their contract offers, the IRFU started with a package for Henderson that was below his estimations. The November internationals came along, then, and the big man added some value with two excellent outings and at least one moment that will be replayed for many a year.
Credit: RTELocks are paid well if they are deemed vital to the long-term plans of a team. Henderson has 34 caps but he has only truly established himself in the past two years – yet missed the 2016 Six Nations.
His lineout-calling, hard-carrying performance against England [in March], the Lions tour and his last two Ireland games have convinced Joe Schmidt he is the main man in Ireland’s second row, from now until the World Cup and beyond.
Ulster have given him a taste of the captaincy, too, and Rory Best has spoken of him being the province’s leader over the next four to five years. He is clearly wanted and Ulster and the IRFU have come around to the same way of thinking.
Henderson will not threaten Ireland’s top earners and he may not get as much as Furlong, but he should clear €400,000 especially if he keeps getting starts for Ireland.
An ace up Henderson’s sleeve is the fact that he coveted in France and England. That may earn him another bump yet.
