It's been another disruptive week in Ulster Rugby as yet another key member of staff resigns amid disappointing results and underwhelming performances.
Speaking today, former Ulster star Stephen Ferris gave us his thoughts on the chain of poor results and the resignation of Ulster Rugby CEO Jonny Petrie, proclaiming his surprise that Petrie didn't walk ahead of Dan McFarland.
Petrie's resignation is the culmination of weeks of turmoil within Ulster Rugby that has seen their head coach Dan McFarland resign after a string of poor performances. This was followed by the interim appointment of Richie Murphy who joined up with the squad just a day before Ulster headed to South Africa and now the resignation of their CEO.
While Richie Murphy has had limited time to print his stamp on the current crop of players having only joined the side last Monday, there was little to write home about in Ulster's loss to the Sharks last week, which possibly heaped pressure on the besieged CEO.
17 December 2022; Ulster Rugby CEO Jonny Petrie during the Heineken Champions Cup Pool B Round 2 match between Ulster and La Rochelle at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Stephen Ferris in no doubt about Petrie's resignation
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Speaking to us today former Ireland and Ulster back-row Stephen Ferris had his say on Jonny Petrie's resignation, suggesting it should've come even earlier.
Jonny Petrie is the guy at the top and you know I was actually surprised that he probably didn't go first, ahead of Dan McFarland. He's ultimately the guy that's in charge of the whole organisation in charge of making sure the product is right on the pitch, making sure that the books are balanced, you know it's a business at the end of the day so it has to be making money.
All we're hearing at Ulster rugby is that they're cash strapped and that they're struggling financially and that's just filtering down into what we're seeing every Friday and Saturday when the hard paying customers are turning up to try and support their team.
Long story short, Jonny Petrie came in, I think he's five years or six years he was there and you would have to say under his watch, Ulster haven't made any progress and that's my opinion.
But yeah, Ulster Rugby in another hole, letting people go, sacking head coaches, sacking CEO's albeit everything's being said by mutual consent, but we all know mutual consent is when you want to try and get rid of somebody.
While Ferris wasn't disappointed to see the back of Jonny Petrie, he had plenty of hope for the new Interim CEO Hugh McCaughey who was appointed on Wednesday.
So it's Hugh McCaughey who has come in as interim CEO, a guy I know extremely well, he was in the management side of things at underage rugby, he's a Dungannon player through and through. He knows the game inside out.
I think he's a good guy to bring in to sort of take us to the end of the season, whether or not he wants the job or not is a different story. He might walk into a complete and utter shit show on Monday.
Petrie and McFarland's resignations and the subsequent appointments, leave Ulster Rugby heading into the end of the season with both an interim CEO and interim Head Coach.
They take on the DHL Stormers this Saturday as they continue their tour of South Africa, with an extra week of training under Ireland U20s mastermind Richie Murphy there'll be plenty of anticipation to see what they can bring to the table this weekend.
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