Kieran Treadwell relishing role as mentor with Ulster and Bangor
Kieran Treadwell has taken on more of a mentoring role this season with Ulster and also in the club game.
The 28-year-old lock – capped 11 times by Ireland – is helping the next generation of Ulster second rows and is also imparting his lineout wisdom at club level with Bangor.
Academy locks Charlie Irvine and James McKillop made their Ulster debuts in last weekend’s friendly against Benetton and Treadwell is on hand to help nurture the young guns, with a friendly against Exeter up next at Sandy Park tomorrow.
“I try to help them out as much as I can with what they want from me, so if I see something in training it is a lot easier to see in the set piece because you know how it works and everything is meant to be in a certain position,” said Treadwell.
“I suppose the more time I play with them and train with them I’ll get an understanding of how they work within the game and try and help out with aspects.”
Treadwell is relishing the competition for places in the second row.
“There are always going to be some people that want your spot and that is the best thing about this professional game – it always strives for you to be better. If you sit on your laurels there is always going to be somebody there to take your place.
“I think there is great competition within the squad and hopefully that is going to make us better as a squad.”
Explaining why he has got involved at Upritchard Park, Treadwell said: “My brother-in-law plays 10 so he asked me to come down and help with the lineout. We had a bit of a rocky start to the season but got a good win last week. The lineout is going well so that is all I worry about.
“It is a different prospective. I’ve always been the one that has been coached so it is quite nice to have an understanding of how people work and help people on the way.
"I’m really enjoying it at the moment, it is fun, I like being down and the different point of view.”
Treadwell is also enjoying the rarity of being coached by a second row – the position new Ulster forwards coach Jimmy Duffy played.
“The only other person was Paul O’Connell when I was in the Ireland set up,” he said. “It is just great to have someone there that has been in your position and has an understanding of how the game is from your sort of shoes.
“It is great to have a direct line to how he wants to play and how he expects the second rows to play. Scrummaging as a second row on both sides there are quite a few little nuances to it; people don’t expect that, they probably think you just get in there and push and there are other technical things there.
“In the lineout he’s very good. He is more drill focused rather than trying to create different moves. He is more focused on our drill our process, so it is good.”
Trialists Zac Ward and Corrie Barrett start this evening’s friendly.
With Tom Stewart facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines James McCormick get the nod at hooker.
And Cooke will face the Perennials at Shaw’s Bridge on Sunday afternoon in a game to commemorate past members of the South Belfast club including Dr Ryan Hamilton.
The doctor was a beloved member at Cooke, serving in various roles as a player and a medic.
As a player he captained the third XV for two seasons and before going on to double up as doctor and physio for the first team.