Ireland centre Stuart McCloskey re-signs for Ulster as province ties down futures of young duo
Ulster's Stuart McCloskey is tackled by Clermont's Tani Vili during their Heineken Champions Cup Pool A clash at Stade Marcel-Michelin in Clermont-Ferrand. Photo: Julien Poupart/Sportsfile
Ulster have moved quickly to secure the long-term future of two more of their young stars, signing scrum-half Nathan Doak to a monster four-year extension and Ethan McIlroy to a fresh three-year pact, while Ireland centre Stuart McCloskey has also agreed a new three-year deal at Kingspan Stadium.
Despite both only nailing down regular places in the team this season, Doak is now tied down until 2026 and McIlroy to 2025, while McCloskey will also be going nowhere before the summer of 2025.
The trio are the only three players to have pledged their futures to Ulster beyond 2024 and join Billy Burns, James Hume, Marty Moore, Jordi Murphy, Tom O'Toole and Matty Rea in signing new deals this week.
However, interestingly, neither Doak nor McIlroy were out of contract at the end of the season, meaning Ulster moved quickly to get the pair signed up longer term before they hit contract years.
With the future of John Cooney still up in the air, getting Doak to sign on the dotted line was a priority for head of operations Bryn Cunningham, particularly after the 20-year-old’s start to the season.
Forced into the starter’s jersey when Cooney was injured in the opening game of the campaign against Glasgow Warriors, Doak has excelled to the extent that some saw him potentially being a bolter for Ireland’s Autumn Internationals squad.
Head coach Andy Farrell opted not to take him, however the former Wallace High star has since continued his rise and is seen as Ulster’s scrum-half of the future.
As for McIlroy, the 21-year-old seems to have locked down one of the wing jerseys with the province after starting all nine games this season and looking ever more impressive with each passing week.
With 21 caps under his belt, the former Methodist College stand-out produced his finest moment thus far in last week’s game against Northampton Saints, scoring a fantastic solo effort on the way to a bonus-point win.
He will face stern opposition from the likes of the returning Robert Baloucoune and Jacob Stockdale for his position in the new year but, currently, there seems to be no reason why he would be dropped given his form.
Meanwhile, getting McCloskey to sign up for another three years is a massive boost, and he and fellow centre Hume will continue their dynamic partnership for at least the next two years having both signed deals.
The 29-year-old has made 146 appearances for Ulster and has proven to be a dangerous ball carrier in midfield, which has led to him making six caps for Ireland including winning man of the match on his debut against England.
Nicknamed the ‘Bangor Bulldozer’, McCloskey had been attracting interest from France, however he has spurned those offers to stay at Kingspan Stadium and continue his upward trajectory there.
“To have three Ulster-born players sign long-term for the upcoming seasons is testament to their commitment to the province they developed their game in," said head coach Dan McFarland.
“With Stuart having established himself as a strong defender, ball-carrier and play-maker, while Nathan and Ethan are two exciting young prospects who have already proven themselves at a senior level, it’s clear that all three will play an important role in our ambitions as a club in the upcoming seasons.”
Alongside Cooney, Ulster still have some pressing business to nail down such as loosehead prop Jack McGrath, back rowers Greg Jones, Marcus Rea and Sean Reidy, utility back Will Addison and winger Craig Gilroy.
