No 'quick fix' for Ulster struggles - Cunningham

Ulster wide head Bryn Cunningham says nan "rebuild and reshaping" of nan the state is heading successful nan correct guidance but that patience will beryllium required to spot "significant change".

Richie Murphy's broadside vanished 14th successful nan United Rugby Championship (URC) past play and grounded to suffice for nan Champions Cup for nan first clip successful their history.

Their Test practice was constricted done nan November bid and Six Nations, while they will not supply immoderate players for nan British and Irish Lions circuit to Australia this summer.

Cunningham, however, says he believes location is simply a group of young players pinch a "very precocious ceiling" and that it is imperative Ulster person structures successful spot to guarantee that successful "three aliases 4 years' time" they are providing "seven aliases eight" players to an Ireland match-day squad.

"It's ne'er a quick-fix erstwhile you've a reset and a rebuild and you're little than a twelvemonth in," Cunningham told BBC Sport NI.

"I don't deliberation anyone successful their correct mind would deliberation it'll beryllium a speedy hole and we'll beryllium going retired and winning nan URC adjacent season. We'll beryllium going retired pinch that objective.

"This is astir nan improvement of a halfway that we judge has a precocious ceiling."

After nan season, Cunningham said location person "open and honorable conversations" astir nan side's failings past play pinch "uniform agreement" connected what needs to improve.

"Will location beryllium pain? There could good but we besides judge that we're moving successful nan correct direction," he added.

Ulster person already initiated alteration successful their coaching group and playing squads for adjacent season.

Stalwarts specified arsenic John Cooney, Alan O'Connor, Kieran Treadwell and Andy Warwick are among those moving on, while nan state person recruited Australian world Angus Bell connected a short-term deal and Northampton Saints' number 8 Juarno Augustus.

Connacht's onslaught coach Mark Sexton will subordinate nan summons astatine Kingspan Stadium, pinch Willie Faloon already successful situ aft he stepped successful for protect master Jonny Bell during past season.

Away from playing and coaching personnel, Cunningham feels it is captious that Ulster specify a "clear identity" for nan organisation.

"It's easy to bespeak and opportunity we're miles off, we're not tin of performing against nan apical array sides," said Cunningham who was portion of nan squad erstwhile Ulster won nan European Cup successful 1999.

"We showed connected occasions that we tin and that's what we person to get backmost towards.

"Part of nan building blocks we person to get successful spot is simply a very clear personality and civilization of what we're astir arsenic a club.

"What that leads towards is simply a level of consistency that we've not had."

While asking Ulster fans to "stick with" nan state during nan downturn, Cunningham said he is "confident" successful nan direction.

"My dream is it's not going to return 10 years. My dream is that we spot important alteration successful a 2 to three-year period.

"You tin ne'er conflict nan magnitude that group want it. We're passionate astir nan province."