Finally some good contract news.

Ireland internationals Luke Marshall, Rob Herring and Kieran Treadwell have signed three-year contract extensions with Ulster Rugby, which will keep them at Kingspan Stadium until the summer of 2021.

Both Treadwell and Herring featured for Ireland as recently as the Autumn International Series this month, while Marshall has 11 Ireland caps to his name since making his debut back in 2013.

Commenting on the new deals, Ulster boss Les Kiss said:

“Luke has been one of our most consistent players in recent years; he’s a robust presence in our midfield and is a brilliant link man in both attack and defence.

“He is a passionate about rugby in Ulster and I think that is evident not only in his performances on the pitch, but also in the way he contributes so positively to the local rugby community.

“Rob and Kieran have also been in excellent form this season and I was delighted to see them earn recalls into the national squad for this month’s fixtures.

“Rob has really grown as a player since his arrival at Ulster five years ago and he is widely regarded as a highly skilled hooker who leads from the front.

“Kieran has made a big impression over the past 18 months and it’s evident that he possesses all the attributes required to become a top class second row; he’s a big, mobile unit and is a good student of the game.

“All three players are determined to continue to work hard to improve and that is exactly the type of culture that we’re trying to build here.

“With increasing player movement, it’s vital that we continue to retain our best talent, and to have Luke, Rob and Kieran commit to long-term deals is a huge boost for us. They will play central roles in our programme over the next few years.”

Now to get the likes of Peter O’Mahony, Iain Henderson, CJ Stander, Garry Ringrose and Tadhg Furlong signed on for new deals, and we’ll be laughing.