Alex Cuthbert puts His welsh international ambitions ahead of a lucrative contract abroad...!

“I am very pleased to be re-signing for another year with the Blues and I can now look forward to the summer tour with Wales and next season with the region,” said Cuthbert.

Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/rugbynation/rugby-news/2012/05/17/wales-ambitions-were-key-for-alex-cuthbert-staying-with-cardiff-blues-91466-30985922/#ixzz1v9ISEyJF

"The Grand Slam-winning winger yesterday announced he is staying with the capital city region and not taking up reported big-money offers from either Toulon or Racing Metro, though he has only signed a one-year extension."

Looks like he's keeping his options open to me. Maybe he's waiting for a bigger move.

Good look to the lad. Looks a decent player.

sugarNspikes wrote:"The Grand Slam-winning winger yesterday announced he is staying with the capital city region and not taking up reported big-money offers from either Toulon or Racing Metro, though he has only signed a one-year extension."

Looks like he's keeping his options open to me. Maybe he's waiting for a bigger move.

Good look to the lad. Looks a decent player.

I agree on the middle point. He signs a one year contract and people talk about him like he's a martyr!

He is doing the right thing. Exciting times for the Blues next season hopefully. Cuthbert resigning will definitely be welcome to the fans.

Great for Wales too. Onwards and upwards... Brilliant.

"Playing for Wales was a huge part of my decision to stay with the Blues and playing for the region regularly will hopefully strengthen my chances of keeping my place in the Wales team."

maestegmafia wrote:

sugarNspikes wrote:"The Grand Slam-winning winger yesterday announced he is staying with the capital city region and not taking up reported big-money offers from either Toulon or Racing Metro, though he has only signed a one-year extension."

Looks like he's keeping his options open to me. Maybe he's waiting for a bigger move.

Good look to the lad. Looks a decent player.

Who cares Cyril/SafeAsMilk/SugarNSpikes....?

He is doing the right thing. Exciting times for the Blues next season hopefully. Cuthbert resigning will definitely be welcome to the fans.

Great for Wales too. Onwards and upwards... Brilliant.

For God's sake, I commented that I thought he was hedging his bets and that he's a good player. I don't think either is controversial or incorrect

georgestowersbiceps wrote:

sugarNspikes wrote:"The Grand Slam-winning winger yesterday announced he is staying with the capital city region and not taking up reported big-money offers from either Toulon or Racing Metro, though he has only signed a one-year extension."

Looks like he's keeping his options open to me. Maybe he's waiting for a bigger move.

Good look to the lad. Looks a decent player.

I agree on the middle point. He signs a one year contract and people talk about him like he's a martyr!

Not a martyr, just nice to see a young guy back the club that gave him a chance.

Good choice for Cuffy. It's too soon for him to be going anywhere, most of all France. Let's see what next season brings first...

Cari wrote:Good choice for Cuffy. It's too soon for him to be going anywhere, most of all France. Let's see what next season brings first...

I agree.

Though with some of the tries he has scored this season you can see why he garnered the interest from abroad. Good lad, but still a lot to work on.

True Maes, but one decent season doesn't make a great player by any means. He needs to get plenty of experience in first, then consider his options.

Cari wrote:True Maes, but one decent season doesn't make a great player by any means. He needs to get plenty of experience in first, then consider his options.

Aye, he has plenty of things he can improve on, lacks a bit of physicality at times.

I reckon he's young enough to have two or three moves (decent contracts) under his belt easily, so no need to rush abroad

georgestowersbiceps wrote:

sugarNspikes wrote:"The Grand Slam-winning winger yesterday announced he is staying with the capital city region and not taking up reported big-money offers from either Toulon or Racing Metro, though he has only signed a one-year extension."

Looks like he's keeping his options open to me. Maybe he's waiting for a bigger move.

Good look to the lad. Looks a decent player.

I agree on the middle point. He signs a one year contract and people talk about him like he's a martyr!

Yes, the lad is looking out for himself which is fair enough. He can wait until his stock has risen a bit higher then take the big money move in a year's time if his progress continues. Also, with how things have been at the Blues I don't think he'd want to commit to more than a year.

If he did move over to France to play his club footie then I wouldn't blame him one bit. It's a short career and if you can maximise your wealth then that's his personal choice.

Looking at the bigger picture though, it's a piece of great news for the Blues who have taken a battering this season.

He is most welcome to go abroad and play here for Gloucester, his home town. Along with his Glos mate Morgan next season. Come on Alex, do the patriotic thing mun !

SB wrote:If he did move over to France to play his club footie then I wouldn't blame him one bit. It's a short career and if you can maximise your wealth then that's his personal choice.

I'm not saying he shouldn't go at all, just not now. He's only had one good season, well if that at all. Let him develop a bit, get some good experience and then consider his options.

I think to be honest someone a little more adult, who understands life and the game has had a word with him and suggested that although it is very flattering to get these offers so early in his senior career that he should stay put, there are some very positive things he can be part of at home.

New coach, back at the Arms Park, plenty of top players staying rather than taking french/english money.

Most importantly they have rid themselves of the awful handbrake that was Dan Parks so he will get the ball a lot more.

Wonder where he'll go after next season when his contract is up? I guess it depends how he gets on. A good season and he could get some big offers. A not so good one and he'll probably stay where he is.

The WRU will contract him after this year. Case closed.

Morgannwg wrote:The WRU will contract him after this year. Case closed.

wales606 wrote:

Morgannwg wrote:The WRU will contract him after this year. Case closed.

Just searched for the link. Here it is. All looks very sensible, a halfway house between central union contracting and club contracts.

http://www.espnscrum.com/wales/rugby/story/162090.html

I think the highest salary the WRU could offer their players is £180,000, what do you reckon? How much are the Grand Slam and Lions bonuses again?

Morgannwg wrote:I think the highest salary the WRU could offer their players is £180,000, what do you reckon? How much are the Grand Slam and Lions bonuses again?

Yeah but if that was a join contract with the region paying some on top that could easily be bumped up to £350k, which is a pretty obscene amount really, and with bonuses on top of that if trophies are lifted etc.

The WRU funds the regions anyway, on top of paying the players extra wages. Is it even viable? I guess we'll know soon enough anyway.

Its up the Blues to match Cuthberts ambitions, simple really, he's giving them an opportunity. After the past 12 months in such a dire set up he had every reason to look elsewhere - Let's hope Tulip can sort things out and recruit well as they have been shambolic and Cuthbert has found that pretty demoralising in spite of his meteoric international rise.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

Morgannwg wrote:I think the highest salary the WRU could offer their players is £180,000, what do you reckon? How much are the Grand Slam and Lions bonuses again?

Yeah but if that was a join contract with the region paying some on top that could easily be bumped up to £350k, which is a pretty obscene amount really, and with bonuses on top of that if trophies are lifted etc.

There is no way shape or form that the regions/and or WRU could afford 350K, i think that's very wishful thinking. They would and rightly so put up that kind of money to keep Adam Jones as a last resort i think but not for a young winger.

the problem is that playing outside of Wales doesn't affect your playing for wales as shown by the french legion.

The only way the bluesw will keep him next year is to really be a european force.

Toulon are pushing in all cups so that is a draw in itself and right now blues don't look to be heading in the right direction.

Would ye like to see the WRU bring in a law like you must have played in wales in the last to years to make the team or is it a non runner.

I think so many of the young welsh guys have set a precedent of staying in wales over going for big money abroad.

Players in their fifth season or more like Hook, Phillips and Jenkins, and other who wont make the welsh squad are the ones abroad.

Mitchell is the exception because at the O's he was under Adam

Lets be honest he has only just come on to the international sceene, and he may feel that he owes his region a lot for giving him his chance. Lets see how he goes next year, seeing that he has signed a ( 1year) contract does not show alot of entusiasm for his region. now does it.

majesticimperialman wrote:Lets be honest he has only just come on to the international sceene, and he may feel that he owes his region a lot for giving him his chance. Lets see how he goes next year, seeing that he has signed a ( 1year) contract does not show alot of entusiasm for his region. now does it.

He will be on a shared contract in a year, hense no reason to sign longer. Read above...

ALEX CUTHBERT has revealed how words of wisdom from Martyn Williams helped persuade him to stay in Wales.

The Grand Slam winger chose to reject big-money moves to France and remain with the Blues after taking advice from several people, notably veteran flanker Williams.

After a few months of deliberation, Cuthbert finally reached his decision earlier this week, turning down lucrative offers from Racing Metro and Toulon to sign a new one-year deal at the Blues.

And he readily acknowledges the part Blues stalwart Williams – nicknamed the ‘Nugget’ – played in that process.


“Nugget is very loyal to the Blues and he just gave me his thoughts and I took that on board,” said the 22-year-old.

“I spoke to all the boys, especially older ones like Martyn and Paul Tito, who have been there and done it all.

“They gave me good advice, that helped a lot and just helped me along the way really.”

It took Cuthbert considerably longer to put pen to paper this time than he did when signing a one-year contract last summer.

“I was on an Academy contract and it was done and dusted just like that,” he said.

“It was my first season and I just signed it straight away.

“But obviously I’ve had a good successful season and it’s a bit difficult when your agent gets involved and stuff.

“Staying with the Blues was my first-choice preference, but there were other contracts on the table.

“It was hard to get your head round some of the offers from France.

“Rugby careers are not that long and a lot of players would have probably taken it.

“But, for my best interests, I want to be around this Welsh environment.

“I want to keep playing for Wales, I want to get as many caps and tries as I can for my country and I think being in Cardiff is going to help me do that.

“I had other options on the table, so I just went through them all with my family and friends and worked out that the Blues was the best option.

“I’ve only just turned 22 and I know I’ve got a lot of things to work on.

“Being close to the Welsh environment is going to help that a lot and I love living in Cardiff.

“I’ve got a lot of friends here and it’s a good city to live in. There’s the new coach coming in and obviously the Arms Park is going to help as well.”

With his future resolved, the six-times capped Cuthbert is able to focus on Wales’ forthcoming three-Test tour of Australia.

“It’s going to be a step up for us, but after winning the Grand Slam we’ve got a lot of confidence,” he said.

“Going Down Under, the big goal for a northern hemisphere team is to beat a southern hemisphere side.

“I think we are more than capable of winning with the talent we’ve got.”


Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/rugbynation/cardiff-blues/2012/05/18/alex-cuthbert-reveals-words-of-wisdom-that-convinced-him-to-stay-at-cardiff-blues-91466-30992240/#ixzz1vRbocqRH