Blues Looking To Bolster Pack For Next Season

Looks like the Blues are in the process of trying to secure Matthew Rees as they are looking to rebuild their pack for next season. From a Scarlets point of view it will be a shame to see him go, but should reduce the wage bill, and give far more game time to Ken Owens and Kirby Myhill who have potential to be real stars.

http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Shock-Cardiff-Blues-Scarlets-hooker-Matthew-Rees/story-17466528-detail/story.html

I'd like to see Rees at the Blues, he'd bring some grit to our scrum. I wonder who else we can get with the money saved by Roberts going to France?

Yeah it will be a real shame to see him go, but as SS says it'll probably be a good thing in the end as it'll give much needed game time to Owen, Kirby Myhill and Emyr Phillips.

Maybe we can then invest the money in a quality no 8?

The Blues back will look pretty decent then -
Jenkins, Rees, Borrust
-----Davies, Reed ---
Warbs, Pretorious, Patterson

And if they can find a SH, then that could give a good platform to Tovey, Fish, Halfpenny, Cuthbert, James and Robinson. And that should help Allen and O Williams develop.

Am i on my own by not wanting Gethin back? I'd prefer we picked up a Prop who is with us for the whole season. Or not bother with picking up another Prop and invest the time in Sam Hobbs?

Jenkins is pretty unlikely to return

Matthew Rees has been on the radar for a while, with Ken Owens, Emyr and Myhill at the Scarlets.

He would be a very useful player in the Blues front row and provide a lot of experience (potential captain, although international duty so maybe not)

Now we just need a experienced 8 a good 9 and a couple of decent props (a strong LH especially now)

When you see them going backwards at the hands of a complete 2nd choice Ospreys front 5, you can see why they'd be in the market for a front row. I spoke about this on the Scarlets thread the other day. It would be better for Welsh rugby but I suppose it'll be Rees' choice. Emyr played well on sunday, Myhill is very similar to Owens.

Morgannwg wrote:When you see them going backwards at the hands of a complete 2nd choice Ospreys front 5, you can see why they'd be in the market for a front row. I spoke about this on the Scarlets thread the other day. It would be better for Welsh rugby but I suppose it'll be Rees' choice. Emyr played well on sunday, Myhill is very similar to Owens.

A second choice ospreys pack still has Duncan Jones, who would stroll into the Blues team. Cai and Baldwin are no poor scrummagers too.

Personally I would rather lose ken to the blues, than smiler.

I think Owens will find his form again and really kick on - I just hope it's soon...

Scarlets could probably afford to lose either Ken or Smiler.

Blues would benefit more from having Rees though I think. He'll be stepping down from international rugby soon and he's captain material. He's a good front row player. It might just be me but I've never been all that impressed with Owens. Rees was better all last season and I think there is a good chance he will keep Owens out of the starting team this term.

Totally agree with you morgannwg. That's why I'd prefer to keep smiler.

But assuming Owens still gets called up, you'd have Phillips with Myhill to step in. So you aren't losing anything. Just a thought, imagine Blues pull off these signings, they have a decent internation front 5. Jenkins, Rees, Andrew, Reed, Davies. A step in the right direction...

We also have prominsing younsters thomas ball & torin myhill in the academy. We won't have to worry about the hooker position for a while.

Pioden - I think we should do our damnedest to make sure we keep hold of Ken and give him the game time he needs. We have made the mistake in the past of letting a young Mike Phillips go elsewhere to get game time and kept an older (although only slightly) player instead. I think seeing as Smiler is getting on, and will most likely still be in the welsh squad until after the RWC, that we may be better off allowing him to leave, giving Ken and Kirby some real game time and hopefully freeing up enough cash to bolster out back row a bit.

So who in the back-row will you be letting go as that area seems to be getting a bit cramped aswell?

Spiderman - I know what you're saying about keeping the younger player in ken. however i just feel ken lacks aggresion for the front row, he's simply too nice a bloke. his throwing in at the lineout is probably the poorest out of all the hookers at the moment. he seems to be losing a lot of ball in contact too. it might be a case that a regular run in the team might remedy these problems for ken.

morgannwg: jon edwards and timani are out of contract this summer, so there is a possibility they might be leaving (management say they haven't decided who they are likely to release) but they have said they are looking to strengthen at number 8. Probably see that being a WQ Jake Ball type of signing or another NWQ World Artist South African.

Pioden - I think Ken just needs some game time, his lineout throwing was awesome when he was getting a decent run of games, what was it somethng like three or four games without a single lost line (40+ lines without a miss). I have a feeling that if he is given the game time then he will shine again.

When is Pugh's contract up? I would have though the likes of him, Rhys Jones, and Lee Bach would be possible exits due to their 7s commitments, or does the 7s pay the bulk of their wages?

I agree with SS - we should be looking to keep Ken, who will only improve with age. And if Rees goes then it'll only help Kirby and Emyr Phillips.

Although Owens hasn't been great this season, last season I think he had a record for most lineouts hit/won in a row at the start of the season.

Also as SS says - Rees is prob one of our highest earners - getting him off the books could enable us to buy a very good No8 or strengthen in another position.

I'm also unsure if we'll keep all our locks next season as well, Pioden says Timani looks to be going, which is a shame but understandable, but we still have Ball (who looks v good), Snyman (who has impressed me), Earle, Vallejos, Kelly, Rawlin as well as Turnbull and Shingler who can play there.

If we are going to get rid of Edwards though we really need to give Price and D Thomas lots of game time now to bring them up to speed

Would getting rid of Pugh, Lee W and R Jones (I thought he'd already gone - or am I thinking of Rheon James?) free up much money, as aren't they paid mostly by the WRU 7's team?

Priest - Kingsley Jnr is still on the squad list on the website but to be honest I am not too sure if that means much. As for their wages even if they are being payed 99% by the WRU that still leaves 1% for us to be playing, and I believe bare Lee Bach none of them have played this season for us, also Kingsley Jnr and Pugh are not really 'our' boys so we don't really owe them any loyalty, so we don't really need to be topping up their wages, leet them go back to their regions for the tops ups (where as I guess Lee did come through our system, so i can under stand topping up his wages).

I didn't even realise Lee W had played for us this season! I know what you mean about cutting costs and not paying players we're not playing - I just don't think their combined wages are going to be at all significant in comparision to if we get Rees off our books, or bring in an international 8 or get rid of Timani... ect

Smirnoffpriest wrote:I didn't even realise Lee W had played for us this season! I know what you mean about cutting costs and not paying players we're not playing - I just don't think their combined wages are going to be at all significant in comparision to if we get Rees off our books, or bring in an international 8 or get rid of Timani... ect

I agree

think the 7's boys get 20k + from the wru for the 7's contract (think its around the 24k figure, but can't remember) the scarlets just top them up slightly. not sure when pugh's contract is up, but he has captained us this season. easterby has used both 7's edwards and pugh as captain.

rheon james is still with the quins at the moment, but not really on the scarlets radar. but then we are well stocked in the centres at the moment.

I do wonder if the wru will have any say in which scarlets hooker goes to which region as part of this new participation agreement? Mark Jones and Easterby both shun away when asked directly about it.

Priest - Yeah I apprecaite their combined wages would not be much at all, but possibly the three of them would be enough to cover the wage increases that may be needed to hold on to other players (not sure who's contracts are almost up).

Pioden - I really hope the WRU don't get involved saying who can stay/go and just say you can't keep both (or even better stay out of it and get their own house in order first), as otherwise I really do have a horrible feeling we will be getting the smelly end of the stick and be ordered to allow better players to leave and keep hold of the less favourable option (for example when backs contracts are due to be renued)

Jon Edwards is seen as a 6.5 but I think so far this season he's been a lot more handy than Turnbull and McCusker. If he goes it looks like you will be lacking no.7 cover. Unless the Scarlets are considering Shingler a 7, along with the fetcher type player Dan Thomas. Murphy looked very explosive at 8 against Ulster but I think the team could do with some type of leader or general coming in.

If Edwards did go (and he's our out and out 7) then it would more than likely be Shingler (6.5), D Thomas and C Price who would be our 7's.

We'd then have McGog and Murphy (both 6 & 8's) and Turnbull, Vallejos and Timani (if he stays) to play 6.

Hopefully we'll add a proven out and out 8 to the squad as well (maybe instead of Timani) which will allow McGog to concentrate on 6.

Looking at it from a welsh POV I wish one of the Regions would try and get the likes of Gill and Lewis-Roberts on their books.

I'd like to see someone get Effion back, he’s a massive guy and the myth that we would never leave North Wales has been dispelled now. Gill is a good player, but I think the best thing for him would be to keep playing in England for a few more years as the scrummaging in the Aviva is typically at a higher level.

Believe a few regions did ask about eifion lewis Roberts availability, before and after going to Toulon. Unfortunately none could get anywhere near the terms he was looking for. Especially if he did come back to wales, they would risk losing him to team wales for large periods.

looks like the scarlets will try and keep hold of rees:

http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Scarlets-keen-Cardiff-Blues-target-Matthew-Rees/story-17504116-detail/story.html

THE Scarlets say they are eager to keep Matthew Rees, but admit the out-of-contract hooker could join the Cardiff Blues.

Wales international Rees has been heavily linked with a move to the region of his birth, with the Blues desperate to strengthen their weak front row.

.And although Scarlets forwards coach Danny Wilson would like to hold on to the 32-year-old, he concedes the 56-cap hooker might be prised away.

"I would like him to stay because he is a world-class hooker," said Wilson.

"His set-piece work is excellent and you want to work with players of that international calibre and leadership.

"His leadership skills are invaluable and he helps bring on the likes of Samson Lee and other young props.

"It is a possibility with any player within a squad who is out of contract at the end of the season they could move on.

"Until a player has made a decision or formally signed there is always a possibility of a player leaving.

"Matthew has not been with us for the last month because he has been away on international duty and focussing on that.

"So not much discussion has been had on that subject at the moment. He is back in the fold with us and he is an important player in our squad."

While Rees is an asset to the Scarlets' squad, his position is an area where the West Walians are blessed with numerous options, such as Wales international Ken Owens and Welsh youth caps Emyr Phillips and Kirby Myhill.

"This is a position where we have strength in depth," said Wilson.

"We have Ken Owens who is of a similar vein to Matthew, and we are lucky to have Emyr Phillips and Kirby Myhill who are two names for the future.

"Emyr has impressed me in the last couple of weeks with his performances after coming back from a long-term injury.

"So it is good we have a couple of young hookers coming through who will wear that Scarlets shirt in the future."

Speaking as an ex hooker and coach I think Emyr Phillips has more dog than both Rees and Owens. He is aggresive and abrasive, plays with his heart on his sleeve. A good no frills all round team player. Similar to Jabba at the Dragons.

He scrummages hard and has a good arm. He has come through the Drovers School of Hard Knocks. I personally think that if he was to get regular game time he could be knocking on the National team door in a season or two.

jeff stones dad wrote:Speaking as an ex hooker and coach I think Emyr Phillips has more dog than both Rees and Owens. He is aggrresive and abrasive, plays with his heart on his sleeve. A good no frills all round teram player. Similar to Jabba at the Dragons.

He scrummages hard and has a good arm. He has come through the Drovers School of Hard Knocks. I personally think that if he was to get regular game time he could be knocking on the National team door in a season or two.

+1

(dwi'n cytuno/I agree)