lee byrne and aled brew join dragons!!

First topic message reminder :

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/newport-gwent-dragons-snap-up-6470011

Its Blues who have their eye on him apaprently

And its a very dumb move by Lynn - he's been our standout back

Dan Evans has been the standout player whenever i have seen the Dragons this season, taking age into consideration a much better player than Lee Byrne.

I don't understand the reasoning behind it. Dan Evans, Amos, Brew/Prydie and Tovey would be a tidy backline

lynn wasting the dragons money there signing byrne. no need in signing him at all.

Could it be that Dan Evans told them he wouldn't be renewing his contract so Lyn made inquiries with other players, and got Byrne?  Like everyone says, seems odd to let him go purposely as Dan has been one of our best players.  I can't see Lyn not renewing Dan's contract if that was an option.

Other option is that they don't get on. But then Lyn wouldn't select him, so that can't be the case.

I would guess that when the byrne/dregs rumours starter he probably had a chat with lyn and was told that he wouldn't be in his plans. Blues signing him would cover 1/2p (if he stays) and he's a proven player at pro level.

Got a bad feeling that if Blues come in for him that it would confirm 1/2p would be off. That being said, would love Evans at the Blues, hopefully it goes better than the last dragons player to move to the Blues.

Makes sense to sign a 33 year old FB and say you're thinking of the future!

Every silver lining has a cloud;

http://www.espn.co.uk/wales/rugby/story/210885.html

See I'm not against it because its Henson - he does seem to have knuckled down.

I'm against it because we have some quality young backs and its the tight 5 we need to invest in.

To be honest I think bath will sign him for another year if he is happy to be a stand in player.

Gav's opportunities have been limited at Bath due to injuries and form of others but when I've seen him he could still do a decent job for Newport or Bath.

Notch wrote:Every silver lining has a cloud;

http://www.espn.co.uk/wales/rugby/story/210885.html

I bet if Lyn Jones went to coach Crymych RFC there would soon be an article somewhere linking Henson with a move there. But given that the Dragons have signed Byrne, and there is talk on twitter of Ryan Jones, then I guess a Henson move is more realistic. Any idea when Mike Phillips is available, surely he could be linked up with an Ospreys old boys move too.

Chirst, will people stop wishing more backs on us !

FRONT 5 PEOPLE !!!!   

Scrumpy wrote:Makes sense to sign a 33 year old FB and say you're thinking of the future!

Well it does really, in the sense we will get two good seasons out of Byrne before Amos is our fifteen all the time. Dan Evans is a decent player, but he also won't offer anything Byrne can't and won't want to play second fiddle to Hallam Amos at any time. Think this suits all parties to be honest.

The Henson rumour is a bit of a lazy one, as he's always linked to us when his contracts are up (for whatever reasons). Whilst we desperately need a couple of gnarly props, we also wouldn't do too bad having an X factor kind of player like him. All about bums on seats and Henson still has that ability to pull in fans. My missus would go every week for a start

Though, if he didn't come, I expect we could struggle along with Jack Dixon.

munkian wrote:Chirst, will people stop wishing more backs on us !

FRONT 5 PEOPLE !!!!   

To f...ing right don't get me wrong Byrne and Brew are great signings but we need t/head above all. Rh Jones would be great but he seems happy to be 3rd/4th choice down at PYS.

Yep Byrne is great and all that but as people have said that tight five is a real issue. they can;t compete with the current platform they have.
Rhys Gill wasn't even in the Saracens 23 this week, it's a complete joke. He is by a country mile the best scrummager at the Saracens and yet behind Vunipolo. The Dragons must sign him, they clearly see Make as first choice and Barington as a development player. Where does that leave Rhys? At the Dragons hopefully, come on Lyn.

Trouble is and always will be, good props go to big clubs as they can command wages. We couldn't compete with that. These were easy signings for us, as we know what we are getting. We have to really look at props or we'll just have another Ben Castle on our hands.

Can't Kingsley get a few up and comming comrades over from Russia ?

Problem is Munkian, people assume that just because they're from hard backgrounds like in Russia, Georgia, Romania, etc. that they're going to produce amazing props. The Dragons played Russia a season or two ago and we stuffed them and munched their scrum! Us! Munching scrums!

I don't think they've got any better there than we produce here now, especially since we have academies where kids are training like pros with good, WRU overseen coaching from 16. Plus, like you say any top ones would be snapped up by the French. I know Kingsley is on the inside but the Russian are not tearing up trees and demolishing other peoples scrums so it's unlikely that they'll be able to do that for us.

Griff wrote:Problem is Munkian, people assume that just because they're from hard backgrounds like in Russia, Georgia, Romania, etc. that they're going to produce amazing props.  The Dragons played Russia a season or two ago and we stuffed them and munched their scrum!  Us!  Munching scrums!

I don't think they've got any better there than we produce here now, especially since we have academies where kids are training like pros with good, WRU overseen coaching from 16.  Plus, like you say any top ones would be snapped up by the French.  I know Kingsley is on the inside but the Russian are not tearing up trees and demolishing other peoples scrums so it's unlikely that they'll be able to do that for us.

I know, but he could setup a front row gulag in the Steppes and we'd be quids in after a 4-5 years