Warburton says he is "privileged" to be the only current centrally-contracted player in Welsh rugby

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Warburton says he is "privileged" to be the only current centrally-contracted player in Welsh rugby.

Do you agree?

The regions are unwilling to field centrally contracted players at present so I fail to see what he is going to do as of next season.
Should the Blues play him or tell him thanks for your past efforts, close the door on your way out son?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/27512797

[quote="gcBlues"]The WRU couldn't find 4 extra teams to put in there anyway.

Couldn't they just put the top 4 Premiership teams in there.

Bedford the top 4 teams in the prem were:

Ponty
Carmarthen Quins
Cross Keys
Llandovery

Whilst Ponty and Keys may be willing to sever ties to their region (and I am not 100% sure about Keys), I seriously doubt that Llandovery or Quins would, as pre regionalism they were (no disrespect) nothing clubs that were just feeding into the bigger teams anyway. Also I mean the Sportsground looks like an amature ground, but can you imagine Leinster turning up to play at 'The Park' (Quins).

SS,

We all know it would be a disaster if it happened but the WRU have more control over the clubs as opposed to the Regions and if there was financial incentive then someone (maybe not the top 4) would be willing to take it.

Relationships between the Regions than and their 'feeder' clubs are not brilliant so some would do it as a slap in the face to their Region.

If there is no agreement the Regions become a poisoned chalice. Anyone wanting to play against them would have to go to court. Even with European everything goes through the three leagues. Is that the Regions' involvement? Or is it more specific to them?

One of two things will happen. A deal will happen or the WRU will introduce 4 new teams already planned out.

gcBlues wrote:They can put new teams in the Pro12 but not the European cups, as the regions are signatories.

For 1 year only.

Qualfication going forward is dependant upon positions obtained within the 3 respective leagues

gcBlues wrote:He just wants more money and to play less games, absolute mercenary

But all the guys heading to play outside Wales get a free pass, thats what I find baffling   

Notch wrote:

gcBlues wrote:He just wants more money and to play less games, absolute mercenary

But all the guys heading to play outside Wales get a free pass, thats what I find baffling  

Got no problem with people making a living, but SW's situation is one of dillusion. The regions have always said they won't play a CC player, he then signs a CC. Does that not strike you as odd? His body wouldn't cope with the demands of the Aviva and T14, the bluess offered him 200k and the union offered 270k...which did he pick? He said he only signed the CC if it was assured he'd play for the blues...he could have just taken the offer from the blues and do it that way. SW signing to the union may become divisive down the line, why did the other out of contract players choose not to sign with the Union? If the terms are so great, as SW has said, then why did AWJ turn it down? Why did scott Williams turn it down?

We have Ellis Jenkins and Josh Navidi at the blues who are worth more to the blues than SW will be. They'll play more games for one.

gcBlues wrote:

Notch wrote:

gcBlues wrote:He just wants more money and to play less games, absolute mercenary

But all the guys heading to play outside Wales get a free pass, thats what I find baffling  

Got no problem with people making a living, but SW's situation is one of dillusion. The regions have always said they won't play a CC player, he then signs a CC. Does that not strike you as odd? His body wouldn't cope with the demands of the Aviva and T14, the bluess offered him 200k and the union offered 270k...which did he pick? He said he only signed the CC if it was assured he'd play for the blues...he could have just taken the offer from the blues and do it that way. SW signing to the union may become divisive down the line, why did the other out of contract players choose not to sign with the Union? If the terms are so great, as SW has said, then why did AWJ turn it down? Why did scott Williams turn it down?

We have Ellis Jenkins and Josh Navidi at the blues who are worth more to the blues than SW will be. They'll play more games for one.

Its the best situation for the Blues, Warburton spends so much time either with Wales or injured that its hard to justify his salary, if the Union were willing to pay his salary and all the Blues have to do is play him then whats the problem? Its not going to get in the way of Jenkins or Navidi's progress because like you and I have said, he hardly plays for the Blues anyawy.

gcBlues wrote:

Notch wrote:

gcBlues wrote:He just wants more money and to play less games, absolute mercenary

But all the guys heading to play outside Wales get a free pass, thats what I find baffling  

Got no problem with people making a living, but SW's situation is one of dillusion. The regions have always said they won't play a CC player, he then signs a CC. Does that not strike you as odd? His body wouldn't cope with the demands of the Aviva and T14, the bluess offered him 200k and the union offered 270k...which did he pick? He said he only signed the CC if it was assured he'd play for the blues...he could have just taken the offer from the blues and do it that way. SW signing to the union may become divisive down the line, why did the other out of contract players choose not to sign with the Union? If the terms are so great, as SW has said, then why did AWJ turn it down? Why did scott Williams turn it down?

We have Ellis Jenkins and Josh Navidi at the blues who are worth more to the blues than SW will be. They'll play more games for one.

Its the best situation for the Blues, Warburton spends so much time either with Wales or injured that its hard to justify his salary, if the Union were willing to pay his salary and all the Blues have to do is play him then whats the problem? Its not going to get in the way of Jenkins or Navidi's progress because like you and I have said, he hardly plays for the Blues anyawy.

Scrumpy wrote:Warburton says he is "privileged" to be the only current centrally-contracted player in Welsh rugby.

Do you agree?

The regions are unwilling to field centrally contracted players at present so I fail to see what he is going to do as of next season.
Should the Blues play him or tell him thanks for your past efforts, close the door on your way out son?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/27512797

More likely he has been told to say this by the WRU and has to contractualy comply with their wishes.

i.e. Can you trust what he says on this matter as the WRU effectively "own" him?

Will he play at all this season as I thought the regions were refusing to play CC players?

In the same way clubs own players

By that logic you cant trust anything any player says.

geoff998rugby wrote:In the same way clubs own players

By that logic you cant trust anything any player says.

Quite true. I imagine there is some form of publicity clause in most players contracts that they cannot say anything that casts their employer in a bad light.

Personally I think he was cajoled into it by the WRU... being Wales Captain after all... but as everyone else has refuses CC seems to be a very telling situation.

Metal Tiger wrote:

geoff998rugby wrote:In the same way clubs own players

By that logic you cant trust anything any player says.

Quite true. I imagine there is some form of publicity clause in most players contracts that they cannot say anything that casts their employer in a bad light.
Personally I think he was cajoled into it by the WRU... being Wales Captain after all... but as everyone else has refuses CC seems to be a very telling situation.

I believe that Hore said before in a press conference that the Regions are limited to what they are allowed to comment on due to a contractual agreement (I assume part of the PA), so it is pretty fair to assume that in a CC there will be a "don't mouth off about us in public" clause.

Rumours from the CAP Forum that the regions and WRU are close to agreeing a new PA which will include central contracts. If this is true, then there needs to be a proper way of doing this because you can't just go with 6 or so players. There needs to be a squad of some sorts. Whether it's 10 established national players and then 10 or so 'development' players i'm not sure.

gc,

I think we all knew that some sort of deal would be done its like you said how its done is where (knowing WRU) if will all go to Poopie.

A work colleague of mine bumped into D & A Jones,Tips,Ian Evans and AWJ (who was in full Lions kit,No7 on the back!) on the train going up to Froch Groves 2. According to him, They all formed a pretty low opinion of Warburton and him being injury prone. Apparently,Just going off what he said...

Evans is hardly in any position to slate someone about their injuries, he's has his fair share coupled with a very poor disciplinary record.

Why was AWJ wearing Warburtons Lions shirt anyway di he need to wear the Lions kit at all to a boxing match or did he just want to try and make sure people knew or wondered who he was