Whats Going On In Wales Part 3

First topic message reminder :

Understand but if the EGM had gone a certain way his position would have been untenable.

Thats not going to happen now.

Did I hear correctly that a joint statement is due by WRU and RRW concerrning central/joint contracts.
Also heard something about an East/West split within RRW but they may be just groundless gossip

You won the game due to better control from your halfbacks, not because Baker carried more. It is true that we went too high on Baker all the time. I think it was a bit silly of Lyn not to start Powell at 6 to boom Baker a bit, judging by what Powell was doing in the Saints game.

wayne was also probably one of the ones saying Fussell was rubbish at the Dragons, then touting him for Wales honours as soon as he moved to Ospreylia. What a load of rubbish he spouts.

bedfordwelsh wrote:Agree but totally eclipsing him is taking it a bit to far, as you said though LP competiton for places is whats needed and hopefully Powell can do that to Faletau at the Dragons as well.

Wayne in diamond cutter over mediocre Osprey shocker. Faletau was on dirty work duty for us, look at his defensive work - Ginger b0llocks is not in the same league

Stone Motif wrote:

bedfordwelsh wrote:Agree but totally eclipsing him is taking it a bit to far, as you said though LP competiton for places is whats needed and hopefully Powell can do that to Faletau at the Dragons as well.

Wayne in diamond cutter over mediocre Osprey shocker. Faletau was on dirty work duty for us, look at his defensive work - Ginger b0llocks is not in the same league

You Dragons fans on here make me think twice about them being my second region, how biased can you possibly be.

I think we just choose not to make sweeping judgements based on a single game of rugby, that's all. Each to his own.

Please let us be your second region. I'd be gutted to lose you.

A question to all the hardened Dragon's fans on here, we know how you all despise the WRU and Roger, but how do you now feel that one of your own has jumped into bed with them ? Will he shake things up ? Or will we all still get the usaul bullcrap that we have become acustomed to ?

LD,

Answered that on the other thread, and you show me a fan that doesn't see his team through some sort of blinkered/rose tinted glasses to a degree and I will show you a liar.

I am not denying Baker had a good game but totally eclipsing Faletau as Wayne said is IMO taking it a bit far, both had good games in different ways and from a Welsh POV we need them both battling it out all season to keep each other on their toes but at the moment with only 2 games of the season gone Taulupe is still the man in pole position at the moment.

With regards to the Wales 8 jersey, is Pitman not looking like an option at the Scarlets. I think he's had two good games now and he's a big boy. If he keeps it up i think he'll be in the mix.

bedfordwelsh wrote:LD,

Answered that on the other thread, and you show me a fan that doesn't see his team through some sort of blinkered/rose tinted glasses to a degree and I will show you a liar.

I am not denying Baker had a good game but totally eclipsing Faletau as Wayne said is IMO taking it a bit far, both had good games in different ways and from a Welsh POV we need them both battling it out all season to keep each other on their toes but at the moment with only 2 games of the season gone Taulupe is still the man in pole position at the moment.

This thread is a little busier bed, I thought it would provoke more debate in this one.

Risca Rev wrote:Please let us be your second region. I'd be gutted to lose you.

You lot are gutted to lose anyone, there's not many people left. Simple fact is Baker had a better game than Faletau, same carries and double the metres says it all. And that was off back-foot ball as your team destroyed Ospreys upfront didn't they?

Welsh Magician wrote:Simple fact is Baker had a better game than Faletau, same carries and double the metres says it all.

Yes, because defence plays no part in a game of rugby.

Baker is very promising but Faletau is a class act. If Faletau had played behind the Blues pack i am sure he would have had some spectacular carries also.

Its good to at last have some depth at 8 with Baker and Pitman begining to look like they may be options in the future.

Biggest issue at the moment for me is how we are going to be able to strengthen the Welsh Regions? Because as we have seen over the weekend with heavy defeats for the Blues and Scarlets, years of having to let their best players go have seriously weakened their sides, to the extent that they struggle to compete agianst the better sides in the Guiness.

Seagultaf wrote:Baker is very promising but Faletau is a class act. If Faletau had played behind the Blues pack i am sure he would have had some spectacular carries also.

Its good to at last have some depth at 8 with Baker and Pitman begining to look like they may be options in the future.

Biggest issue at the moment for me is how we are going to be able to strengthen the Welsh Regions? Because as we have seen over the weekend with heavy defeats for the Blues and Scarlets, years of having to let their best players go have seriously weakened their sides, to the extent that they struggle to compete agianst the better sides in the Guiness.

First we have to stop the exodus, then we can start thinking about strengthening, it's a bit like the dark days when everybody went to play league, but this time the national side does not suffer so nobody really cares, the dual contracts will go a long way to start, it's like Winston Churchill's famous speech, "this is not the end, nor is it the beginning of the end, what it is perhaps, is the end of the beginning."

I think 'end of the beginning' is pretty apt. With the current deal lasting until about when the MS is paid off I think there will be some bigger changes then (although don't ask me what they would be). Hopefully the next 8 years will be about planning the way forward in the long term.

HammerofThunor wrote:I think 'end of the beginning' is pretty apt.  With the current deal lasting until about when the MS is paid off I think there will be some bigger changes then (although don't ask me what they would be). Hopefully the next 8 years will be about planning the way forward in the long term.

When all the debt is gone, I can see the WRU trying to own the regions in some sort of form, they will deffo start a North Wales region, they already own half of the Dragons, lets not forget, with more money, you have more power.

[quote="bedfordwelsh"]LD,

Answered that on the other thread, and you show me a fan that doesn't see his team through some sort of blinkered/rose tinted glasses to a degree and I will show you a liar.

I am not denying Baker had a good game but totally eclipsing Faletau as Wayne said is IMO taking it a bit far, both had good games in different ways and from a Welsh POV we need them both battling it out all season to keep each other on their toes but at the moment with only 2 games of the season gone Taulupe is still the man in pole position at the moment.[/quote
BW, I agree with practically all that post, have I rose tinted glasses of course I have, especially when fans from another team unduly criticise IMO our players, is Toby in pole position for Wales, definately, I brought up about Baker eclipsing Toby as it has been well documented that, that is the 1 position in Welsh Team affairs we have been lacking adequate cover, it looks as though it is being addressed.

I suspect that the Regions are now in a confused state. They anticipate that WRU will at some stage be offering to fund 60% of certain players wages. Until the list of players is confirmed and the deals are signed they dont know how much funding this will free up for squad strengthening.

Also with Gatland stating that he wants to bring home the overseas players, do the Regions need to set aside part of their budget for their share of any deals to bring home the exiles?

Until this situation is resolved the Welsh Regions will be also rans in the various competitions, apart from maybe the lower level European cup.

Immagine if players like Jamie Roberts, Dan Lydiate, Luke Charteris, Leigh Halfpenny, John Davies, George North and James Hook were back in Wales, they would seriously make the regions more competitive.

LordDowlais wrote:Immagine if players like Jamie Roberts, Dan Lydiate, Luke Charteris, Leigh Halfpenny, John Davies, George North and James Hook were back in Wales, they would seriously make the regions more competitive.

Would they, our Regions weren't really setting the European stage alight when these guys were here before.

bedfordwelsh wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Immagine if players like Jamie Roberts, Dan Lydiate, Luke Charteris, Leigh Halfpenny, John Davies, George North and James Hook were back in Wales, they would seriously make the regions more competitive.

Would they, our Regions weren't really setting the European stage alight when these guys were here before.  

But the regions have better youngdters comming through now, the Blues would be awesome with John Davies next to Cory Allen in the center, James Hook at the Scarlets instead of Preistland ? Come on they would make a definate difference.

Who knows LD, look at the players at the Os when Hook was there in their 'Galaticos' era and they still under achieved (in Europe).

Of course those players would enhance any team but if they were hear would some of these youngsters still have come through.

The exodus out of Wales is both a bad and good thing and I think it should be managed rather than stopped (not that you can) completely.

Gatland has never said he wouldn't pick overseas players just that they would need to be first choice if playing outside Wales and playing better than anyone in Wales and for most of the time he has stuck to that.

If other players now want to go or current players resign with foreign clubs then this needs to be implemented even more strictly but lets not cut face off to spite nose etc.

LordDowlais wrote:Immagine if players like Jamie Roberts, Dan Lydiate, Luke Charteris, Leigh Halfpenny, John Davies, George North and James Hook were back in Wales, they would seriously make the regions more competitive.

Don't forget Ian Evans, Ryan Jones, Hibbard. Not sure about Hook though, he has struggled to justify selection in the 10 shirt at Ospreys and Perpignan, so he would be behind the likes of Biggar, Priestland, Patchell and Tovey, useful bench cover though.

If the Scarlets could restore; North, JD2, Smiler, Turnbull and Morgan, Ospreys; Phillips, Byrne, James, Hibbard, Jones, Evans and Ryan. Blues: Roberts, Halfpenny and Davies. And Dragons; Lydiate and Charteris. What a difference this would make!!!!!!

Welsh Magician wrote:

Risca Rev wrote:Please let us be your second region. I'd be gutted to lose you.

You lot are gutted to lose anyone, there's not many people left. Simple fact is Baker had a better game than Faletau, same carries and double the metres says it all. And that was off back-foot ball as your team destroyed Ospreys upfront didn't they?

"Us lot" could do without fair weather types like your lot. I'm sure you add a lot to the terraces, with all the singing practise you get at the Liberty. Out of interest, whose attendances do you think are likely dropping and whose are probably rising slightly?

You're a bit twp if you think your stats prove anything about scrum dominance or how poorly the Dragons dealt with Baker.

maestegmafia wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Have a feeling Dai was keeping the Dodger in a job, so fingers crossed

If Roger does go, do you reckon he'll jump before he's pushed?

Maybe he will try and sneak into politics full time, any elections between now and October?

If he does go let's hope he goes to Westminster rather than Cardiff prior to the welsh voting for independence by 2020

Be afraid. Be really afraid.

HammerofThunor wrote:I think 'end of the beginning' is pretty apt.  With the current deal lasting until about when the MS is paid off I think there will be some bigger changes then (although don't ask me what they would be). Hopefully the next 8 years will be about planning the way forward in the long term.

Wouldn't surprise me if the RSA is renegotiated with a new CEO.

I hadn't thought of that.

LordDowlais wrote:

bedfordwelsh wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Immagine if players like Jamie Roberts, Dan Lydiate, Luke Charteris, Leigh Halfpenny, John Davies, George North and James Hook were back in Wales, they would seriously make the regions more competitive.

Would they, our Regions weren't really setting the European stage alight when these guys were here before.  

But the regions have better youngdters comming through now, the Blues would be awesome with John Davies next to Cory Allen in the center, James Hook at the Scarlets instead of Preistland  ? Come on they would make a definate difference.

Nail 'em down I say. Be smart, identify the talent early doors and offer them long-ish contracts to keep 'em at home.

Any sign of a dual contract yet? Sam maybe? Just asking like.

Oh Dear....................... the Scottish upstaged everyone!  Who would have thought that rugby itself and the BIG European PRL Debate and the GREAT Welsh Firestorm could be made look so puny by something happening in Scotland!

But they damned done it to us - the Scottish got the last word!  The rugby view on Scottish Independence thread has been on fire......  

Sorry Wales, but your 15 minutes of meltdown fame is now well and truly over.

If only it had been 15 minutes!

Just another day in crazy Wales....

Paul Turner kicks Roger Lewis up the a**e;
http://gwladrugby.com/?p=1885

Roger's boy first on a DC;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/welsh/

Lyn the Lip has a whinge and he's mostly right I guess;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/29298626

Gareth Davies for WRU chairman? Yes please;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/29300968

Gareth Davies for WRU chairman, I agree with, but what would our Dragon's loving friends on here have to moan about if he is in charge.

LordDowlais wrote:Gareth Davies for WRU chairman, I agree with, but what would our Dragon's loving friends on here have to moan about if he is in charge.

They won't have anything to moan about though because he'll be very Dragon friendly.

Cardiff Dave wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Gareth Davies for WRU chairman, I agree with, but what would our Dragon's loving friends on here have to moan about if he is in charge.

They won't have anything to moan about though because he'll be very Dragon friendly.

We'll soon see, when the WRU are not giving the Dragons what they seem is their right, lets see if they grizzle then.

Excellent synopsis from Paul Turner there. A proper rugby man.

Off the current topic, but a friend of mine said that 8 teams have folded this season due to the league restructure. Does anyone know if this is true? Also i heard games had been called off due to a large lack of match officials.

LordDowlais wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Gareth Davies for WRU chairman, I agree with, but what would our Dragon's loving friends on here have to moan about if he is in charge.

They won't have anything to moan about though because he'll be very Dragon friendly.

We'll soon see, when the WRU are not giving the Dragons what they seem is their right, lets see if they grizzle then.

Right to what? I'm confused.

Cardiff Dave wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Gareth Davies for WRU chairman, I agree with, but what would our Dragon's loving friends on here have to moan about if he is in charge.

They won't have anything to moan about though because he'll be very Dragon friendly.

We'll soon see, when the WRU are not giving the Dragons what they seem is their right, lets see if they grizzle then.

Right to what? I'm confused.

Well from what I can gather from the supporters on here, becuase the WRU own half of the rgion, they should be putting more money into running it. I might be miles away from the mark, but that's the jist I am getting.

It would seem that you are either confused again or just trying to provoke Dragons fans, as you have all day Dowlais.

Risca Rev wrote:It would seem that you are either confused again or just trying to provoke Dragons fans, as you have all day Dowlais.

Is the jist I am getting wrong the Risca ?

Coleman, when travelling down to our game yesterday with my brother in law, he said Blaengarw about 10 miles north of Bridgend had folded, he played for them, and he said Pontycymmer, my old club are having tremendous difficulties raising a team for games, they are in one of the Div 2 sections, they were hammered by Maesteg in their first match this season, couldn't raise a team for their second and were hammered again on Saturday by Neath Athletic.
We always get to our home matches very early, and we know where our coaching staff hang out about 1 and a half hours before the match, anyway when they were on their way back to the stadium we passed them and I spoke with Steve Tandy about the problem, he mentioned who it was the best person to talk to about getting some Ospreys input into Pontycymmer, which I duly did.
Just to add Pontycymmer started the Rugby careers of John Deveraux, John Lloyd, Jeff Young and Boyo James all Welsh Internationals and Blaengarw had Lynn Davies (Tank) Welsh International Winger of the mid 1960s, if teams like this are just allowed to fold Welsh Rugby will be in a sorry state.

Coleman wrote:Off the current topic, but a friend of mine said that 8 teams have folded this season due to the league restructure. Does anyone know if this is true? Also i heard games had been called off due to a large lack of match officials.

A very good friend of mine is a WRU registered referee and he has told me that teams are struggling to fulfil their fixtures due to the teams not getting enough players, apparently it is all down to the travelling within the new structures, although he tells me at the same time there are a lot of miss matches, as teams who would normally be in say div 5, are now in the same league as teams who might have been in higher leagues, so we are getting a lot of thumping's handed out.

Just to add to my previous post, a lot of this problem was down to the infatuation of the Dodger and Prickering to Team Wales and ONLY Team Wales, as some of you might already know Andrew Hore was warned off by the Dodger to stop interfering in the Junior Clubs within Ospreylia, certain players were allocated to Junior Clubs, I know Ian Evans paid 3 or 4 visits to my local club Ogmore Vale, until they were warned off.

A member of the commity at my club said that this season would break a lot of clubs. I thought the match on Scrum V a few weeks ago (Two teams from Pembs) showed just how bad some teams were getting beat. No one wants to turn up and get smashed by 50,60 or 70 points every week.

Coleman wrote:A member of the commity at my club said that this season would break a lot of clubs. I thought the match on Scrum V a few weeks ago (Two teams from Pembs) showed just how bad some teams were getting beat. No one wants to turn up and get smashed by 50,60 or 70 points every week.

Coleman, when I was playing our local derby Pontycymmer v Blaengarw was a very highly contested game, about 2 or 3 years ago Pontycymmer beat Blaengarw by over 100 points in each of their League matches. I took no pleasure out of that, the 80, 90, 100 point beatings happened over half of Blaengarw games. Because of the drawing down of money to pay off the Stadium debt, Regional and Community support was slashed and the Dodgers bonus was increased, the problem is the Community clubs had the opportunity to get rid of both the Dodger and Prickering in the EGM with the NO CONFIDENCE motion, they failed miserably, hopefully Gareth Davies can shackle him and he will leave.

wayne wrote:Just to add to my previous post, a lot of this problem was down to the infatuation of the Dodger and Prickering to Team Wales and ONLY Team Wales, as some of you might already know Andrew Hore was warned off by the Dodger to stop interfering in the Junior Clubs within Ospreylia, certain players were allocated to Junior Clubs, I know Ian Evans paid 3 or 4 visits to my local club Ogmore Vale, until they were warned off.  

It's just insane the way those two have behaved, or how Pickering let Lewis behave. It speaks volumes about Lewis's mindset that he saw the regions as rivals of the WRU. The man's a control freak and the damage he's done will take a long time to fix.

These clubs that are folding / in real of danger of going under - did they vote that the Union were doing a sterling job 2 months ago at the EGM?

If they did, and shunned the chance of making change for the better in Wales, then sorry, I have no sympathy with them.

Chunky Norwich wrote:These clubs that are folding / in real of danger of going under - did they vote that the Union were doing a sterling job 2 months ago at the EGM?
If they did, and shunned the chance of making change for the better in Wales, then sorry, I have no sympathy with them.

Sadly Chunks the problem was that the EGM became a stick with Lewis or gamble with Moffett event and a lot of the clubs seem to trust Moffett less than Lewis - admittedly this may have been like offering a choice between a slow painful death and a painful slow death....

Coleman wrote:Off the current topic, but a friend of mine said that 8 teams have folded this season due to the league restructure. Does anyone know if this is true? Also i heard games had been called off due to a large lack of match officials.

Again, back to this, I spoke to my mate last night, and he was more than clued up on this and he told me practically everything that he thought was wrong with the new structure, the biggest thing is the refs, they are allocated to each area, some area's are over staffed with refs, others now do not have enough refs, and the thing is, most refs do not get enough money to travel around to ref games that are not in their regional structure, and the biggest worry for me was he told me the fact of the matter is that the gaps between the clubs in the new structure are too big, a team who were originally in a higher division are reluctant to go to a team from the lower divisions who's pitch is at the top at a mountain with one changing room and one shower, with two men and a dog watching, and then reasons they give are, that because these teams know they do not have a cat in hells chance of winning, they just want to turn up a smash seven bells into the superior team, regardless of the result, the old saying, they might have beat us on the scoreboard, but they did not beat us on the pitch attitude springs to mind, but he told me that he hopes that these are all just teething problems and it will most probably sort itself out in seasons to come.Also, he told me that a lot of the better players at the so called lesser clubs have now jumped ship to play for the so called better clubs who are throwing a bit of money around, thus starving other clubs of players.So, make of that what you will.