Re: Dragons Season Thread 21/22

[Guest]

First topic message reminder :

James Benjamin has been turned into a hooker! We do have too many back rowers so this might be good for him from a personal point of view in terms of getting game time, but will be interesting to see if he's able to become a top level player in that position.

https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/19540310.james-benjamin-moves-flanker-hooker-dragons/

[mikey_dragon]

Lewis was tested at 10 and he was no better, and slightly worse. He had a few good runs at 15, but not enough to justify a regular starting place.

It's more about pressuring Davies to perform better. That was the point being made.

I wasn't speaking to you.

That's right, you were writing.

You were writing on a message board that is open for all to read.

If you want to write to only certain individuals, you'll need to use the private message function.

No need to thank me for the education.

You don’t drop someone for someone who is a worse player.

No need to thank me for the education.

[Guest]

Rhodri Jones is a good spot, especially if Bateman is off.

Wouldn’t he be mad to come here?

[mikey_dragon]

Rhodri Jones is a good spot, especially if Bateman is off.

Wouldn’t he be mad to come here?

I don’t think it’s a good signing in the slightest.

[RiscaGame]

Rhodri Jones will comfortably be our best loose head. It’s a very good signing.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

I'm very happy with the Rhodri Jones signing, I didn't even know it was on the radar.

[PhilBB]

You don’t drop someone for someone who is a worse player.

No need to thank me for the education.

You do if it makes the better player even better.

Starting 50 games out of a possible 57 has made Davies lazy.

Lazy to the point where £250k is being wasted on a not very good player in the hope that Davies has some competition.

You're right, there's no need to thank you.

[PhilBB]

Rhodri Jones is a good spot, especially if Bateman is off.

Wouldn’t he be mad to come here?

I don't know what other offers he had, but Davies had/has Bath and New South Wales.

Would you choose a team with the Dragons' record over those two options?

[Guest]

Rhodri Jones is a good spot, especially if Bateman is off.

Wouldn’t he be mad to come here?

I don't know what other offers he had, but Davies had/has Bath and New South Wales.

Would you choose a team with the Dragons' record over those two options?

Wonder why he hasn't taken up those stellar offers? The Bath rumour was August 2020 wasn't it? Haven't heard about an NSW link/rumour. When was that announced?

[PhilBB]

Rhodri Jones is a good spot, especially if Bateman is off.

Wouldn’t he be mad to come here?

I don't know what other offers he had, but Davies had/has Bath and New South Wales.

Would you choose a team with the Dragons' record over those two options?

Wonder why he hasn't taken up those stellar offers?  The Bath rumour was August 2020 wasn't it?  Haven't heard about an NSW link/rumour.  When was that announced?

Announced to whom? Odd question.

I think he didn't take up those offers as he foolishly thought he'd be in the Wales plans.

I wonder if he now regrets not taking those offers.

[Guest]

Rhodri Jones is a good spot, especially if Bateman is off.

Wouldn’t he be mad to come here?

I don't know what other offers he had, but Davies had/has Bath and New South Wales.

Would you choose a team with the Dragons' record over those two options?

Wonder why he hasn't taken up those stellar offers?  The Bath rumour was August 2020 wasn't it?  Haven't heard about an NSW link/rumour.  When was that announced?

Announced to whom? Odd question.

I think he didn't take up those offers as he foolishly thought he'd be in the Wales plans.

I wonder if he now regrets not taking those offers.

Announced in the media. Where did you hear the NSW rumour? When was it? And was the Bath rumour the one in the media in August 2020? Or has there been another one? If not, then I'm not sure he has offers on the table currently, so I'm not sure he 'might be off'. Just asking you to share where you heard about it all so I can go and read about it.

[PhilBB]

Announced in the media.  Where did you hear the NSW rumour?  When was it?  And was the Bath rumour the one in the media in August 2020?  Or has there been another one?  If not, then I'm not sure he has offers on the table currently, so I'm not sure he 'might be off'.  Just asking you to share where you heard about it all so I can go and read about it.

About 10% of what goes on ends up published.

The NSW offer was pre-Dragons. The Bath offer is on the table for next season, too.

[Guest]

Announced in the media.  Where did you hear the NSW rumour?  When was it?  And was the Bath rumour the one in the media in August 2020?  Or has there been another one?  If not, then I'm not sure he has offers on the table currently, so I'm not sure he 'might be off'.  Just asking you to share where you heard about it all so I can go and read about it.

About 10% of what goes on ends up published.

The NSW offer was pre-Dragons. The Bath offer is on the table for next season, too.

Bath are leaving an offer on the table for 2 years? Wow, unheard of. I thought they'd decided to look elsewhere after he committed to Dragons in 2020:

https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/latest-news/38238/stuart-hooper-turns-bath-fly-half-search-elsewhere/

[PhilBB]

Bath are leaving an offer on the table for 2 years?  Wow, unheard of.  I thought they'd decided to look elsewhere after he committed to Dragons in 2020:

https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/latest-news/38238/stuart-hooper-turns-bath-fly-half-search-elsewhere/

Sorry, perhaps I should have written "a Bath offer is on the table".

But if we're at the level of only knowing, or even believing, what hits the press then so be it.

[Guest]

That's what I'm querying. Is it still on the table? Because I thought Bath's search had moved on 18 moved ago? Or perhaps it's a fresh offer or rumour?

[PhilBB]

That's what I'm querying.  Is it still on the table?  Because I thought Bath's search had moved on 18 moved ago?  Or perhaps it's a fresh offer or rumour?

I believe it's a fresh offer

[Guest]

Thanks, in that case it's news to me.

While I think the aim of the regions should be to build depth in their squads, which inevitably means having good players being 2nd choice and on the bench more than they would like, I would be surprised if Sam Davies did not take up such an offer. Maybe it's Bath's lowly position in the league that worries him.

[mikey_dragon]

You don’t drop someone for someone who is a worse player.

No need to thank me for the education.

You do if it makes the better player even better.

Starting 50 games out of a possible 57 has made Davies lazy.

Lazy to the point where £250k is being wasted on a not very good player in the hope that Davies has some competition.

You're right, there's no need to thank you.

No you don’t.

Okay so in those 7 games he didn’t start, it didn’t improve him. There goes your bogus theory anyway.

Is that why Cardiff keep starting Turnbull, and have made him captain? To try and improve players around him? I don’t think it is working, but I do hope they improve next season.

[mikey_dragon]

Rhodri Jones will comfortably be our best loose head. It’s a very good signing.

I guess our LH’s aren’t very good then. Rhodri has been out injured a lot (I think) and wasn’t great in the scrum. I haven’t seen a lot of him lately as Ospreys have two good LH’s ahead of him.

If Rhodri comes good I’m happy to be wrong. I thought Greg Bateman was going to be amazing for us, and I was wrong about that .

[PhilBB]

No you don’t.

Okay so in those 7 games he didn’t start, it didn’t improve him. There goes your bogus theory anyway.

Is that why Cardiff keep starting Turnbull, and have made him captain? To try and improve players around him? I don’t think it is working, but I do hope they improve next season.

He didn't play in those 7 games, Mikey. He was injured. So it's not part of the "bogus theory" as he wasn't dropped. As soon as he was fit, he was selected to start again.

There's no direct analogy with Turnbull, either.

So you had a go at two points and missed them both.

Why the silliness?

[PhilBB]

Rhodri Jones will comfortably be our best loose head. It’s a very good signing.

I guess our LH’s aren’t very good then. Rhodri has been out injured a lot (I think) and wasn’t great in the scrum.  I haven’t seen a lot of him lately as Ospreys have two good LH’s ahead of him.

If Rhodri comes good I’m happy to be wrong. I thought Greg Bateman was going to be amazing for us, and I was wrong about that .

Rhodri Jones' scrummaging as a loose head was so poor that the WRU tried to turn him into a tight head........ wow.

[formerly known as Sam]

That's what I'm querying.  Is it still on the table?  Because I thought Bath's search had moved on 18 moved ago?  Or perhaps it's a fresh offer or rumour?

I believe it's a fresh offer

Cipriani probably worked out cheaper 18 months ago but that's been pretty much a train wreck of a signing. The South African flyhalf/fullback they signed as been injured for a long period. Young Orlando Bailey has been pretty much the go to. Bath need some experience but as Bailey has just signed a new deal after training with England I suspect the experience will be at best rotated or warming the bench. The kid Bailey has definitely got something about him.

[PhilBB]

0-12

Not going well under Ryan.

[RiscaGame]

If you read Dragons Official Supporters Club page on FB, you would think it was all good and Dean is the messiah.

The get out is always we can't sack him or "who else could we get". These kind of things were said when Jackman was under pressure and allegedly we got a better coach out of that.

[PhilBB]

If you read Dragons Official Supporters Club page on FB, you would think it was all good and Dean is the messiah.

The get out is always we can't sack him or "who else could we get". These kind of things were said when Jackman was under pressure and allegedly we got a better coach out of that.

There aren't very many positive rumours in Welsh rugby about Mr Ryan at the minute.

The Dragons are a strange business, without a Chief Exec or an Exec Chair, meaning Ryan has huge power that's almost unchallenged. It's certainly not balanced.

[RiscaGame]

I see everybody’s favourite wannabe journalist Rob Rees has said Josh Lewis to Ospreys and that we are looking at Angus OB again.

[mikey_dragon]

If true then I am not sure what they see in Josh Lewis, but AOB is a step up on him.

[PhilBB]

Supposedly a couple more years of Ryan yet.

I'm not sure if that is considered good news throughout the squad.

[RiscaGame]

Not good news for me either.

I would love to hear rumours of discontent, tbh. I think it would take a lot to convince a few Dragons fans how badly we are doing.

[PhilBB]

Not good news for me either.

I would love to hear rumours of discontent, tbh. I think it would take a lot to convince a few Dragons fans how badly we are doing.

Supposedly there was a player representation to the Board (I don't know what kind of weight it had behind it in terms of numbers but there are a couple of prominent names linked to it) but the Board backed Ryan.

With the obvious power vacuum on the Board, it's not surprising they backed their man.

The next interesting turn will be the result of meetings in the middle of this month to sort out budgets for next season and beyond. The result of those meetings will / should see the status of the Dragons confirmed for a number of years to come.

[RiscaGame]

Thanks for that. I wouldn’t be surprised if some players have done that. I think we are being badly let down.

I’m not surprised if it happened and the board backed Ryan. Their hands are pretty tied with him, especially if he does have two more years.

[PhilBB]

Thanks for that. I wouldn’t be surprised if some players have done that. I think we are being badly let down.

I’m not surprised if it happened and the board backed Ryan. Their hands are pretty tied with him, especially if he does have two more years.

I think the two more years is a recent contract extension.

[mikey_dragon]

Lonsdale confirmed to us. I wonder if anyone is leaving.. Huw Taylor?

[RiscaGame]

Thanks for that. I wouldn’t be surprised if some players have done that. I think we are being badly let down.

I’m not surprised if it happened and the board backed Ryan. Their hands are pretty tied with him, especially if he does have two more years.

I think the two more years is a recent contract extension.

That’s incredible.

[RiscaGame]

Lonsdale confirmed to us. I wonder if anyone is leaving.. Huw Taylor?

The Argus didn’t mention him, I don’t think. But then they only mentioned out and out locks I guess. Maksymiw and Max Williams out of contract in the summer. Your favourite Big Joe isn’t

[mikey_dragon]

Lonsdale confirmed to us. I wonder if anyone is leaving.. Huw Taylor?

The Argus didn’t mention him, I don’t think. But then they only mentioned out and out locks I guess. Maksymiw and Max Williams out of contract in the summer. Your favourite Big Joe isn’t

Lonsdale doesn't seem like an out and out lock. We need to keep Maksymiw, unless he's going to Cardiff or Ospreys...

[Guest]

Max Clark confirmed on a ‘long term deal’.

[Jimmy Moz]

How did the Dragons get off against Munster tonight?

[RiscaGame]

Won 19-17

[Jimmy Moz]

Won 19-17

If you're going to dream fella then I'd probably go for something more like a hot lady or winning the lottery.

[mikey_dragon]

How did the Dragons get off against Munster tonight?

Weather still not great up by where you’re from?

[Jimmy Moz]

How did the Dragons get off against Munster tonight?

Weather still not great up by where you’re from?

Yeah TV signal is crap at the moment. The internet still works though. Enough to read the roasting the Dragons existence took on the Wales Rugby Online Facebook comments section at least. For what it's worth fella I don't hate the sinner. I hate the sin.

[mikey_dragon]

How did the Dragons get off against Munster tonight?

Weather still not great up by where you’re from?

Yeah TV signal is crap at the moment. The internet still works though. Enough to read the roasting the Dragons existence took on the Wales Rugby Online Facebook comments section at least. For what it's worth fella I don't hate the sinner. I hate the sin.

Too bad, the sun always shines on Newport, unlike where you're from!

[Luckless Pedestrian]

If heads don't roll after that, when exactly do they roll? How bad do things have to get?

It was like going back to the darkest days we've had, but with better players than we had back then. Seems pretty obvious to me what the issue is.

They must be worried about season ticket renewals the way this season is going. Out only hope is some redemption in a derby game or two, but that would be a thin layer of lipstick on a particularly ugly pig.

[Guest]

The worst thing about this loss was all the noise before it about ‘must do better’. We were always likely to lose to Munster in Munster. However, the players talked about being fed up of the losses, of finally fronting up, etc. There was talk of the last time we won there as if this time it might be different. An article with Rhodri Williams about ‘results haven’t been good enough’. So with all of the talk it sounded like we were going to go and have a go and front up and at least be competitive. To then actually be even worse than we usually are is just bizarre. Obviously credit to Munster but how can we say “we have had some harsh conversations recently and hopefully we will put in a better performance out in Munster”, and then go out and be even worse? Something is really wrong. As said above, we’ve never had a better set of players on paper. Well, in the forwards at least. A whole pack of current internationals when all fit. And decent options when they are away. OK, a load were missing against Munster but the backs were pretty much first choice and the back row was not too shabby. The strangest thing is how we used to get better results a number of years back when we couldn’t get any internationals to sign for us. Now we’re getting quite a few but we can’t buy a win.

[mikey_dragon]

I've noticed more fans than usual speak up about it, some of them vowing to stop watching - and who could blame them. I still believe we have it in us to turn it around (ie the players), but it requires the significant investment that we never seem to get.

[Guest]

Is it the coaching perhaps? Everyone seems to be blaming Ryan, but as a DoR I'm not sure he's a direct coaching blame. He hires the coaches, so indirectly it's on him. But the actual game play is down to others I think.

One thing I keep reading is about a fallout between some players and Ryan. Sounded like a senior player revolt or something. And sounded like Ryan's response in a clear the air session was 'my way or the highway'. All rumour though so who knows. But certainly explains the poor performances if they've lost faith in the coaching team. Not very professional of the players if they just can't be bothered to play for a coach/DoR they've fallen out with, but we've seen it before in other teams. Not helped by Ryan being offered another 3 years off the back of our worst season so far for wins/losses.

Twitter is awash with outrage. Our old pal PhilBB leading the charge of course! The SW Argus comments are similarly rife with outrage and much of it fair and focusing on the despair as a fan of a team that is always in decline and never seems to improve.

[Jimmy Moz]

Twitter is awash with outrage.  Our old pal PhilBB leading the charge of course!

Did he mention how the mighty Cardiff Rugby got off against Ulster?

[Guest]

Twitter is awash with outrage.  Our old pal PhilBB leading the charge of course!

Did he mention how the mighty Cardiff Rugby got off against Ulster?

Not much.

[mikey_dragon]

He said everything was fine due to the budgets in place.

[Jimmy Moz]

I think the Dragons are his new pet hate to be honest. He knows the Valleys (Pontypridd RFC in particular) are a beaten fighter so he has now moved on to the Rodney Parade lot.

I'm not entirely sure what he wants from Welsh rugby to be honest.

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