Welsh Rugby 2014 -2015

[rooster]

It's all getting interesting what will happen when the season starts

[simonokeeffe]

the pre season games were hardly a resounding success, the blues lost at home to exeter, Worcester beat us 23 -6 and Bath and the Scarlet's drew.

Adam Jones training with Neath RFC and Warburton not being allowed to play for the blues (but at least he is training with them )

Looks like another balls up of a season ahead!

Adam Jones' value must be dropping by the day. He looked a shadow of his former self last season and seemed to struggle with the new scrum engagement. Add in the fact that he's never been the fittest of players (even by a prop's standards). Missing pre-season with a professional outfit must put a lot of question marks around when he'd be match-fit if the WRU/RRW issue is sorted.

Warburton must have been getting some really bad advice when he signed that deal with the WRU. His value to any side outside Wales is low given the number of matches he's missed in the last four seasons, and the Welsh sides were pretty clear that they weren't going to play centrally contracted players under the current agreement with the WRU.

I think Warby was told or felt he had to sign central deal to be Welsh skipper

[cormac]

It seems that Adam Jones has signed with the Cardiff Blues

Statement from the Ospreys

Adam Jones has today advised Ospreys Rugby that he will not be re-signing and instead has signed a contract with another region.

We are disappointed with this outcome having worked closely with Adam over a period of many months to find a resolution to the situation that satisfied all parties.

An initial contract offer that was unconditional on any Participation Agreement was made as far back as 2012, an offer that was declined by the player. A further unconditional offer was then made in October 2013 which was subsequently declined as he declared his interest in signing a central contract with the Welsh Rugby Union.

When the proposed central contract failed to materialise we re-entered negotiations and, in good faith, made a new contract offer to the player which was dependent on the terms of any new Participation Agreement which may be concluded.

As has been widely reported, that offer still remains on the table.

While we remain in a difficult situation in terms of no resolution to the Participation Agreement and not knowing our full revenue stream for 2014/15 and beyond, our financial forward planning allowed us to re-contract 16 players as well as completing the signing of eight new players for the coming season.

Unfortunately, with Adam rejecting unconditional offers that were made prior to the expiry of the previous Participation Agreement, the reduction in guaranteed income post 31st December had a direct impact on our ability to re-contract, particularly with other player commitments already completed.

[JB1973]

Adam Jones Smiler Rees and Gethin Jenkins not the youngest front row in the world but it's a solid looking outfit if they can all stay fit. Not sure where this leaves Craig Mitchell but the blues pack is a lot stronger this year.

Not sure what is happening with Warburton , if the blues and the other regions won't pick him. He either plays semi pro in Wales or gets a loan move somewhere else with the WRU picking up his wages in order to get full release (rules out the Aviva).

If I was him I'd opt for the later, I still think he would be a great addition for any pro 12 /t14 side

[fourthirtythree]

We wouldn't be allowed of course but it would be fantastic if he signed for us and we made sure he played against all the welsh regions. Just a thought WRU....

You know, let them know they could have this player playing against them or for them for free.

[simonokeeffe]

leaves Blues decimated though with international call ups

Ospreys seem really unhappy about it, and again where are Cardiff (legitimately) getting this money/salary cap space from?

[rooster]

leaves Blues decimated though with international call ups

Ospreys seem really unhappy about it, and again where are Cardiff (legitimately) getting this money/salary cap space from?

Cardiff sold naming rights to their stadium to BT and Warburton is free of charge if they ever play him !

[johng]

And the Pieman is still throwing in a few shillens when needed.

Looks like they could be the Welsh team to beat this year.

[Dave Cahill]

You've got to love the Welsh. The only time they've taken a break all summer from rowing with the WRU is to stab each other in the back.

[Logorrhea]

You've got to love the Welsh. The only time they've taken a break all summer from rowing with the WRU is to stab each other in the back.

+1 Pretty much what I was thinking.

[ratpack]

Have to say the sooner we can dump these cretins the better. The regions can go and rot as far as I care. If there's any chance of developing an Anglo Irish league in the future I'd hope the IRFU are looking into it, at least we know that the PRL are a dirty shower but the regions don't seem to give a hoot about anything but their own parochial feuds.

[simonokeeffe]

leaves Blues decimated though with international call ups

Ospreys seem really unhappy about it, and again where are Cardiff (legitimately) getting this money/salary cap space from?

Cardiff sold naming rights to their stadium to BT and Warburton is free of charge if they ever play him !

not so much the cash but the salary cap space, especially spare capacity to offer Jones more than Ospreys were

players on good money in bold
Micthell and Knoyle might be angling for the world cup a bit but they didnt move for peanuts, Vosawai may have had decent offers too
Likes of Rees, Jenkins, Cuthbert wouldve pushed up wage bill recently too, centres getting caps too.

In: Mitchell 3, Jones 6, Watkins 14, Knoyle 9, Turnbull 6, Hoeata 5, Vosawai 8, Anscombe 10, Jones 3
Out: Pretorious 6, Halfpenny 15, Copeland 8, B Davies 4, G Davies, Czekaj 11, Robinson 14, Hamilton 6, Borrust 3, Walker 9, Tuifua 13, Down 4, Warburton 7

[cormac]

Given that it was self-imposed by the owners of the regions I wouldn't put much store in sides abiding by the salary cap. I suspect it has more holes than that French rugby JIFF regulations.

[John23]

Looks Adam couldn't wait for the suits to get their sh*t together.


http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/a ... diff-blues

Looks like the only ones suffering in this sorry mess are the players & the paying public, but hey what's new. when did the proles ever matter to the suits?

[JB1973]

Cry me a river Adam! Jeez he had a great offer on the table last year from the ospreys and he didn't sign it, then he had a central contract offer and he didn't sign that.

Then the new rules kicked in and he has looked a shadow of the player he was, the PA stuff is a smokescreen we just didn't want to pay him what he wanted as the new rules don't suit him, he's had lots of injuries and he is away with wales a lot.

Wales pulled the central contract when it became obvious the new rules don't suit him and it looks like lee at the scarlets is the new first choice tight head, Adam didn't even make the bench for the last test in SA.

He's been a great player for Wales and the Ospreys but he's also been a well paid player who is set up for life.

This is professional sport and it's all about what you can do for me now and not what you could do for me yesterday.

Good luck Adam in his new region but he's no big loss anymore.

I can't see how the players are suffering at all tbh with possible central contracts they now have an extra employment option to go with the regions, the French and English clubs.

I'd say it's a great time to be a international player in Wales the rewards are higher than ever and you have more employment options than ever.

If was me I'd be straight on the plane to france, top up my bank balance (and my tan) and leave all this regions vs the wry nonsense behind me


ps the blues have shown their true colours in this and signed him up with no care about anyone else, the regions are all in it for themselves and the sooner they are wound up and replaced with proper centrally funded sides the better

[tigerburnie]

Nice to see you're not bitter JB, the old loyalty ethos doesn't seem to apply in either direction anymore in Wales , great for morale with the AI's not too far away,what odds on a Welsh wooden spoon?

[JB1973]

I'm not bitter TB (no more than usual ) once the game went pro pretty much all loyalty went out of the window.

I'm sure players like Thorne are joining the tigers because of the love of the club and not because of the pay packet , how long before we see players kissing their badge?

btw we won't get the wooden spoon, we have our two toughest games at home this year and we could well end up winning the 6 nations this year.

I'll lay a wager with you well finish above England in the championship

[fourthirtythree]

Think England won't care about the championship this year at all. Training run as far as they are concerned.

[Alternative Ulster]

I think they'll want to win it. Lay down a marker like 2003. They were within a whisker of beating nz in nz during the summer. Which they did in Wellington in 2003 (with 13 men....famously)

[simonokeeffe]

Blues have told Adam Jones to lose some weight, bet ya he comes back wih a tan and a haircut