Welsh Regions Signings/Departures/Rumours 2013 (Scarlets set to offer James "cub" Davies a contract)

First topic message reminder :

Ospreys

In

Tito Tebaldi (Zebra) – Confirmed
Rhodri Williams (Scarlets) - Rumour

Out

Kahn Fotuali'i (Northampton Saints) - Confirmed
Jonathan Thomas (Bayonne/Worcester Warriors) - Rumour
Jonathan Humphries (Scotland Forwards Coach) - Confirmed
Campbell Johnstone ( Russian Club) - Confirmed
George Stowers (Tasman) - Confirmed

Scarlets

In

Steven Shingler ( London Irish) –Confirmed
Ed Jackson (London Welsh ) – Rumour
Andrew Coombes (Dragons) - Rumour
Gareth Delve ( Melbourne Rebels) - Rumour
Serge Lilo (Wellington Lions) - Rumour
John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors) - Confirmed
Nick Cummins (Western Force) - Rumour
Farid Sid (Perpignan)- Rumour
Opeti Fonua (Agen) - Rumour
Brett Deacon (Leicester Tigers) - Rumour
Regan King (Backs/Skills Coach) - Rumour
Genesis Mamea (Wellington) - Rumour
Darran Harris (Pontypridd) - Rumour


Out

Tomas vallejos cinalli (Pampas XV) – Confirmed
Gareth Maule (London Irish/Munster) – Rumour
Adam Warren (Cardiff)- Rumour
Scott Williams (Cardiff) – Rumour
Sione Timani (Agen) – Confirmed
Rhodri Williams (Ospreys) – Rumour
Tavis Knoyle ( Gloucester) – Confirmed
Gareth Davies ( Cardiff) –Rumour
Owen Williams (Leicester Tigers) – Confirmed
Jonathan Edwards (Released) – Confirmed
Andy Fenby (London Irish) - confirmed
Morgan Stoddart (Retired) - Confirmed
Dan Newton (London Scottish) - Confirmed
Kieron Murphy (London Welsh/Edingburgh) - Rumour
George North ( Northampton Saints)- Confirmed
Rheon James (Cornish Pirates)- Confirmed
Richie Pugh (Released) -Confirmed
Rhys Jones (Released) - RumourConfirmed
Dale Ford (Released/Bristol) - Confirmed
Samson Lee (Glouceste) - Rumour
Peter Edwards (Released) -Confirmed
Craig Hawkins (Released) - Confirmed
Craig Price (Leicester Tigers) -Rumour


Dragons

In

Ross Wardle (Bedwas) - Confirmed
Richie Rees (Edinburgh) - Confirmed
Luciano Orquera (Zebre) -Rumour
Martin Muller (Cheetahs) - Confirmed
Juan Gomez (Pampas XV) - Rumour
Netani Talei (Edingburgh) - Confirmed
Francisco Chaparro (Stade Francias) - Confirmed
Kris Burton (Treviso) - Confirmed
Rhys Thomas (Wasps)- Confirmed
Malakai Fekitoa (Auckland) - Rumour



Out

Andrew Coombes (Scarlets) – Rumour
Dan Lydiate (Racing Metro)- Confirmed
Steve Jones (Retired)- Confirmed
Tom Brown (Released/Jersey) - Confirmed
Tondi Chavhanga (Released) - Confirmed
Iestyn Thomas (Retired) - Confirmed
Josh Tyler (Released) - Confirmed
Hywel Stoddart (Released) - Confirmed

Blues

In

Filo Paulo (North Harbour) - confirmed
Matthew Rees (Scarlets) Confirmed
Liam Davies (confirmed - until end of season)
Gethin Jenkins (Toulon) - Confirmed
Rhys Gill (Saracens) - rumoured
Adam Warren (Scarlets) - rumoured
Scott Williams –(Scarlets) – rumoured
Tavis Knoyle (Scarlets) – rumour
Gareth Davies ( Scarlets) - rumour

Out

Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro) - not confirmed
Tom James (Exeter Chiefs) -confirmed
Richard Mustoe (retirement) -confirmed
Fau Filise - (retirement) rumour
Ceri Sweeney (Exeter Chiefs) - Confirmed
Leigh Halfpenny (Clermont) - Rumour
Michael Paterson (Sale Sharks) - Confirmed
Campese Ma'afu (Nottingham) -Confirmed

That's not funny!

Hopefully he'll improve, not the aggressive enforcer he was touted as

munkian wrote:Hopefully he'll improve, not the rugby player he was touted as

Fixed

Charteris was gash for ages too (and played in Cornwall...) what did we do to fix him ?

munkian wrote:Charteris was gash for ages too (and played in Cornwall...) what did we do to fix him ?

Not too sure, but he got into the Welsh squad when he was dire to begin with. So maybe in two years time when Nimmo qualifies he can do that, and then be a decent player after another three or four seasons?

Sold !

munkian wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:And a (reportedly) very promising lock.

Thats what they said about Nimmo

Anyone who has played for the baby boks must have something - may have been injured or lost his way?
Nimmo had one or two better games towards the end of season but got an eye problem which ended his season - hope he really improves next term as he is a smashing bloke off field - want him to be a "smashing" bloke on field too!! played his best games in tandem with Coombsie at the start of the season

In defense of Nimmo, he has two problems.

The first being that it was his first season in real top flight rugby, and he was having to fill the shoes of a fan favourite. He didn't seem to be a god awful player really, but just a step down on where Charteris was when he left. People are always saying on here that the step up from semi-pro to pro is about a season or two, so from ND1 to Rabo should take best part of a season, if not more, really.

Second problem with Nimmo, and this is probably the biggest problem, he looks like he should be eating peoples heads for breakfast so when he doesn't hospitalise anyone in the tackle you feel a bit disappointed.

IMO he will improve on his first issue, but the second on is something we are just going to have to live with.

munkian wrote:Charteris was gash for ages too (and played in Cornwall...) what did we do to fix him ?

Sorry but can only ever remember Clart being gash in the simple-minded interpretation of the Western Fail and the like. Even when supposedly gash for Wales he was consistently amongst the best performing forwards once the stats were analysed. He copped the traditional Dragons share of the blame for being a man of Gwent in a Wales side that has consistently shown it cannot operate at Gatlandball minus certain players.

Stone - he was gash when Ruddock called him into the welsh squad for being a tall man, and nothing more.

Yeah big Luke's work rate wasn't what it is now when he was first called up. Had a great World Cup though and is a very good lock.

Totally agree regarding Nimmo that it will take a season + just to get upto speed. He will be a bench player next year.
The lock coming in is going to be captain next year.

Dragons look to have recruited well but if its true regarding appleyard and DE not speaking we are doomed again.

youngguns6 wrote:Yeah big Luke's work rate wasn't what it is now when he was first called up. Had a great World Cup though and is a very good lock.

Totally agree regarding Nimmo that it will take a season + just to get upto speed. He will be a bench player next year.
The lock coming in is going to be captain next year.

Dragons look to have recruited well but if its true regarding appleyard and DE not speaking we are doomed again.

Where did you hear that?

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Stone - he was 21 with barely any professional experience when Ruddock called him into the welsh squad for being a tall man, and nothing more.

Fixed

Stone Motif wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Stone - he was 21 with barely any professional experience when Ruddock called him into the welsh squad for being a tall man, and nothing more.

Fixed

Yep that fix has removed the word gash and replaced it with why he was, but the point is still valid.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

Stone Motif wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Stone - he was 21 with barely any professional experience when Ruddock called him into the welsh squad for being a tall man, and nothing more.

Fixed

Yep that fix has removed the word gash and replaced it with why he was, but the point is still valid.

Agreed.

I like Nimmo, don;t get me wrong, hoping he becomes a bit more consitent.

I've also heard DE and Appleyard aren't on speaking terms . But then Macartney and Lennon hated each other too

Whats up with Edwards and Appleyard then? Got to say I wouldn't like to fall out with Rob Appleyard, he is a pretty big bloke, so I wouldn't envy Darren Edwrds' chances if he pushes it too far.

didn't hazel say he was going to review the coaching set up this summer? I wouldn't be surprised if there was some movement. Possibly DE going back as backs coach, Appleyard moving on & a DOR of rugby coming in.

Whatever Hazel decideds to do I guess it's better he does it sooner rather than later. Cause if the Dragons do have a new DOR he needs time to implement his ideas in the summer.

Reall don't know, rumours flying around the terrace and the Dragons chat board. Could be nothing but somethings rotten in Denmark (Newport)

Our defense certainly needs sorting out and our attack is often aimless. We;ve never set the league alight but we used to be entertaining to watch at least with our attacking rugby.

Would love Kingsley Jones to step in as coach

At least if our defence was sound we'd give ourselves a fighting chance. I remember the Leinster game - I arrived five minutes late and Sean Cronin had just scored his second try!

Ha ha, true that, we never used to be THAT bad - combination of us getting worse and other squads recruiting/training better I guess.

I remember us getting tonked by Glasgow would have been a travesty a few seasons a go

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

Stone Motif wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Stone - he was 21 with barely any professional experience when Ruddock called him into the welsh squad for being a tall man, and nothing more.

Fixed

Yep that fix has removed the word gash and replaced it with why he was, but the point is still valid.

Yeah, gash like the overwhelming majority of other 21 year old tight five forwards just starting their international careers.

munkian wrote:Reall don't know, rumours flying around the terrace and the Dragons chat board. Could be nothing but somethings rotten in Denmark (Newport)

Our defense certainly needs sorting out and our attack is often aimless. We;ve never set the league alight but we used to be entertaining to watch at least with our attacking rugby.

Would love Kingsley Jones to step in as coach

Wasn't Applesauce a WRU shoe in originally? Get rid of him, we've shipped more points this season than Hong Kong 2nds would on a tour of NZ. It's veered from the comedic to the horrific, and if I was in charge of that defence I would have the common decency to throw myself off the SDR. Not sure what Kingsley has done to achieve his Gwent Messiah status either, he's another one of these who thinks you can win at rugby without a platform.

Can you think of a more suitable and realistic option ?

Stone - too true. Not many kids are top class international players when they are young, and certainly not too many in the pack. However you denied he was ever you did say

Stone Motif wrote:

munkian wrote:Charteris was gash for ages too (and played in Cornwall...) what did we do to fix him ?

Sorry but can only ever remember Clart being gash in the simple-minded interpretation of the Western Fail and the like. Even when supposedly gash for Wales he was consistently amongst the best performing forwards once the stats were analysed.

Which was not strictly true.

Charteris did indeed mature, and bulk up, and become a very decent lock. So there is hope that given a bit more time (in the Rabo) that Nimmo, who has been kicking around in the English bargin basement, will adjust and come good too.

Anyways, if we don't improve then Zebra's first Rabbo win will be over us

munkian wrote:Can you think of a more suitable and realistic option ?

None more realistic, but loads more suitable

Well that's not very helpful...

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Stone - too true. Not many kids are top class international players when they are young, and certainly not too many in the pack. However you denied he was ever you did say

Stone Motif wrote:

munkian wrote:Charteris was gash for ages too (and played in Cornwall...) what did we do to fix him ?

Sorry but can only ever remember Clart being gash in the simple-minded interpretation of the Western Fail and the like. Even when supposedly gash for Wales he was consistently amongst the best performing forwards once the stats were analysed.

Which was not strictly true.

Charteris did indeed mature, and bulk up, and become a very decent lock. So there is hope that given a bit more time (in the Rabo) that Nimmo, who has been kicking around in the English bargin basement, will adjust and come good too.

Depends how harsh you want to be on players just out of school thrown into a team where Michael frickin Owen was a first choice player in the pack. Gash is a word I'd reserve for players who've been proven to be gash, not players just starting out.

Stone - I would agree with you, except for he was deemed to be worthy of an international call up at the time. Anyhow, to the point at hand Nimmo should improve, and Muller looks like he could be a good purchase.

think on the DOR front there would be a few realistic candidates:

Franco Smith

He's done really well with a Treviso , they are a well organised team who tatically gets it right. their pack are slowly becoming one of the best in the league. there's the added bonus he's worked with Burton, and knows best how to use him. also he a past dragons player.

Shane Howarth

Another former player who's coached Auckland, Pacific Islands and now currently backs coach at Wasps. The opportunity to be is own man at Dragons who be too good an opportunity to turn down.

Lyn Jones

Although he's making noises that he wants to continue with LW. The opportunity to coach in the rabo instead of the championship might be too good to turn down. Especially with the backers pulling out of LW & the championship getting harder to get out of each year with teams like Bristol shelling out loads of money.

The way Treviso are coming along, I imagine Franco Smith would want to stay with them and see how far he can take them.

pioden gorllewin wrote:think on the DOR front there would be a few realistic candidates:

Franco Smith

He's done really well with a Treviso , they are a well organised team who tatically gets it right. their pack are slowly becoming one of the best in the league. there's the added bonus he's worked with Burton, and knows best how to use him. also he a past dragons player.

Shane Howarth

Another former player who's coached Auckland, Pacific Islands and now currently backs coach at Wasps. The opportunity to be is own man at Dragons who be too good an opportunity to turn down.

Lyn Jones

Franco Smith never played for the Dragons - believe he left RP under a cloud,maybe a fall out with a coach,can't quite remember

Although he's making noises that he wants to continue with LW. The opportunity to coach in the rabo instead of the championship might be too good to turn down. Especially with the backers pulling out of LW & the championship getting harder to get out of each year with teams like Bristol shelling out loads of money.

Franco Smith never played for the Dragons - believe he left RP under a cloud,maybe a fall out with a coach,can't quite remember

I wouldn't mind Lynn Jones either, its just I knew he intended to stay with LW

Howarth would be another punt an all. For me, head coach has to be a forward.

what's the general consensus among Dragon supports on who they'd like as their next head of coach?

I'm pretty sure Shane Howarth has publically stated he'd love a shot with the Dragons...

*EDIT*

Here it is

Howarth: I’d return to Parade in a ‘heartbeat’

pioden gorllewin wrote:what's the general consensus among Dragon supports on who they'd like as their next head of coach?

I'm gutted we missed out on Dean Ryan. A genuinely hard ex-player and coach is exactly what we need, instead of the faux-hard man, out of his depth histrionics we get from Appleyard...

Yeah only heard that they didn't speak on the "dragged up" web site (I don't post just read).

Our defence has been disorganised and we seemed to have lost all grit and determination to keep teams out.

Going forward we are a team of individuals. No moves, no angles just really poor school like rugby. I blame the coaches.

Snap

bizarrely it was only yesterday we were talking about shane howarth. seems he's leaving wasps as he wants to move out of london.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/22479867

pioden gorllewin wrote:bizarrely it was only yesterday we were talking about shane howarth. seems he's leaving wasps as he wants to move out of london.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/22479867

I saw that, will be interesting to see where he ends up,

the Blues need a new backs coach...

guess with gareth barber leaving they do need a backs coach. what is the set up at the blues?

Team Manager: Deiniol Jones
DOR: Phil Davies
Forwards Coach?
Defensive Coach: Xavier Rush (Isn't he leaving too?)

http://www.cardiffblues.com/rugby/management.php

wales606 wrote:

pioden gorllewin wrote:bizarrely it was only yesterday we were talking about shane howarth. seems he's leaving wasps as he wants to move out of london.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/22479867

I saw that, will be interesting to see where he ends up,

the Blues need a new backs coach...

Apparently Worcester.

Worcester ???? I supposed bottom of the Jeff is better than bottom of the Rabbo.

Dragons board drops another hairy love dumpling 'shocker'

worcester building an impressive coaching team with the likes of dean ryan, shane howarth etc.....surprised how weak cardiff blues coaching set up looks from the link wales606 sent me. to be fair all the regions have fairly inexperienced coaching set ups.

wales606 wrote:http://www.cardiffblues.com/rugby/management.php

Looks like it's Lee Jarvis who ate all the pies then.

pioden gorllewin wrote:worcester building an impressive coaching team with the likes of dean ryan, shane howarth etc.....surprised how weak cardiff blues coaching set up looks from the link wales606 sent me. to be fair all the regions have fairly inexperienced coaching set ups.

Hear hear.

Easterby confirms he's chasing Opeti Fona & two other players:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/22490944

Scarlets boss Simon Easterby has confirmed they hope to sign French club Agen's Tongan number eight Opeti Fonua.
The 6ft 6in, 22-stone player, 26, has made two Tonga appearances.
In the wake of their Pro12 play-off semi-final 28-17 defeat by Ulster Easterby admitted interest in the player.
"He's one player that we have spoken to, but as of yet his position is still not resolved, unfortunately," Easterby told BBC Radio Wales.
Agen drop out of the French Top 14 at the end of the 2012-13 season after a disappointing campaign.
But Fonua has attracted attention for his powerful ball-carrying and defence.
Easterby also underlined the Scarlets' desire to recruit a top-quality wing to compensate of the losses of George North to Northampton and Andy Fenby to London Irish.
"We're losing two very good wingers ... so we have to look to recruit a quality winger and probably one other player as well," said Easterby.
"We'll hopefully get something resolved soon. It's not easy, there's still a lot to get through but we are working really hard to get the right quality player in - not just any player."

If they can recruit fonua along with Barclay then they will solve their biggest weakness, the backrow, in my opinion. They start most games ith 3 6's in the backrow. And all of them are a bit powder puff for my liking. None of them do the hard yards of ball carrying and hitting rucks.