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2023-2024 transfers

Reiser99 said:
Simple fact is if you have a good Welsh player who wants to play for Wales then you have to accept losing them. LRZ will be off from Gloucester once his contract is up.
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Reffell next please........ :p

The academies of English clubs will still do what's best for them... sign the best young players, so I can't see this changing in the next few years. Current Wales selection rules do seem to be working as just they have managed to get Rownlands, Francis and now Young back in the last few months.
 
Not going to help your clubs get better though.

For the same reason why Signing england internationals don't work for English clubs.

Reffell is a interesting one I don't see him going to wales until some of the current open sides leave the welsh setup, he's pretty happy at Leicester and I feel for him to move he would need to be right in the wales setup. Not like wales are struggling for 7's (also Pivac likes his carrying 7's)
 
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Yes it's a shame as much with Rowlands, they had b*gger all to do with getting him to the player he is now. Same with Moore (albeit he's fallen off), same with Lloyd and Sheedy, same with LRZ, same with Francis.

If they stay at their club they should be allowed to play but instead they have to go play in a league with teams which 3/4 Welsh lost (and lets be honest Dragons was a shock)

I just don't see how it benefits them financially or playing wise.

Now the URC might change but until Welsh RFC get their sh*t together at club level, it just doesn't seem to benefit anyone.

AND yes i am sour atm.
 
Dan Kelly is Irish said:
Not going to help your clubs get better though.
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Disagree with that, there were/are too many journeymen Welsh players playing for the regions that aren't really good enough to play at pro level but the teams just need to pad the squad out. You can't throw too many youngsters in, the Rowlands example is a good signing in that he improves the Dragons but also good for the young players there, him and Ben Carter have done well together so far.
 
will311293 said:
Yes it's a shame as much with Rowlands, they had b*gger all to do with getting him to the player he is now. Same with Moore (albeit he's fallen off), same with Lloyd and Sheedy, same with LRZ, same with Francis.

If they stay at their club they should be allowed to play but instead they have to go play in a league with teams which 3/4 Welsh lost (and lets be honest Dragons was a shock)

I just don't see how it benefits them financially or playing wise.

Now the URC might change but until Welsh RFC get their sh*t together at club level, it just doesn't seem to benefit anyone.

AND yes i am sour atm.
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It's not for the benefit of the players (although they will get more rest time in wales). It's to make the regions stronger.
Rowlands will not become a better player at the Dragons but the Dragons become a better team with him.
 
MikeTheNative said:
Disagree with that, there were/are too many journeymen Welsh players playing for the regions that aren't really good enough to play at pro level but the teams just need to pad the squad out. You can't throw too many youngsters in, the Rowlands example is a good signing in that he improves the Dragons but also good for the young players there, him and Ben Carter have done well together so far.
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We'll see for me it's more clubs are better off signing players who want to be at the club not because they want to play for the country. (Same with the signings Worcester made with Baldwin and DVDM did they sign for Worcester or the the stupidly high pay)

Like has Rowland's signed for Dragons or did he sign for Wales would Rowland's have stayed with Wasps if Wales was picking English based players.

The best players for clubs are the ones who will play every game of the season and train every week, the ones that sole focus is on their club it took tigers long enough to work that out.
 
Dan Kelly is Irish said:
We'll see for me it's more clubs are better off signing players who want to be at the club not because they want to play for the country. (Same with the signings Worcester made with Baldwin and DVDM did they sign for Worcester or the the stupidly high pay)

Like has Rowland's signed for Dragons or did he sign for Wales would Rowland's have stayed with Wasps if Wales was picking English based players.

The best players for clubs are the ones who will play every game of the season and train every week, the ones that sole focus is on their club it took tigers long enough to work that out.
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I think Rowlands would have stayed at Wasps if allowed. I suppose they have to believe in the player's professionalism with to get on with the job to the best of their ability.
As for availably the new URC format means less games when the players are unavailable, what's that like in practice we will see though.

You are thinking of what's to the benefit to the actual club which is how English rugby is set up. Each club makes decisions to benefit themselves and how to take the club forward.
With the regions in Wales it's not like this. The regions are there to make the national team better, while they make choices to improve their team ultimately those choices have to benefit Welsh rugby as a whole or they aren't allowed.
 
MikeTheNative said:
I think Rowlands would have stayed at Wasps if allowed. I suppose they have to believe in the player's professionalism with to get on with the job to the best of their ability.
As for availably the new URC format means less games when the players are unavailable, what's that like in practice we will see though.

You are thinking of what's to the benefit to the actual club which is how English rugby is set up. Each club makes decisions to benefit themselves and how to take the club forward.
With the regions in Wales it's not like this. The regions are there to make the national team better, while they make choices to improve their team ultimately those choices have to benefit Welsh rugby as a whole or they aren't allowed.
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The problem is.... are the regions making the Wales team better?

There will always be a lot of players floating between the two nations, we are all crossed over in some way or another the closer to the border you get.

It's a bigger discussion than you will solve on here as when you look at then 100 odd players who are Welsh qualified have either moved to progress careers, gone for schooling in UK or qualify through a grandparent. It's a tough one..
I mean in theory Joe Heyes qualified for Wales as his grandfather was Darren Heyes (former Swansea GK) but he was born in Nottingham and never played there or probably been there. Whilst Max Clark at Bath born in BridgeEnd but England U18 etc all the way through and wants to play for England or Ludlow who was born in Wales and now has been England Captain.

There just seems to be an inconsistency between Welsh Regions and making that step up. I wonder what would happen if we scrapped the ruling of players only being able to be called up if playing in Wales or Ireland etc.

Also if anyone wants an interesting view on URC, the chairman was on RugbyPod and was very open about it all.
 
Yes they are making the Wales team better. If there were better players based in Wales they would be called up, the Rowlands example is a good one here as the last top international lock Wales has produced was Alun Wyn Jones and he's nearly 50 now. :p
There's been a number that have been good enough at test level and plenty that have got their chance but not been good enough. See 12 as well for Wales, plenty of Welsh born players got a choice but it seems the best options are still just shipping in New Zealanders.
Yeah I agree there's a problem from the step up from the Welsh regions to test level, that's why they are trying to bring back these sort of players, raising the standard of the regions and making it less of a gap to make the step up.... that's in theory mind.
Last week was an awful week for the regions, hopefully it's just a one off.

If they scrapped the rule of players have to play in Wales a lot would go to England and France, they simply can make more money than in Wales. England only pick England based players as well remember as that also benefits them as a team.
 
yeh but England also have 13 teams to pick from and a massive player pool.

Also from what I gather the RFU would be ok with picking players from outside England, it's more keeping the PRL cartel happy.

Said it before said it again the welsh regions need to invest in its coaches and back room more than it's players
 
Dan Kelly is Irish said:
yeh but England also have 13 teams to pick from and a massive player pool.

Also from what I gather the RFU would be ok with picking players from outside England, it's more keeping the PRL cartel happy.

Said it before said it again the welsh regions need to invest in its coaches and back room more than it's players
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And Wales don't have a massive player pool so that's why they have to pick foreign born players.
I agree that it a short term fix over the long term but if the players are willing to play for you you may as well pick then. Money is in short supply in the Welsh game and the academies for both coaches and young players has been neglected to keep the regions treading water. Welsh rugby probably needs a 10 years of hurt period were more money get's put into the grassroots and academies but I can't see that ever happening.
 
will311293 said:
www.wasps.co.uk

Wasps sign duo on short-term loan deals

www.wasps.co.uk www.wasps.co.uk

Wasps sign Alex McHenry and Patrick Harrison from Munster and Edinburgh respectively on short term loans.

Anyone know anything about them?
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Yeah been around a couple years for us. Badly needs gametime at this stage of his career as Covid hit when he should have been making hay. Will be a solid enough guy I'd say
 
Groundhog said:
Yeah been around a couple years for us. Badly needs gametime at this stage of his career as Covid hit when he should have been making hay. Will be a solid enough guy I'd say
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Excellent, hopefully Costello has said good things. He looks a fairly big lad so hopefully will gives us some go forward to replace Fekitoa.
 
Dan Kelly is Irish said:
www.leicestertigers.com

Club statement: Tom Youngs

Leicester Tigers can confirm Tom Youngs has taken indefinite leave from the club, returning to Norfolk to care for wife Tiffany who is battling an illness.
www.leicestertigers.com www.leicestertigers.com
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Sadly this was always a chance of happening. I remember when they sadly announced she was unwell. Sounds like things have got worse.
 
Like i said when he signed for Bath: Interested to see what Gray can do in union after his stint in the NFL
I think I only saw him on the field once, for about 5mins, for Bath, and he didn't get the ball
 
TRF_Olyy said:
Like i said when he signed for Bath: Interested to see what Gray can do in union after his stint in the NFL
I think I only saw him on the field once, for about 5mins, for Bath, and he didn't get the ball
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True. More cover that we just need. May not even make the bench. If anyone can get something out of him i think it will be Blackett and Mitchell.

Excited to see what Tommy Matthews can do as well. Maybe he can learn from Gopps and replace the ever injured Mills if he performs as our centre/fly-half cover
 

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