Transfer fee: Toby Faletau
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Bath are set to offer the Dragons a substantial transfer fee to sign Wales number eight Toby Faletau for next season.
Faletau is contracted to the Welsh region until 2014, having signed an extension following his impressive outings at the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
The 22-year old has received plenty of interest from leading clubs in Europe and the Dragons may now decide to accept what is reported to be a "six-figure transfer fee" from Bath according to the South Wales Evening Post.
Wales international prop Paul James has made a strong start to his career with the West Country club after joining from the Ospreys, with millionaire backer Bruce Craig not afraid to open his pockets in order to make Bath a force once again in England and in Europe.
Rated as one of the best number eights on the continent, the acquisition of Faletau would be a coup for Bath, but also cause great concern over the future of the Dragons, with Faletau's club and country team-mate Dan Lydiate also departing the region at the end of the season.
"Toby like Dan and any other talented young player will be targeted by other clubs that have more resource in terms of finance available," said Dragons director of rugby Robert Beale to the South Wales Evening Post.
"You're competing against teams who have huge budgets.
"I'm not suggesting that we go to those sorts of levels, but...if regional rugby and the four regions are to compete seriously in Europe then we need to increase levels of funding from wherever avenue they may come."
Comments
jamesliveinhope says...
@sirtidychris - and again with the assumptions - will all of those players be retained next year?You mention Taylor, but Skirving is probably not getting the game time he would desire and Mercer and Ovens are only really ever injury cover at the moment yet hitting their prime.
Posted 08:34 03rd January 2013
APV1 says...
@ sirtidychris - I admit that I had similar initial thoughts. Then you look again at the list and put them into 6,7 and 8s. We do need a top-class 8. Especially as Taylor, as you mention, is past his best.
And what is a "six figure fee"? Can we include the pence..?! £1000.01 looks good to me.
;-)
Posted 17:18 02nd January 2013
sirtidychris says...
Koster, Louw, Fearns, Ovens, Skuse, Mercer, Skirving, Taylour, although taylour may be retiring do we need another backrow forward at mega bucks ?
Posted 13:19 02nd January 2013
APV1 says...
@ jamesliveinhope - good point, I hadn't considered that.
@ makemehappy - you still bother to read their drivvel? Save your time and don't bother - it's much more rewarding.
(And we ARE world beaters!)
Posted 10:11 02nd January 2013
makemehappy says...
@Sincero - what??? You've lost me! You didn't and don't make any sense again.
@Meldave - I think you are partly right. We need to look to NZ. They have their clubs and regions. If we can actually have periods where clubs have access to regional players, and have a re-scheduled fixture list, I think the regions could still be a success. I don't think you can re-jig the regions though. Too late and you can't expect the Jacks and Scarlets to co-operate for god's sake lol! That's as likely as English newspapers actually not stating that England are world beaters every year LOL!
Posted 19:51 31st December 2012
jamesliveinhope says...
@APV1 - you assume that Dragon's haven't put him in the shop window already.
Posted 08:54 31st December 2012
rico says...
PRO12 is poor format at the minute correct. Answers - reduce Welsh teams to 3, Ireland teams to 3, just have Scotland A and Italy A - where are we going to go with it!? Expansion and commitment from the respective RU's/IRB to make it more competitive - i.e EXPANSION not contraction - not all qualify for EC so no coasting throught the league, RU's ensure no stars missing for Internationals/training squads make PRO12 a priority not a training ground exercise. Fans wised up long ago and how can they take seriously and pay good money to see 75% (or less) stars and effort in games!!!
Posted 12:53 30th December 2012
Sincero says...
That's just my problem with you- most of you secretly want to be playing with the English- well, if that's the case why did you both with all this in the first place? It's maddening. Personally I think it would be the death of rugby for you- if you went back to clubs or stick with the regions. You'd be second-division fodder. And you've zero identity- the League was the Celtic league. But do you even consider yourselves Celts anymore? Seems doubtful. You're going culturally English- and with that you'll all be tuneless west-sais samanthaball fans within a few short years. That's the way it's going. If you don't give a fig to try and change it we can't help you.
If you want to Welsh on the league, don't worry about us- we'll sort something out. Just get on with it.
Posted 12:35 30th December 2012
kybone says...
melkdave- Exactly! Yesterday the 4 Irish teams all played in the Irish derby's. These games are arranged for the x'mas period in an attempt to make sure that big crowds attend, yet when i read the match previews i found that not all of the Irish internationals were available for selection as they were attending an Ireland training camp! Absolutely ridiculous!
As for the Welsh sides, they just never bought into the regional format. The majority of fans found it near impossible to support a side made up of their own club and their bitter rivals. Supporting a club is different to supporting a region, its tribal and fiercely competitive. The emotional connection that fans have with their club means that they will go to watch them through thick and thin. They won't do that with a region. I've posted on another thread that, if we could go back 10 years, the best option for the Welsh Prem would have been to join forces with the English Prem. That way they would have kept all the clubs in the Pro game and they would probably have gone from strength to strength. Too late now though i would imagine.
Posted 10:33 30th December 2012
melkdave says...
@Rico
A european wide salary cap wouldnt do much im afraid.,all it would mean is clubs spending more on SH players,as exchange rates ect benifit european countriies.It also just wouldnt pass any IRB council vote,for obvious reasons.Best option is a total overhaul of the Pro12 to make it revalent and meaningful to the fans ..Which it obviously isnt atm,not even in Ireland .
Posted 00:36 30th December 2012
APV1 says...
Great player and would be a welcome addition. But do we need another BR forward at a substantial cost? We do need a quality #8, I grant you, but at what cost?
But why not wait for the Dragons to be wrapped up and get him cheaper?
Posted 14:52 29th December 2012
rico says...
Sincero don't think we are 'welshing' on the league that we helped create - a lot of work being done to sort out the situation - i believe in it still but maybe a generational thing and when the new 'Dragons' rugby fan not newport fan comes along we'll be better for it. could just pack it all in and try the anglo welsh and leave ire/sco tand it all alone again....
Posted 13:58 29th December 2012
rico says...
top 15 in france, aviva shred to 15 and london welsh, london irish and london scottish added to pro12 to make pro15. 3 leagues of best 15 teams in NH - top 6 + 2 qualifiers enter EC regardless of nationality. european wide salary cap and foreign player quota, level playing field across top level european rugby. likelihood of happening 0%
Posted 11:53 29th December 2012
Sincero says...
All sense, makemehappy- you just need to expand your vocabulary.
welsh
[welsh, welch] Show IPA
verb (used without object), Informal: Sometimes Offensive.
1.
to cheat by failing to pay a gambling debt: You aren't going to welsh on me, are you?
2.
to go back on one's word: He welshed on his promise to help in the campaign.
3.
to commit to an endeavour, such as a Celtic/European international league competition in rugby with several of your friends and neighbours, but then to ensure through apathy the death of the sport within your geographic location, thereby damning said league: Those bleeding Welsh have only gone and Welshed on the Celtic League- who'd have thunk it??? Completely unpredictable, that was! I mean, it's not as if the word to describe their pseudo-nationality has entered the English language as a verb meaning to behave in a most dishonourable and cowardly fashion, is it?... wait a minute!...
Posted 11:01 29th December 2012
melkdave says...
@Makemehappy
It must be me not being clear ,what i mean by Newport -Cardiff merging in the begining of regional rugby,weasnt the actual clubs par se but taking the 1st team players from the clubs then topping them up with players from say Crosskeys ect if good enough into a team called say Western Dragons or whatever,while the clubs continue as now in the Principality.Same goes for Swasea-LLanali and topping up from Neath Pontypridd ect.That way Wales would have got totally new teams for the fans to get behind ,without any of the old club rivalries..But alas the time for that has passed.Your also spot on its the total lack of success in the HC or Pro12 thats the problem atm,Only the Ospreys are offering any kind of challange atm to the irish sides dominace of the Pro12,but then its the only welsh side with a good qouta of quality players in Wales .Newport ,Cardiff and Scarlets have a few but no real depth.As for the scottish teams ,they should challange every year, for silverware as both are packed with internationals ,but then the whole league is a joke as it has no consequences for losing at all,so why should players give a 100% every match ,when they can coast and still pick up a decent wage.Radical thinking im afraid is needed to save the Pro12 teams from eventual oblivion imo.
Posted 05:30 29th December 2012
makemehappy says...
@Melkdave - I understood what you wrote, and what you have written subsequently makes a bit more sense. However, club rugby wasn't the answer and still isn't. Realistically there's been little if any effort to creat a club in north Wales.
You did suggest that the amalgamation of clubs didn't work. This is correct. Amalgamating other clubs wouldn't have worked either. Your suggestion of amalgamating Swansea and Llanelli wouldn't have been palatable, nor (I'd guess, as I'm less familiar with the culture of the area) have been the other solution.
The formation of regions wasn't too far off the mark. The problem was (and quite clearly so) the lack of success. That is clearly down to poor recruitment strategies as there was sufficent funding there in the first place. Funding could still be available, but the WRU's current strategy is bizarre as far as the funding of the regions is concerned, and doesn't compensate from the lack of private backers.
Posted 23:15 28th December 2012
kybone says...
Actually im glad that a transfer fee is involved. Im fed up of big clubs signing top class players from smaller clubs free of charge. Surely this kind of thing will help to spread the wealth.
Posted 22:22 28th December 2012
melkdave says...
@Makemehappy
I think you are misunderstanding my point,im not advocating a return to the old clubs .What i was suggesting was that Newport and Cardiff,regions should have merged into one ,along with Scarlets and Ospreys,at the beging of regional rugbyWhile a new region was created in mid wales from Ebbw vale to Llandovery,and while your correct there is no great old club in north Wales ,the WRUalways had hopes of starting one ,perhaps that could have been partly based on the new stadium in north wales used in the aurtum internationals ,as it was planned for a eventual regional team,years and years ago.
Posted 19:51 28th December 2012
firepower says...
good luck in your future endeavors bro. ofa atu
Posted 19:02 28th December 2012
makemehappy says...
@Sincero - have you been drinking? That made no sense whatsoever!
Posted 18:42 28th December 2012