Wales

Houston_11 says...

Tough for the Welsh - the money "apparently" isn't there.

Looking long-term, if Gatland loses access to some of these players, it could impact their chance to get into the Wales team. Furthermore, that means they could impact their chances at getting on the Lions tour next summer.

A lot of what I say is hypothetical of course - if Gatland gets the access he needs, then Wales could end up being even better.

Posted 12:46 30th April 2012

APV1 says...

@ GCP_JONES - absolutely no difference, as long as you chuck in a ball, with singlets and mullets all round.

Posted 16:36 27th April 2012

ThinkingGame says...

It's not just the money the players are getting paid, it's also trophies and recognition.

The Ospreys stumble along in the HC with a clear gap between them and the cream of Europe, the Blues won the Amlin and nearly made a HC Final then get demolished by Leinster and the Scarlets and Dragons fight over the last HC qualification place, but look vulnerable in the tournament. The Anglo-Welsh Cup is now a second tier competition for Colts, and the Pro12 (where the Ospreys and Scarlets have had success) is generally reckoned to be a bit soft (the HC priorities of Leinster and Munster, the Irish squad players being rested at the start of the season, the Second XVs during the autumn and 6N and no relegation).

Most of the players forming this exodus are over 27. They know the clubs they're joining will have no problem getting 5 or 6 new players every season until they achieve what they want. They know the games are bigger, the stadia are bigger and the crowds are bigger, so the buzz is also bigger, and they know that "Aled Brew, Biarritz Olympique" gets far more respect than "Aled Brew, N-G Dragons" ever would. Let them go. They gave it enough time playing in Wales to realise that the regions would never be able to attract the sort of international talent that gravitates towards Leinster, Leicester and Toulouse, they earned the chance to spend three years in the sunshine at the highest level in Europe.

What is concerning are the ones under 27, Tom Smith, Craig Mitchell and potentially Alex Cuthbert. If those players start believing Welsh sides can't win "big" trophies, then the regions are in danger of becoming second class sides, led by two or three proud local players, surrounded by journeymen, kids and a few aging overseas marquee names, watching every promising player head to France or England as soon as the offers come.

Posted 14:43 27th April 2012

APV1 says...

@ GCP_JONES - I actually quite like Aussie rules and went to see many "matches" when I lived in Oz:

Bounce ball;

Punch opposition.

Catch ball and punch it away;

Punch opposition.

Catch ball and stand still;

Opposition punches you.

Kick ball to team-mate;

Punch opposition.

Run with ball, bounce it a few times and punch ball to team-mate.

Get punched by opposition.

Punch back.

Kick ball at goal.

Miss.

Still get points.

(Punch opposition).

Continue until Four'N Twenty Meat Pies run out and there are no more opposition to punch.

Brilliant! What's not to like about watching grown men with mullets and singlets running around punching each other aimlessly, until it's too dark to see anymore and everyone's injured?

Posted 11:58 27th April 2012

makemehappy says...

@davodiablo - Clearly they have missed Hayman. Whilst Evans is world class, I'm not certain they've missed him.

Posted 13:11 26th April 2012

GCP_JONES says...

@fiwiboy...@davodiablo...

With Regards to Carl Hayman, anytime I have seen the all Blacks the Franks Brothers and Tialata (when he was picked) looked to be filling his boots quite well. I cannot argue with you about Nick Evans pure class altough he has gone down in my estimation by playing Aussie Rules quiet possibly the worst team sport ever to be played on the Planet, a bastardisation of Rugby, Gaelic Football played on a Cricket pitch(what were they smoking when they came up with that one)., but you have to admit C Henry's handling of cover for Dan C has been both unlucky and Amateurish.

I think Rugby Union should stop trying to tap into the Rugby League market in Australia and New Zealand, if people don't get Union so be it go watch League. Rugby league is like going to McDonalds for a meal its tasty enough but your hungry 20 minutes later.

Posted 12:36 26th April 2012

fiwiboy says...

GCP Jones, that can't just be it.

NZ rugby faces the threat of a cashed up RL presence, from within and from Aust, while the Aussie Rules people also make noises about it. (Nick Evans is a former Aussie Rules player). If NZ Rugby had the cash to match, or even approach, its plans then the future would look safer.

What the NZRU is doing this year given its limited funding base is to develop its playing ranks. On the domestic front, games in its domestic comp (ITM Cup or former NPC) are being played on Tuesdays-Saturdays/Sundays with teams fielding a seven-man bench (extra prop allowed); this year there will be a women's ITM Cup competition while the schoolboys (school rugby is already televised) will also play in an ITM Cup-affiliated competition.

This all stems from building the game at the grassroots game and not signing up overhyped, overpaid foreigners (Haskell is an exception; he took a big pay cut to play in NZ this season).

NZ's biggest weapon in keeping its brightest stars at home is the black jersey.

Posted 15:34 25th April 2012

GCP_JONES says...

@JasonHarrison.. you make a valid point, but it seems to me when a player leaves the SH to join a european club, there seems to be a seemless transition onto the next player waiting in the the wings.

I have no explanation as to why that is(maybe there a simply more people playing the game in NZ), but that is not the case in say Wales

Posted 11:42 25th April 2012

GCP_JONES says...

It was always said that the Celtic/Magners/Pro12 was competative on the back of the Welsh and irish teams, when you look at the players leaving Wales it makes the league weaker and increasingly less attractive to fans wanting to see games that are a contest.

I think the 4 unions should sit down along with other stakeholders to see if there is anything that could be done to stop the exodus from Wales.

Posted 09:54 25th April 2012