Cardiff Blues 2016/2017

First topic message reminder :

Surprised one of these isn’t up yet. If I’ve missed players just let me know and I’ll pop them in.

Squad

Hookers: Matthew Rees, Kirby Myhill, Kristian Dacey, Liam Belcher, Ethan Lewis
Props: Gethin Jenkins, Taufa'ao Filise, Rhys Gill, Scott Andrews, Dillon Lewis, Bradley Thyer, Anton Peikrishvili
Locks: Jarrad Hoeata, George Earle, James Down, Seb Davies
Back Row: Macauley Cook, Ellis Jenkins, Josh Navidi, James Sheekey, Josh Turnbull, Sam Warburton, Cam Dolan, Nick Williams
Scrum Half: Lloyd Williams, Lewis Jones, Tomos Williams
Fly Half: Gareth Anscombe, Jarrod Evans, Steven Shingler
Centre: Cory Allen, Garyn Smith, Rey Lee-Lo Willis Halaholo* (Joins after NPC)
Wing: Alex Cuthbert, Tom James, Blaine Scully
Fullback: Dan Fish, Matthew Morgan, Aled Summerhill, Rhun Williams

Pre-Season Results:
Dragons (L) 28-38
Bristol (W) 25-24

Hoping for a good season from the Blues. We’ve signed well in some areas, such as adding Nick Williams to our already well stocked back row. The addition of Shingler and Morgan should help our squad rotation in the backs but I can’t help but feel we’re lacking in the centre a bit. More so with Corey Allen’s potential for injury.

Pre-season has gone alright. Hammered by the Dragons for 50 mins, but we came back to score a few tries in the last 30. The Bristol game gave me worries about our scrum. Ma'afu looked more unfit against the Dragons then when he joined, it seems that he has a poor attitude and needs to buck his ideas up. Gill didn’t look great against Bristol and Thyer had a tidy game when he came on. Cam Dolan seems to have improved in the off season along with Down who had a good game against Bristol. Shingler and Morgan went well in the Bristol game as did Allen. Ray Lee-Lo will be our most important player this season I feel, he has a great attitude and really puts in a shift. Excited to see him and Halaholo link up later in the year.

Looking forward to the Edinburgh game on 3rd of September. C’mon the Bloooooooooos!

wales606 wrote:

mikey_dragon wrote:Cardiff win, finished 28-34. Ref was poor for both sides. Lloyd Williams was very poor and shouldn't be third choice 9 for Wales.

Agree, Lloyd didn't have a good game - but to be fair he has been playing a lot better than this.

Surely he is better as that was pretty poor. Tomos Williams is your best 9 by the look of it.

"TFW captain Sam Warburton played a key role in defence"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/37857535

I'm not a Blues supporter but as an exile in England I follow all the Welsh Regions results and try to watch them play as often as possible.I watched the Blues against Exeter yesterday.Who decided to send a team that young and inexperienced to a top 5 Aviva club where Rob Baxter has let it be known he is unhappy with Exeter's start to the season? He was a bit naughty fielding a team with several Aviva first team and first team squad players including an English international.The fact that Cardiff scored 4 tries and blew a few more was creditable but I thought the AW Cup was meant to be developmental not run-outs for established senior professional players.

The Welsh regions treat it as a development competition to help bring through academy players, the teams are usually coached by developing coaches from within the regions or feeder clubs, as for the English teams it seems some take it far more seriously than others with varying degrees of success.

2ndtimeround wrote:The Welsh regions treat it as a development competition to help bring through academy players, the teams are usually coached by developing coaches from within the regions or feeder clubs, as for the English teams it seems some take it far more seriously than others with varying degrees of success.

The Dragons took what looked very much like their first team into the match against Leicester this weekend.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

2ndtimeround wrote:The Welsh regions treat it as a development competition to help bring through academy players, the teams are usually coached by developing coaches from within the regions or feeder clubs, as for the English teams it seems some take it far more seriously than others with varying degrees of success.

The Dragons took what looked very much like their first team into the match against Leicester this weekend.

That pack we put out was full of 2nd or 3 rd choice players and that's where Leicester beat us, the back line had 2/3 first choice players who needed game time. 6 debuts off the bench as well, if you look at our team compared to Leicester who had Ayerza, Thacker, Beatham, Burns, Williams etc you would expect a thrashing

dragon4life wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

2ndtimeround wrote:The Welsh regions treat it as a development competition to help bring through academy players, the teams are usually coached by developing coaches from within the regions or feeder clubs, as for the English teams it seems some take it far more seriously than others with varying degrees of success.

The Dragons took what looked very much like their first team into the match against Leicester this weekend.

That pack we put out was full of 2nd or 3 rd choice players and that's where Leicester beat us, the back line had 2/3 first choice players who needed game time. 6 debuts off the bench as well, if you look at our team compared to Leicester who had Ayerza, Thacker, Beatham, Burns, Williams etc you would expect a thrashing

In that case, I know far more of the Dragons squad than I thought I would/should.

It's a bit early for the rumour mill to get going, but I've heard Hadleigh Parkes is meant to be headed your way. And truth or just good old fashioned panic from our supporters?

We really don't need Parkes.... we need to keep Dai Landman.

The Blues are also in the hunt for Landman, if the gossip mill is correct.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:The Blues are also in the hunt for Landman, if the gossip mill is correct.

Is he Welsh, nearly Welsh or never will be Welsh?
Just wondering whether if he'll get caught up in the 13 day team Wales Tavis bagging and dumb running training camps.

Dai, both Hadleigh and Landman will be WQ at the end of the season (or Xmas 2017 for sure)

It makes sense for Blues to get Landman, plus they're a team on the up. I'll be gutted to see him leave though - great clubman.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:It's a bit early for the rumour mill to get going, but I've heard Hadleigh Parkes is meant to be headed your way.  And truth or just good old fashioned panic from our supporters?

Thought this was in reply to dragon btw, hence me replying as if I was convinced Parkes was coming to Dragons.

Mikey, your right he is a good hard worker, head down and get on with the job, grafter. But hasn't he had a few knocks this season? Bit like Earle before he joined the Blues.

Also, I assumed you thought I was talking to dragon, so your reply made sense

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Dai, both Hadleigh and Landman will be WQ at the end of the season (or Xmas 2017 for sure)

Almost Welsh then.
Too Welsh for comfort possibly, but there again will he ever get the call?

Cardiff Dave wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Dai, both Hadleigh and Landman will be WQ at the end of the season (or Xmas 2017 for sure)

Almost Welsh then.
Too Welsh for comfort possibly, but there again will he ever get the call?

Oi Dave when is your Georgian biter going to be sentenced? thought he was up before the bench yesterday.

wayne wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Dai, both Hadleigh and Landman will be WQ at the end of the season (or Xmas 2017 for sure)

Almost Welsh then.
Too Welsh for comfort possibly, but there again will he ever get the call?

Oi Dave when is your Georgian biter going to be sentenced? thought he was up before the bench yesterday.

Dunno if he's guilty do we?

http://www.tg4.ie/en/live/home/

Con 7-7 Car, after 27mins.

Nige warning to both teams for chopsing.

Fish fecked. Bollux.

Cardiff scrum destroyed there. A simple 3 points for the Craggy islanders who lead 10-7 at the interval.

Smegging lost 18 smegging 7.

Cardiff Dave wrote:

wayne wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Dai, both Hadleigh and Landman will be WQ at the end of the season (or Xmas 2017 for sure)

Almost Welsh then.
Too Welsh for comfort possibly, but there again will he ever get the call?

Oi Dave when is your Georgian biter going to be sentenced? thought he was up before the bench yesterday.

Dunno if he's guilty do we?

Well your coach thinks so, he didn't query the red card, just that he was retaliating to something else.

It's okay everyone.

All is good.

Everything will be okay now.

He is back

http://www.cardiffblues.com/news/8550.php#.WDx-vWXPw6g

I always rated Nicky Robinson. I know he was a bit (lot?!) inconsistent but he was a very good attacking fly half. Could create some lovely stuff and break the line very well. Not sure he's up to pro rugby now though?!

Griff wrote:I always rated Nicky Robinson. I know he was a bit (lot?!) inconsistent but he was a very good attacking fly half. Could create some lovely stuff and break the line very well. Not sure he's up to pro rugby now though?!

Imagine he will be bench warming, maybe play in the Anglo-Welsh.

Like the look of the scrumhalf though, he might get more time while Lloyd is away with Wales.

Will be good to have Anscombe and Lloyd back next week, they didn't play on the weekend so should slot back in for a must-win game against Ulster.

wales606 wrote:It's okay everyone.

All is good.

Everything will be okay now.

He is back

http://www.cardiffblues.com/news/8550.php#.WDx-vWXPw6g

Crikey!
Need Ben Blair back now to do the kicking.

wayne wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:

wayne wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Dai, both Hadleigh and Landman will be WQ at the end of the season (or Xmas 2017 for sure)

Almost Welsh then.
Too Welsh for comfort possibly, but there again will he ever get the call?

Oi Dave when is your Georgian biter going to be sentenced? thought he was up before the bench yesterday.

Dunno if he's guilty do we?

Well your coach thinks so, he didn't query the red card, just that he was retaliating to something else.

6 weeks for biting Rob McCusker, good enough for him, and as I said there was no doubt that he had perpetrated the disgusting act, just whether he was provoked. Which is irrelevant you just don't bite.

wales606 wrote:

Griff wrote:I always rated Nicky Robinson. I know he was a bit (lot?!) inconsistent but he was a very good attacking fly half. Could create some lovely stuff and break the line very well. Not sure he's up to pro rugby now though?!

Imagine he will be bench warming, maybe play in the Anglo-Welsh.

Like the look of the scrumhalf though, he might get more time while Lloyd is away with Wales.

Will be good to have Anscombe and Lloyd back next week, they didn't play on the weekend so should slot back in for a must-win game against Ulster.

Well hopefully that wont ever be an issue again.

wayne wrote:

wayne wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:

wayne wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Dai, both Hadleigh and Landman will be WQ at the end of the season (or Xmas 2017 for sure)

Almost Welsh then.
Too Welsh for comfort possibly, but there again will he ever get the call?

Oi Dave when is your Georgian biter going to be sentenced? thought he was up before the bench yesterday.

Dunno if he's guilty do we?

Well your coach thinks so, he didn't query the red card, just that he was retaliating to something else.

6 weeks for biting Rob McCusker, good enough for him, and as I said there was no doubt that he had perpetrated the disgusting act, just whether he was provoked. Which is irrelevant you just don't bite.

Did he have him by the bollux?

You'd have to be tamping to bite a North Walian, let alone one that's been sh3t-kicking around Swansea. Hepatitastic

Abject sh*t from the Blues against Ulster.

wales606 wrote:Abject sh*t from the Blues against Ulster.

"Diabolical" apparently. Or was that the Dregs?
Will watch the replay Monday, on S4C.

wales606 wrote:Abject sh*t from the Blues against Ulster.

The BBC Radio Ulster match commentary was amusing and confusing for some regionalites I bet.
It was Cardiff this and Cardiff that mostly with a "men in blue and black" thrown in for good measure.
Made me giggle anyway as did ChumV this evening.

Nice stuff from Nicky Robinson shown on ChumV highlights. Apart from the charge down of course. Should see Cardiff scoring lots of tries in the very near future with him alongside the two exciting centres. Marvelous.

The Cardiff pack doesn't excite me.
Good players, but lacking Grrrrr for my liking. Need a Baugh or a Rush I reckon. A Tito too perhaps. And a Humph why not.

Feckin ell, we won!
Order an open top bus somebody!
Were Bath at fullish strength or will we get Rec'd next week? I noticed a couple of first teamers missing, but Cardiff were missing a few, tew.

Any news on new CAP?

I posted this on the tackle laws thread, but it might be more at home on this thread:-

Post edited

LordDowlais wrote:Post edited

Rubbish I've spoken to management at Cardiff after reading this and can confirm he has been well looked after is home and is in constant contact with club
CEO spoke to him Thursday asked if he needed anything at all Brad was fine with treatment and felt he was being well looked after
In fact CEO has also spoken with his agent several times this week to check on situation
If anyone has any doubts ring the club and ask to speak to them about Brad

Look at the massive effort that the club have put into Owen Williams since his tragic accident and would the above quote seem reasonable
Also I can confirm that other players who have been injured over the years have been well looked after by the club

I'd suggest that admin pull the posts from Dowlais and give him a slap on the wrists for that level of shameful misrepresentation.

http://www.cardiffblues.com/news/8663.php#.WH9ZUXecaRs

Just to underline that Lord Dowlais' information, at best, was inaccurate.

It's not the only thread he has posted it on.

Interestingly enough, to save people using a link.

Cardiff Blues wrote:There has been regular contact with family and Thyer will be closely monitored by hospital doctors and the Cardiff Blues medical team. Further information will be released in due course.

RDW_Scotland wrote:LD - you have made some serious accusations there and we can't have that kind of thing being posted on a public forum.

Cheers RDW...
Richard Holland says - thank you for dealing with this quickly

I'd have a little more respect for Dowlais if he could man up with an apology, too

He never admits when he's wrong

Well, now his is chance to man up.

Over to you, Lord Dowlais. Let's see what you've got.