20 Cardiff Blues players out of contract at the end of the season.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/rugbynation/cardiff-blues/2011/11/18/cardiff-blues-face-uncertainty-with-20-players-out-of-contract-at-the-end-of-season-91466-29796274/

THE Blues head into Heineken Cup action tonight amid huge uncertainty off the pitch.

WalesOnline understands around TWENTY players are out of contract at the end of this season while today also sees a vital meeting of the Blues’ board of directors.

They will be discussing the coaching situation, with caretakers Justin Burnell and Gareth Baber hoping that will lead to their appointment on a permanent basis.

The pair’s prospects were boosted last week by a stunning win over Racing Metro in Paris and they could take another massive step towards a full-time appointment with victory over London Irish at Cardiff City Stadium tonight (8pm).

Summing up his feelings on the subject, Burnell said: “Are we doing much wrong?

“Well, I don’t think we are personally.

“But we are not thick. We know you can win one week and lose the next and go from hero to zero pretty quickly.

“We have just got to focus on the job in hand and what is best for the team.

“We are obviously aware there is a board meeting coming up and it would be nice to get some good news from that.

“But the most important thing this weekend is getting the win against London Irish.

“There has been a lot of speculation in the press regarding the coaching set-up, but all me and Gareth are focused on is doing our best and trying to get the right results.”

20 players? How many of those are the fringe players or the older generation though? Or even like James Corsi and co. who just joined on short term deals?

Another non-story by the WM

Contracts are not sorted out until next year

There is also going to be a large turnaround of players at the end of the year.

Retirees - Rush, Tito, Martyn, Deniol, Molitika, Filise, Blair

Players likely to leave - Dan Parks, Ritchie Rees, possibly Laulaula

Player on short term contracts - Corsi, Breeze, Tyrrell, Trevett, Henson

Waiting to resign - Gethin, Roberts?

there we go, knew there would be a simple explanation for a worrying sounding headline

Its good for the region. Clear up the wage bill. Plunder the Dragons. Squad sorted.

Coleman wrote:Its good for the region. Clear up the wage bill. Plunder the Dragons. Squad sorted.

sorry butt - all the Dragons apart from Luke (who will resign soon ) are all signed up so no plundering will be done i'm afraid

like 606 said, a lot of the contracts that are coming to an end are the ones on short team deals and the older players who will be retiring.

Guys like Bradley, Jamie, Cuthbert, Lloyd Williams and Warburton are all signed up.

It'd be a shame of Laulala left, but then i guess it opens up the wage bill and maybe we can promote someone to the centre or use the money available to go to other parts of the team.

If Gethin leaves, while it would be a blow...he seems to be getting a bit injury prone and with him over 30, taking a big pay day in france won't be held against him - at least not by me. Plus it would give Sam Hobbs a chance at 1, he looks a great prospect.

I don't think Luke will leave soon, especially abroad. He wouldn't risk his place in the Welsh squad and is a loyal Dragons player - he's said he wants to stay where he is

Another nothing story for the W Fail again - I wouldn't be suprised if the paper boys in Cardiff are embarrased to deliver that junk! (luckily nobody in the rest of Wales reads it).

It will be good for the Blues to get rid of a lot of their high earning old heads, and if they can replace Rush with Delve and get a really good TH in with the money they'll save on wages, and maybe an up and coming young back to complement Halfpenny, Roberts and Cuthbert then they'll be laughing - but I do think they need to keep Geth for another season as he's the cornerstone of their scrum.

Def need Geth - Rush is getting on a bit and hasn't the pace he used to have.

Delve would be quite a signing, would be great to have him competing for the Welsh No 8 spot again

Definately - Delve would be great and I imagine that if the Blues get rid of all the older heads who are on huge amounts of money but slowing down and not performing as well (Tito, Fiilse, Rush, Molitika, D Jones, M Williams) then there will be a breath of fresh air in the squad and I can imagine then playing really well next year - as long as they buy a good TH and a few promising youngsters.

Hopefully PT will open his cheque book, making the HC 1/4s will also be a financial boost.

Delve has been strongly linked with a return, which would make sense with Rush gone - hopefully he can be the influence Rush has been, only more consistently, when Rush plays well - the Blues play well.

We need a monster THP, then for the first time we might have a stable scrum.

Gethin should stay, he is just whinging - which he is famed for. I'd be more worried if he said he was actually in talks with a French team.

1. Gethin Jenkins
2. T Rhys Thomas
3. A Monster
4. Bradley Davies
5. Michael Paterson
6. Andreus Pretorious
7. Sam Warburton
8. Gareth Delve
9. Lloyd Williams
10. An actual 10
11. Tom James
12. Gavin Henson (?)
13. Jamie Roberts
14. Alex Cuthbert
15. Leigh Halfpenny

Thats not a back starting 15 next season - the only problem will be depth, thats what the summer signings will be needed for

And finding a good and available flyhalf and Tight Head will be expensive - otherwise it's a good XV

i've said for years that the blues should get some grizzled Georgian/Romania THP. Would be so much cheaper than buying a 'name' player. Then maybe use the spare money to get in a quality tight head from the SH.

You already have sweeeeeeeney - don't be greedy

munkian wrote:You already have sweeeeeeeney - don't be greedy

You certainly aren't having Tovey off us !

munkian wrote:You certainly aren't having Tovey off us !

We'll take Steffan Jones, Tovey and Rhys Preistland...just so we have some backup to Sweeney

But you've already got Henson and Sweeney battling for best Welsh FH you don't need Steff, Rhys or Jase as well...

Smirnoffpriest wrote:But you've already got Henson and Sweeney battling for best Welsh FH you don't need Steff, Rhys or Jase as well...

Well, we can play Tovey at FB, Jones on the wing and Preistland at 13 - they can all bow down and worship the 10/12 Sweeney/Henson axis that provides them all their ball.

Of course, how silly of me not to see that - with the ball Priestland, Jones, Tovey and Halfpenny will be getting (and the incisive kicks through the defence) they'll be laughing...