Ryan Jones to play for Brizzle this weekend!

Jones could play vs Rotherham in the Championship semi-final 1st leg on Saturday.

I don't think that is fair to be honest and is no different than bringing in a Ringer IMO.
I hope Rotherham query this.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/27290343

I do hope Leeds beat them in the final

Ross Rennie, Ryan Jones and Ben Skirving make for a pretty formidable back row!

It shouldnt be allowed.

It happened last year when we were in the championship. All the top championship sides suddenly started "loaning" players for the play offs nd run ins.

Should not be allowed at all.

Was going to ask, are Bristol likely to be promoted then ?

Does seem a little unfair bringing in the big guns like this.

GeordieFalcon wrote:It shouldnt be allowed.

It happened last year when we were in the championship. All the top championship sides suddenly started "loaning" players for the play offs nd run ins.

Should not be allowed at all.

This is slightly different. Jones signed a 2 year contract for Bristol back in March. It's not like he's just popping in for a game or two before clearing off again.

I know he signed a contract, but i thought it was from the start of next season not now?

Or i am wrong?

GeordieFalcon wrote:I know he signed a contract, but i thought it was from the start of next season not now?

Or i am wrong?

It is, yes.

GeordieFalcon wrote:It shouldnt be allowed.

It happened last year when we were in the championship. All the top championship sides suddenly started "loaning" players for the play offs nd run ins.

Should not be allowed at all.

Completely agree.

Sale are safe in 6th, so what is to stop them loaning their 1st XV to Leeds to ensure they have another Northern side to play? I appreciate Jones was due to join Bristol anyway, but there should be a deadline to stop such practices. For example if 1st March was set as an effective transfer deadline it would be too soon for a team like the Ospreys to release Jones as they would still have something to play for. This gives a distinct advantage to Bristol over the other 3 sides.

How does the championship work now ? Does it still have a top four play off like the Rabbo ?

And how have Bristol played 23 games ?

munkian wrote:How does the championship work now ? Does it still have a top four play off like the Rabbo ?

It does now, Munk, altho in previous years there were two pools of 4 comprising the top 8 sides in the table before moving on to semi-finals and final.

munkian wrote:How does the championship work now ? Does it still have a top four play off like the Rabbo ?

And how have Bristol played 23 games ?

All teams have played 23 games. There were 3 regional double headers to start off the season at neutral grounds (something to do with launching Greene King's sponsorship of the Championship).

Then the teams still played home and away.

Jones signed the contract with the terms that if Ospreys didn't make the playoffs then he can move to Bristol early.

Cool, cheers all, didn't know about the Greene King bit.

And a cunning clause by Bristol

Cunning and Brizzle used in the same line, there must be some mistake!   

Don't get me wrong I reallly hope Brizzle get into the AP (and stay there), but this just doesn't feel right.

The clash of the millionaire playboys - gotta buy them all !

You not got one yet Munk?

A millionaire playboy ?

We've got to get past Welsh 1st which this season has been a bigger challenge than Bristol. We've now played Bristol 5 times in the league and B&I Cup and are leading 3 to 2 and Bristol will be worried about that. This years play offs are really open and I've been pretty impressed by the improvements in Carnegie over the season to the point we can compete with anyone most weeks.

I've stopped letting the player shenanigans get to me, it happens every year. If we're good enough we'll get there if not we won't.

Championship clubs will also try and call up their dual registered players from Premiership clubs for the play offs.

Three seasons ago Esher fielded a host of Quins players v L. Scottish in a bid to stay in the Championship. I was at the game with Asbo and rugby won when Scottish intercepted an Esher pass to score the try bonus point and secure the point they needed to stay up themselves.

Ryan makes a big difference when he plays for the Ospreys for Bristol he should make a very big difference. I believe he signed for Bristol 3 months ago and was on lone to the Ospreys. This is a clever move by Bristol, I hope for Ryan's sake they do get promoted as he will be wasted playing in a second rate league.

If R Jones can play will M Morgan play as he is also from the Ospreys?

prop_lyd wrote:Jones signed the contract with the terms that if Ospreys didn't make the playoffs then he can move to Bristol early.

So he is within the bounds of his contract to do this.  Not a loaner.  I suppose it is OK then.

Good contractual move by Jones - if his current team is out of the playoff hunt, then he can go and try to help secure the future of his next club.

Seems to me that the RFU ought to step in and clarify their registration rules to stop this clear nonsense.

A transfer window plus a restriction on the interchangeability of loan players based on primacy of club registration at this stage in the season?

But once again the administrators of the game in England are found wanting in their ability to perform any form of clear forward thinking to close loopholes before they appear and are exloited.

Portnoy's Complaint wrote:But once again the administrators of the game in England are found wanting in their ability to perform any form of clear forward thinking to close loopholes before they appear and are exloited.

Yes, Jones is a forward.  
So, they were clearly engaged in forward thinking.

Brizzle have played quite a few loaned players already this season - Stuart McInally and Ross Rennie from Edinbokke, Adam Hughes from NGDragons

Would be slightly amusing if Brizzle didn't get promoted after throwing all this money into the club. Only slightly mind you   

Munkian,

Ive always had a soft spot for Leeds. They produce so many players and constantly have those players taken off them by other clubs. They play a good style of rugby...and yes ok i have a slight northern bias.

I would love to see Leeds go up.

Yeah, Leeds or Welsh for me. Went to see Briz v Welsh and it was full of football fans and I had to queue for 30 minutes for a pint of Fosters. Tried chatting with a few fans about their new players and they didn't have a Scooby.

Really? Ah thats not good.

If Welsh went up there would a couple of interesting games against us  

But Leeds will have my support.

Perhaps they were told never talk to strangers!

GeordieFalcon wrote:Really? Ah thats not good.

If Welsh went up there would a couple of interesting games against us  

But Leeds will have my support.

The Bristol RFC owner owns one of the footbal clubs (they share a ground too atm) - I think they give free rugby tickets to the football supporters

Who would be promoted to the championship if Welsh/Leeds/Briz got promoted  ?

Doncaster are top of National One. Hoping for Leeds Yorkshire to go up over Bristol.

Looks like it'll be between Doncaster and Rosyln Park for promotion from the English National League 1.

HammerofThunor wrote:Doncaster are top of National One. Hoping for Leeds Yorkshire to go up over Bristol.

Think a few teams in that area might be abit agrieved with that name   

Geordie, Munkian, it's good to hear your support for Leeds, I get the feeling that we don't give ourselves the best chance of promotion for lots of reasons. My main concern is that we seem to have to rebuild our squad every season but do a good job of getting the best out of limited redources. This season the club appointed James Lowes as coach, an unknown quantity who's background is exclusively League and I think he's done an amazing job having adapted to our code really well. We've lacked a bit of consistency but have always tried to play attractive rugby and it would be great to see them succeed.

We've got a tough end to the season, Welsh here this weekend and away next then a 5 day turn round to Leinster in Dublin the following Friday.

I'm not sure we can turn Welsh over but the lads will give it their best shot.

Munkian, Doncaster should be going up I think having just pipped Rosslyn Park.

Hammer, there's a fair bit of discomfort about the 'Yorkshire' tag, and I for one will find it hard to adopt. Geech has some strange ideas sometimes.

The Yorkshire thing is tricky. They control the Yorkshire academy and represent more than just Leeds. If they're trying to draw more people from outside of Leeds (typically where union is of interest) then best of luck to them. But I'm only a Yorkshire man on residency (6 years) so don't have a feeling for the rivalries (especially being out on the end).

Call it Stark rugby - everyone is happy ! Apart from the Lannisters...

Doncaster already promoted

GeordieFalcon wrote:Looks like it'll be between Doncaster and Rosyln Park for promotion from the English National League 1.

Geordie - as aitchw said, Doncaster have already sealed promotion from Nat1. Only one team comes up from N1. Last season that was my second team, Ealing, who were relegated on a very tense afternoon two weekends ago when Jersey managed to win at Bedford and Ealing lost to Rotherham.

Ah right i see.

Sorry to hear about your second team. Hopefully they'll bounce straight back up....well unless Blaydon or Tynedale come up   

Is the Leeds/Yorkshire thing going to turn into some bizarre northern version of the regions v clubs thing in Wales?
I can (sort of) see the logic in trying to expand the fanbase outside of Leeds but to take on the "Yorkshire" mantle whilst there are still other Yorkshire clubs in the league seems a bit forward, e.g. next season Doncaster could be playing Yorkshire!
Also I don't like the idea of a club with a county name, could you imagine Sale renaming themselves Lancashire?

Irish Londoner wrote:Is the Leeds/Yorkshire thing going to turn into some bizarre northern version of the regions v clubs thing in Wales?
I can (sort of) see the logic in trying to expand the fanbase outside of Leeds but to take on the "Yorkshire" mantle whilst there are still other Yorkshire clubs in the league seems a bit forward, e.g. next season Doncaster could be playing Yorkshire!
Also I don't like the idea of a club with a county name, could you imagine Sale renaming themselves Lancashire?

Unlikely given that they are based in Cheshire but I get the point   

LIW they do play in Lancashire though !

"The Bristol Rugby juggernaut looks even more formidable this week with the arrival of former Wales captain Ryan Jones from the Ospreys.

With the Welsh region having failed to reach the Pro12 play-offs, Jones – who had been expected to move to Bristol for the start of the 2014-15 season – has linked up with his new team early in order to assist their Championship play-off campaign, which starts on Saturday with a semi-final first leg against Rotherham.

Introducing a ringer to play in a friendly is one thing; bussing in a British and Irish Lion to help you navigate the final waters to the Premiership is quite another.

Look at it from Rotherham’s perspective. You put your resources into preparing for your big do-or-die play-off game. Then four days before kick-off, the opposition reveal they have an ace up their sleeve – a 6ft 5in ace with 75 caps at that.

Drafting in players to help with the Championship play-offs favours well-off sides. Arguably, it also dilutes the competition. If the play-offs are the outcome of a season of graft against an opposition that you’ve been trying to get the measure of, is it fair that a team can pull in an international superstar who is previously unknown to the league?"

Tom Bradshaw - Bath Chronicle

Ah, nice unbiased article from Baarf Chronicle there. What wage cap ?

Think it is a fairly commonly held opinion by most on here, but I understand that it is a bit rich coming from Bath

munkian wrote:Ah, nice unbiased article from Baarf Chronicle there. What wage cap ?

Yes we fly close to the wind regarding the cap, but most clubs do if you want to finish in the top 4/5 places.   

Hmm, you are up there with Saracens as the top two clubs in the Aviva operating at the highest loss.

I can understand if this article was written by a local Rotherham paper but from a paper that sponsor Bath rugby is just hypocrisy

But everything in the article is true, why does it matter who worte it?