Ospreys

Very interesting.

An Asian-based sports marketing company called 'Y11 Sports & Media' has acquired 75.1% of the Ospreys.

Ospreys says it's a "multi-year, multi-million-pound deal" with the financial benefits to go back into the region. #PRO14

Murray kinsella just tweeted this

https://www.the42.ie/ospreys-5098396-May2020/

Good news this, on the surface. The buyer has roots in Swansea.

What’s new going forward? There’s still a salary cap so can’t see who they’re gonna buy. They don’t need that many squad additions tbh.

Lots of activity by Chinese companies acquiring weak firms in the west at the moment, wonder why?

mikey_dragon wrote:What’s new going forward? There’s still a salary cap so can’t see who they’re gonna buy. They don’t need that many squad additions tbh.

I'm not sure Mikey. They look like they could be in trouble again next year. Think they are overspending on their top players again. Tipuric for example despite meeting all the criteria for his recent 400-450K annual salary isn't worth it in my mind. That's not me saying he isn't one of the best opensides around because he is. I just dont think any openside currently is worth that kind of money because in rugby terms there are more key positions within the game. Plus add in the fact the quality of opensides available is far higher than in most positions. If Bristol really had offered 500K to him (assuming they would have even honoured that on the back of the covid stuff), Ospreys should have let him go. He's probably got about 2-3 years of top level club rugby in him (although granted in his case he may go on longer).

This goes back to something I was saying in a earlier thread how Rugby generally doesn't understand how to properly value its players. Ospreys seem to have extended in some areas to much and that seriously has impacted the strength of their all round squad. Assuming Aled goes because of Webb coming in, thats another bad transaction. Webb is well past his best.

In my mind they are banking on their first 15 being available because the rest of the cuboard is looking dire. Hopefully at least Booth can do a better job than previous coaches.

Welsh mushroom you can’t seriously think getting rid of ‘Aled’ and bringing in Rhys Webb is a bad deal? What are you smoking?

Ospreys could do with a decent NWQ lock, but I guess they won’t as they’ve brought in Rhys Davies who probably won’t be on a Wales radar for a while. You have to expect Bradley Davies to still be within a shout. Aside from that I would say a fly-half and decent winger is needed. 

I see what you mean about overspending I’m certain areas; hooker for example. Possibly back-row too if the Faletau rumour is true. As for open-side I would consider giving Morgan Strong from the U20s a go there. If there’s an area Ospreys should overspend in it’s the coaching staff. In the academy I really wish we had tried to nick Dewi Lake and James Fender.

Welshmushroom wrote:

mikey_dragon wrote:What’s new going forward? There’s still a salary cap so can’t see who they’re gonna buy. They don’t need that many squad additions tbh.

I'm not sure Mikey.  They look like they could be in trouble again next year.  Think they are overspending on their top players again.  Tipuric for example despite meeting all the criteria for his recent 400-450K annual salary isn't worth it in my mind.  That's not me saying he isn't one of the best opensides around because he is.  I just dont think any openside currently is worth that kind of money because in rugby terms there are more key positions within the game.  Plus add in the fact the quality of opensides available is far higher than in most positions.  If Bristol really had offered 500K to him (assuming they would have even honoured that on the back of the covid stuff), Ospreys should have let him go.  He's probably got about 2-3 years of top level club rugby in him (although granted in his case he may go on longer).

This goes back to something I was saying in a earlier thread how Rugby generally doesn't understand how to properly value its players.  Ospreys seem to have extended in some areas to much and that seriously has impacted the strength of their all round squad.  Assuming Aled goes because of Webb coming in, thats another bad transaction.  Webb is well past his best.  

In my mind they are banking on their first 15 being available because the rest of the cuboard is looking dire.  Hopefully at least Booth can do a better job than previous coaches.  

That sort of salary is actually pretty low for a player of his ability and standing.  In France or England he could command higher.  It's difficult labeling certain positions as being more important than others, but I'd say openside is a hugely important position.  I think a really good one can command a top salary.  And don't forget, the Ospreys only have to pay about £80k of that, unless I've missed something.  The WRU will top up the rest.  That's assuming he'll be one of the elite players in Pivac's list.  Can't see why he wouldn't be.  So for the Ospreys, £80k for an arguably world class player who will play on average as many games as the other elite Wales squad players is good business in my eyes. We have a similar situation at the Dragons - Moriarty was on our books last season and paid entirely from the Dragons budget. Around £500k roughly, or a bit less depending on what you read. But the WRU didn't pick up the tab according to Buttress as there was a chance we would lose him if we didn't move fast. So we went for him and he cost about 10% of our squad spend! But from next season he'll be on a WRU mostly funded contract. So the Dragons will only have to pay around £100k of that salary. So effectively it's like freeing up £400k, and maybe that's how we've been able to bring in the likes of Jonah Holmes, etc. Now you can argue that £100k might be better spent on a player who's there all season. Let's say a £100k Fijian back rower. But for that sort of money you're going to get someone who either isn't very good (if they're decent then they'll be on France on £500k+) or is up and coming and is a relative unknown. We've been there before for years and years shopping in the bargain bucket and we just end up waiting for their contracts to expire so we can offload them. Moriarty might only play 10 games but we know he's test quality; he also brings experience of the international test environment that can hopefully rub off on others (bit of a stretch, but you never know); he brings some star factor that will help bring in more fans; and hopefully having Wales squad stars at the region will encourage others to join as they know it's a place where they can and will get called up (often been an issue for the Dragons in attracting players the past). So he's value added, in my opinion. And £100k for 10 or so games is again goo business I think.