Who’s where?

Just picked this off the Neath RFC website. Interesting reading:

WHO'S WHERE …

ABERAVON Coach: Kevin Hopkins. Assistant coach: Mark Jones. Captain: Chris Gittins. Team manager: Steve Jones. In - Chris Gittins (Neath), Marc Breeze (Wales und19), Jonathan Thomas (Caerphilly), Paul Fisher (Dunvant), Mike Kelly (Taibach), Simon Peters (Llangennech), John Leyshon (Llanharan). Out - Mark Jones, Dafydd Owen (both retired), James Jones (Carmarthen Quins).

BEDWAS Coaches: Ian Gardner and Steve Law. Team manager: Mal Minty. In - Mike Silcox, Brian Edwards (both Caerphilly), Neil Lewis, Shaun David (both Llanharan), Rhys Edwards, Harry Trelawney (both UWIC).

BRIDGEND Coach: Chris Stephens. Assistant coach: Paul Williams. Team manager: Norman Spain. In -Mark Roper, Richie Radford, Nicky Morgan (all Llanharan), Johnny Koloi (Whitland), Andrew Williams (Caerphilly). Out - Neil Dixon (Maesteg), Nathan Strong (Pontypridd), Tom Snellgrove (Swansea), Scott Roberts (Pontypridd).

CARDIFF Coach: Howard Stone. Assistant coach: Colin Laity. In - Chris Miller (Newbridge), Jonathan Rimmer (Llanelli). Out - Rob Appleyard (retired), Phil Osborne (Newport), Nathan Llewellyn, Chris Czekaj (both Blues), Adam Powell (Pontypridd), Gareth McCarthy (Glamorgan Wanderers), Jonathan Edwards (Scarlets).

CARMARTHEN QUINS Coach: Ian Jones. Assistant coaches: Craig Bonnell and Anthony Dragone. In - James Jones (Aberavon), Alan Mason (Laugharne), Luke Marsh, Dominic Day (both Llanelli), David Jones (Whitland), Gwion Bowen (Cross Keys), Stuart Phillips (Wales u-19), Ken Owen (Wales u-18), Ryan Hopkins (Loughor). Out - Aled Thomas (Gwent Dragons), Wayne Evans (Pontypridd).

CROSS KEYS Coaches: Nicky Lloyd and Rob Beale. In - Justin Thomas (Caerphilly), Wayne Sims, Jonathan Williams, Tom Lampard (all Newbridge), Scott Horner, Scott Headington (both Ebbw Vale), Rhys Miller (Pontypool), Scott Marasco (Newport Saracens), Steve Thomas (Croesyceiliog). Out - Gethin Worgan (3-year ban), Gerwyn Price (Neath), Gareth Taylor, Owain Biddiscombe (both Ebbw Vale), Gwion Bowen (Carmarthen Quins).

EBBW VALE Director of rugby: Byron Hayward. Team manager: Alun Harries. In - Gareth Taylor, Owain Biddiscombe (both Cross Keys), Neil Edwards (Newport), Bryan Shelbourne (Penzance), Simon Hunt (returned to club), Dean Alexander, Rhodri Davies, John Bowd, Darryl Williams (all Newbridge), Andy Edwards (Caerphilly), Alyn Lake (Llanharan). Out - Scott Horner, Scott Headington (both Cross Keys).

GLAMORGAN WANDERERS Coach: Griff Rees. Assistant coaches: Bob Newman and Felice Coetzee. In - Ceri Jones (Llanharan), Stuart Lawrence (Pontypool Utd), Ben Jeffries (Pontypool), Jamie Jones (Blackwood), Gareth McCarthy (Cardiff). Out - Mark Heywood (Australia).

LLANDOVERY Director of rugby: Jeremy Evans. Coach: Gareth Davies. Backs coach: Lyndon Lewis. Team manager: Mark Vince. In - Tomos Marks (Llanelli), Mark Bowen (Llangennech). Out - Gareth Morgan (Worcester), Rhodri Gomer Davies (Northampton), Luka Plesko (released).

LLANELLI Director of rugby: Kevin Williams. Coach: Max Howells. Team manager: Gren Cole. In - Michael Hook (Aberavon), Nick Jones (Neath), Ryan Llewellyn, Stefan Edwards (both Swansea), Mike Jones (Neath). Out - Ryan Perrett (Bonymaen), Tomos Marks (Llandovery), Luke Marsh, Dominic Day (both Carmarthen Quins), David Maddocks, Bryn Griffiths (both Dragons), Jonathan Rimmer (Pontypridd), Chris Rowe (Sedgeley Park).

MAESTEG Coaches: Leighton O'Connor and Gareth Brown. In - Ian Boobyer (Scarlets), David Owen (Llanharan), James Dixon, Lloyd O'Connor, Michael Connors (all Youth), Neil Dixon (Bridgend), Ross Pearce (Pontycymmer).

NEATH Coach: Rowland Phillips. Assistant coach: Patrick Horgan. In - Steve Thomas, Arwel Thomas (both Scarlets), Gerwyn Price (Cross Keys), Leighton Gerard, Gareth James (both Bonymaen), Martin Morgan (Penzance), Jonathan Spratt (Neath Ath/Wales und 19).. Out - Nick Jones (Llanelli), Mark Davies (released), Chris Gittins (Aberavon), Darren Poland (Bonymaen), Lee Beach, Andrew Bishop, Ian Evans (all Ospreys), Mike Jones (Llanelli). Ospreys Dev Contracts - Aled Brew, Cai Griffiths, James Hook.

NEWPORT Coach: Dai Rees. Assistant coach: Sven Cronk. Team manager: Steve Jones. In - Gareth McCarthy, Matthew Thomas, Neil Watkins, Mark Workman (all Caerphilly), Rhys James (UWIC), Phil Osborne (Cardiff). Out - Nicky Kelly, Darren Davies (both Swansea), Neil Edwards (Ebbw Vale), Grant Hall, Chris Thomas, Gareth Mason (all released), James Ireland (Dragons).

PONTYPOOL Director of rugby: Gareth Hale. Backs Coach: Steve Cross. Forwards coach: Steve Jones. In - Craig Blunsden, Ross Watts (both Newbridge), Len Woodard (Tonmawr), Scott Williams (Pertemps Bees). Out - Cae Trayhern (Pertemps Bees), Rhys Miller (Cross Keys), Ben Jeffries (Glamorgan Wdrs).

PONTYPRIDD Coach: Gareth King. Team manager: Wayne Cullen. In - Nathan Strong (Bridgend). Blues Academy - Rhys Shellard, David Flanagan, Tom Riley, Adam Powell (Cardiff), Craig Evans (Carmarthen Quins), Scott Roberts (Pontypridd). Out - Richard Fussell (Dragons), Dan Godfrey (Scarlets).

SWANSEA Coaches: Tony Clement and Keith Colclough. Team manager: Ian Hopkins. In - Nicky Kelly, Darren Davies (both Newport), Nik Thomas (Caerphilly). Out - Ryan Llewellyn, Stefan Edwards (both Llanelli), Gareth Swales (London Welsh), Gareth Knox (released), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys).

NB: This is not necessarily a complete list.

Taffscarlet wrote: One question - why has the X Jeys player had a 3 year ban?! Sounds serious.

Drug tested positive

it's from the ic wales website so i'd say it's official, not made up on their site!

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0500rugbyunion/0200news/tm_ob jectid=15771094%26method=full%26siteid=50082%26page=1%26head line=principality%2dpremiership%2dteam%2dguide-name_page.htm l

Pedro Diniz wrote: Thought we'd signed Duane Godfrey from Pontypridd?? Also Wayne Evans - thought he signed for the Blues? Sifted to feeder club already then if he has signed for them.

He's signed a Blues development contract but his feeder club is Ponty. Training with the Blues all week and sometimes playing for Ponty on weekends, same wih all development playrs. Same with Aled, Newport RFC and Dragons.

supertaf wrote: Yet again, more digs about players leaving the region, interestingly it seems as though the Quins have signed 3 from outside the region - Tut Tut (Llanelli have signed 5 mind but we all know that they are the blue eyed boys so can do what they like)

And i suppose you consider it a good thing that youth, students and U21 internationals leave the region do you?

supertaf wrote: If there is no place for them in the regional squad, what option is there? 1) Dai please don't loose sight of the great need to win things at regional level, bringing on the youngsters before time won't win anything. The root of this issue is greed - In the past, `junior` players would have been given limited opportunities in the early years as they were considered too inexperienced to be thrust into top class games, even SQ suffered from this even though he was a class act from day one. However, where as in days gone by, the youngsters would have accepted that it was the better way to further their career, now what is happening is that 2) as soon as the player deems himself good enough, he starts touting himself around to the highest bidder. I don't think that is good for the player or the club/region. If the Dragons are happy to take these players, good luck to them as they will need it.... The Scarlets management while the butt of many a joke, are not that inexperienced.

1) The fact is that the Scarlets and the former Llanelli RFC have always survived and been successful by bringing on local youngsters. We cannot compete in monetary terms with English, French and to some extent Irish clubs so we have to rely on youngsters maiking the grade. We won nothing last year with experienced players and so called "quality signings" so what would have been the harm winning nothing but blooding future players in the process. Youngsters have to be thrown in at the deep end as there are some things you cannot learn on the training field. Why I remember a young Stephen Jones playing one of his first games for the club away in Cardiff against a top quality capital city side and look where he's got to.

2) In terms of players touting themselves around. They have to earn enough to make a living solely through rugby nowadays as they need to train 7 days a week to play rugby so offering contracts that players cant live on helps noone as happened within the region last year. All the players that left the region are earnings is a basic minimum wage they would earn working in Tesco so its not as if they went for the millions.