Pro12: Coaches could be the problem, says Dragons chief Hazell

Last updated on .From the section Rugby Unioncomments26

Dragons v Glasgow Warriors

Chairman Martyn Hazell admits the Newport Gwent Dragons coaches could be the "problem" after their record Pro12 defeat to Glasgow.

The Dragons suffered a humiliating 60-3 loss to the Warriors at Rodney Parade.

Coach Darren Edwards admitted he was "embarrassed" by the Dragons eight-try defeat.

"We have to go through it with the coaches and see what they think is the problem, or they may be the problem anyhow," said Hazell.

The Dragons' defeat was a record win for Glasgow and the 57-point winning margin was the biggest for an away team in the tournament's history.

Edwards has ruled out any suggestions that he was considering his position as Dragons coach after the defeat.

He is in his second full season as coach after he replaced Paul Turner as Dragons head coach in February 2011.

Hazell admitted it may be a time for a change at the helm at Rodney Parade, but any changes will be made in the summer.

"There is no point in changing at this point in the season," said Hazell.

"It's not a small problem... it needs a really good look at.

"We have to discuss it as a board to see where we are. I think something will have to be done somewhere along the line."

Hazell admitted he was at a loss to explain the manner of the Dragons' defeat.

"It's another loss, but the biggest we have had in years," said Hazell.

"The players didn't play, it was a good Glasgow side and we cannot take that away from them, but they [the players] didn't put their heart into it.

"I don't know why. We will have to look at it to see what the problems are."

Hazell did admit there were plans to bolster a young Dragons squad with some experienced professionals in the summer, but claimed finance would dictate the quality of the signings.

"It is all to do with finances, the whole four regions in Wales because we are all strapped for cash and we just have to make do with what we have got," said Hazell.

"We have allocated more money to the coaching staff to bring outside-halves and a front row, but we have not got very far on recruitment at the moment."

Hazell has poured cold water on mounting speculation that the Dragons will become a development region.

"We have a participation agreement with the WRU for the next two years and legally that cannot alter that," said Hazell.

"They cannot downgrade us to a development region because of the participation agreement.

"We are all equal with that and that's for the next two years. It's a legally-binding document."

Comments

Join the conversation

These comments are now closed.

26 comments

  • I think the 'no relegation' aspect in Welsh rugby is one of the major problems. Perhaps the Dragons players and region may try a bit harder if they thought there was a chance they could get relegated to a lower division instead of quietly meandering their way to a dismal league position every single season.

  • If I was in charge of WRU i would rebuild again from the bottom. Look at NZ they have a 12 team domestic league which supports their 5 S15 teams. Have 4 regions, East, West, Central (Valleys) and North, then have 3 pro/semi-pro clubs from each region compete in a 12 team domestic top league with no relegation and then have relegation and promotion leagues with in each region. That's just me though

  • I'm sorry but it's not the coaches,they have done well with what they have, the Dragons player budget in £2m a season, English Championship sides have bigger budgets! Edwards has done well and produced competitive players and a consistent competitive team (this is a 1 off result). If the money men want improvement then put your money where you mouth is, pay to keep Faletau, Lydiate, Charteris etc

  • I think if the dragons want to be competitive next season we need to look to bring in an experienced coach, someone like Warren Gatland or Steve Hansen to get the team moving in the right direction. If we could possibly sign the likes of Paul James, Craig Mitchell and Huw Bennett for our front row as well as James Hook as a 10, I think we would start to become more competitive! Byrne for Amos...?

  • Seems to me its all about money nowadays, who you can bring into the squad for success.
    Businessmen, sponsors call them what you like but they have been massively influential in all sports we cannot do without them more so in Welsh rugby with poor attendances and we should really be more sympathetic to their effort.
    We dumped the Valley rugby base, and regions in towns have not improved support.

  • You're all missing the point I feel. Even less teams will not improve attendances as even less of the public will embrace them and will feel disenfranchised. It's also very well blaming the benefactors (who I don't like) but you could have the most astute people running these sides but they still would not be able to find ways of making the public buy into these plastic entities. Start again WRU.

  • The problem with regional rugby is that it is at the mercy of individuals such as martyn hazell and peter thomas who are not qualified for their roles.

    They will never have enough money to cover up their incompetence. Time for full wru control so that they can then appoint professionals to run the regions efficiently.

  • @16
    Yeah I'd be happy with that something has to been done, the regions aren't working in the sense they are struggling financially, poor results in Europe and the Welsh public haven't embraced them hence the low crowds. On the other hand they have produced some very good players.

  • my view is 3 teams in wales-- east, west wales & north. that's the only way, if we honestly expect 20k+ attendances.

    people say 3 teams isnt enough, but NZ only have 5 and they have 3-4 times more players than us. even now, we have approximately 1 team's worth of foreigners. 3 teams made up solely of welsh players would be enough.

    WRU must have east/west/north play touring teams teams to start.

  • Toby leaving at the end of this season seems to indicate that things are terminal at the Dragons.
    @16 good idea, but far too late now 10 years down the line. Any other changes now would signal the end of regional rugby.

  • The problem is - would a new valley region struggle in the same way the Dragons are now? Maybe Ospreys/Valleys, Scarlets/North Wales, Blues/Dragons might have a better chance. It's a difficult one - either way I hope the Dragons can turn things around by next season. It'll be tough without key players as they found during the AIs and 6Ns.

  • 14. CrashBall

    I like that idea and while we're at it merge the Ospreys/Scarlets create a new valley team and have proper Welsh regions. Common Sense!!

  • Looking to the future and considering the current problems with regional rugby - would a merger with the Blues be feasible or is that ridiculous? Just seems that both regions are struggling and it might make room for a development region in the valleys. Purely pie in the sky of course! Otherwise I like the idea of Kingsley Jones and Sean Holley both coming in but is that affordable?

  • Dragons have lost so many players to other clubs, but the coaches will now take the blame, but the players threw in the towel, and showed no pride in playing for the Drgons.
    A valley 's team may be a better option, but the WRU chickened out with the formation of the regions, apart from the Osprey's all the other regions are club teams, and they are poorly supported playing in flash stadiums .

  • It is the responsibility of the coaches. Appleyard came in as a defensive coach, then he was made forwards coach when Wilson left and now he's called assistant coach! Most pro sides have a Head coach, backs coach, forwards coach and a defensive coach. The Dragons are as much of a joke off the field as on it. We need Kingsley Jones as Head coach with some Gwent coaches to support him.

  • If you look at the Avila premiership the top teams have 15 quality players across the board. The better welsh regions have maybe 7/8 , the dragons have 2/3. There's the problem, the rest would struggle to get into a premiership team. I am an exiled Welshman living in Nottingham. I watch a fair bit of championship rugby and the quality is 100 times better than what the dragons dished up on friday

  • It is not just the coaches fault. The lack of commitment shown by some of the players was appalling, they just didn't bother tackling, you shouldn't have to have a coach tell you that. As Johnathon Davies said, whether the players are happy or not this is their professional career and following that game a lot of them shouldn't get their contracts renewed purely because of lack of effort.

  • disbanded or not, the coaches at the Dragons HAVE to take responsibility, the Ospreys ditched Scott johnson around this time and brought in Tandy.worked a dream.
    any odds on the new coach being Sean Holley?

  • Being the poorest club in the poorest region in Wales does not help the Dragons,most of the time the small ground is not full.It's time the management took some of the blame because the ticket prices are to high for the area.

  • Even if they were disbanded a lot of their players wouldn't even make the other regions teams.
    Harries, Coombs and Gustafson are the only ones worth signing.

Top Stories