The Dragons have announced the signing of Rhodri Williams from Bristol, with the promise of more new players to follow. Robin Davey says head coach Bernard Jackman will continue to target Welsh exiles as part of a major squad overhaul.
This is just the start. Dragons head coach Bernard Jackman’s signing of scrum half Rhodri Williams and the possible addition of Jordan Williams and Ryan Bevington heralds the beginning of a recruitment drive.
Jackman, with the backing of the Welsh Rugby Union after their Rodney Parade takeover, pledged his new role would be a three-year process.
The first, now almost halfway through, was to give the current squad every opportunity as he sifted through the players at his disposal. The second was to undergo a healthy recruitment drive and the third to turn the Dragons into a leading Guinness Pro 14 team and the top-ranked Welsh region.
The Irishman has been quietly conducting his recruitment drive over recent weeks, having pretty much made up his mind which positions he wants to strengthen and what players he wants to fill those gaps.
Obviously, a number of players will not be retained – probably around 15 – and, again, Jackman now knows who those will be, although nothing will be released for some time. That is understandable, given that players’ jobs are on the line.
But the former Ireland hooker is in talks with a number of targets and their agents, hoping they will buy into the new environment at Rodney Parade. Even if results don’t necessarily show leaps of improvement at the moment – a crippling injury list of upwards of 25 players has been a contributing factor – there is a new mood of advancement and optimism.
His first priority was to look at exiled Welsh players and attempt to bring some of them home which is a WRU aim.
Former Scarlets No.9. Williams is just the start, namesake Jordan and Bevington are likely to follow and there will be more.
Ross Moriarty is a known target as the new 60-cap rule will trap him outside of the national squad when his contract with Gloucester is up at the end of the season.
Talks have taken place, but it is known that the Scarlets are also in the running for his signature.
But that won’t be the end of the recruitment from across the border for the Dragons. Jackman is also currently talking to others playing in England who have Welsh qualifications.
Only after he has exhausted those possibilities will the head coach attempt to sign a couple of overseas players, though he is presently shadowing a player in South Africa who has Welsh qualifications.
Jackman will be operating with an increased budget, bringing the Dragons more in line with the other regions, thanks to the aid provided by new chairman David Buttress and his board, though it must be emphasised the WRU takeover does not involve them handing the Dragons any extra money for players.
Buttress, a wealthy and highly successful businessman, is a Gwent man who is determined to turn the Dragons into another success story.
Though extremely busy and often travelling abroad on business, he has his finger very much on the Dragons pulse. Top priority now is to appoint a new commercial chief who will be charged with dramatically increasing revenue, which will obviously be ploughed into a further recruitment drive.
Buttress will bring about other changes within the Dragons organisation, which, together with Jackman’s on-field efforts, will make Rodney Parade a much more exciting place to be over the next few years.
