Squad for 2025/26

I will remove his X then

Thanks. Interesting we haven’t “Scraped the barrel” for this NWQ then. If there’s one way we can improve the squad and team quickly, it’s via the NWQ market.

There is a lot of footage of him on you tube.

I think we are only allowed 8 nwq. We have Kasende Walsh and Smith now looked in for next year and I would expects a nwq tight head to make four. That leaves Boshoff Spencer and McGuigan contracted to the end of the year and a question mark over whether Cokasinga signed a one or two year deal. Both McGuigan and cokasinga make no sense in tying up a nwq spot but Boshoff and Spencer do.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1GzW5fRmCT/

If Will Griff can get back to full fitness, he will be like a new signing and Fender will continue to develop as will big Rhys. Hopefully we retain big Will Spencer but we do need to sign a new hard-nosed second row who will be there all season.

Massive shame if true.

I would have thought that he was too promising to just let go. If it is because of contracts for Greatbanks etc it is a lot more than just a shame.

Having watched Tristan today I can see why we may want to have a more powerful option like Ratti and Moriarty at 6

WoL started the rumours back in February when Ross had been out for 4 months. Had O's signed him they would have announced it on the website and despite Tips retirement Moriarty is not the sort of player that would fit in with our back rowers.

I don’t think the majority of our signings are announced as soon as they are made. They are deliberately drip fed. Moriarty damaged shoulder ligaments on his return but it did not require surgery. I would suggest he can cover 6& 8 and if we are trying to build carriers in our back five he adds to those options

Rugbypass hedge their bets and have 5 teams chasing Harris and AFIK only Steffan "Bonkers" Thomas has the rumour about Smith. Steff also thinks Moriarty is a confirmed signing so you pays your money etc etc and so on and so forth.

It all may come true but as my ex used to say; Patience is a virtue

Practise if you can

Seldom found in women,

Never in a man.

Ha ha, so true

When you try and sign quality players they are likely to have a lot of other options so you may get some but you will not always get your man. There could therefore be rumours that fall through. If you target bargain basement then you are more likely to get your man as they will not have other options

Moriarty played his first game in 5 months yesterday and lasted just 20 minutes.

I should imagine that has come from the uncertainty over funding over the last couple of years

Further to that, now that we are supposed to have an increase in funding, it must mean that we have been able to go back to Beard with an improved offer and that is what he is considering?

The complexity here is French clubs will very often ask for pre contracts to be signed so I would not be surprised if there are lot of financial issues around resigning Beard even if is what both parties would prefer. Plus we don’t yet know if this increased funding is signed up to yet.

Away for family reasons

I don't think he'd go there.

If you think about it, Moriarty is replacement for Tips who is retiring. Our back row would be Moriarty, Jac and either Morris or Morse.

Yeah that’s how I’m seeing it.

Any news on this...

I think we are just waiting for the right time to announce it officially.

As of Saturday he had not put pen to paper. It looks likely but was not as of Saturday a done deal.

Not heard anything recently but there was a rumour doing the rounds about Ngami Laumape last year. I think he is currently in Japan

Good news

Forgive my ignorance, but what is Mark Jones role then? Is he DOR or somesuch?

I could well believe we are looking for an experienced forwards coach as that was Booth's primary area of expertise.

The article is extremely speculative and we already have Dunc, Richard Kelly, Paul James, Bradley and Huw Gustaffson involved in coaching forwards at varying levels. The possibility of a seamless progression from schools and colleges through academy and transition to BUCS and SRC onto Ospreys is IMO one of the main attractions of the move to SH.

All under one roof on a cohesive Pathway with Ruddock at the helm? Ymlaen!

You should watch the footage of us scrumming against Glaws in that training session. Matholwych and Hire were manhandled. We certainly need somebody but nobody lets a decent tight head go so it would have to be somebody out of contract. The only name I know out of contract is Robert Hunt who was supposedly in talks with the Dargons before they signed Lewis. There are probably some others and I agree we have to do something there.

I would run a mile from a wq tight head. The fact somebody as weak as Dillon Lewis has 50 caps tells you it is the weakest of all positions in Wales and anybody who is better than moderately poor xould be tied up with Team Wales. We have seen this with Warren. I think we need to look for a nwq from a traditionally strong propping country like South Africa or Argentina. More likely to find a decent player from their reserves. Maybe Tomas Francis if he wanted to come home at right price.

If we do sign Moriarty, which seems inevitable, it could well be a bit of clever forward planning if either of the MMs get selected for Wales.

A new TH who can actually scrummage would also be lovely.

I think the main reason for adding Moriarty to the back row is size. Jac Morse Morris and Deaves are all very short and could never be selected in the same back row. I would be staggered if Jac and Morse were not regulars with Team Wales. I would be equally staggered if Morris and Deaves were.

Luke Morgan stands out as an obvious one. Subject to their contract terms Cokasinga and Steff Thomas have offered poor returns. I think Cam Jones may have overtaken Steff Thomas in the pecking order

All good calls but what is the position with the SRC transition players? Some appear above while others like Connor Moyse, Hire and Ben Evans are noticeable by their absence. Evans was a really exciting counter attacking full back at age grade.

I have put the players who have been playing for the First XV only. Moyse is still out injured and Kian has only just returned this past weekend.

It's at the bottom of the press release when the squad is announced for a game - https://www.ospreysrugby.com/news/ospreys-announce-team-face-leinster-origin-round

To be fair that list says unavailable and not injured....I could have sworn that I read that Cokansiga had a bad attitude and it was why he wasn't playing but I could be wrong.

I haven't heard that I must admit. I'm almost certain he's injured, he'd have been sent to play in the SRC otherwise if fit and out of favour I'd have thought.

If Jarod came, he would likely block the development of Dan Edwards. We need another Stephen Myler type of signing for 10.

Tend to agree on Evans. I think there are three ways to go to cover the departure of OW. The first would be to get a player coach on the verge of retirement and if Dan Biggar is persuadable to play out his days at St Helens he would be a good call. The second is to find a new player who could be a first choice at 12 and back up at 10. Or sign a quality 15 and use Walsh at 10 with Dan Edwards

Biggs as mentor would be a very good call if he, Walsh and DanEds can rotate 10 and 15 as Biggs and Sammy D used to do. I have never been a fan of Jarrod who can lose his focus too easily and run in circles. He can't kick either and we have Josh Phillips and Charlie Thomas still growing into their games.

If he was on a 2 year contract then the answer is yes. Can’t see who is in blue but my best guess on who is in that category after the four announced signings would be Beard Rhys D Spencer Morris RMW Luke Davies Kieran W Boshoff Conbeer Luke Morgan. But very difficult to know the various breaks and option years all the contracts would have so could be a few more

I was told MM was going to France if he wasn't selected for 6 nations squad

With the 5 you named plus WG and Ratti and Dan Germine coming through have to agree why would we need to go there, there are far more important positions to fill.

Unless it is a cheap punt?

We are clearly considering another back rower carrier as we were linked with Tom Hooper before Exeter grabbed him.

I think Nagy is a selection rather than injury. Cokasinga was injured in the Munster game and we really need him to start playing with Watkin probably out for at least 9 months.

Sign Boshoff permanently? Give Florence a shot? Move Lewis Edwards from 15? There is also young Cornelius but you are right, Cokanasiga really is needed.

I hope your right, a new tight head would be good news as well mind.

We could speculate our way into jobs at WoL if we weren't careful and I am glad that the coaching and business staff have that problem. BUT (big but) what we do not yet know is the detail of the new Pro Rugby Agreement for next season. I strongly suspect that the salary cap will rise but of more effect might be the inter-regional sharing of talent. We have 10 or 12 locks and a strong back row in a large but youthful squad. Will WRU tell us to share that bounty?

We could do with a mature and experienced tight head but with Hire and Fackrell on the books we might even lose one of the young guns. Whatever the outcome we probably won't start to see the pattern until July and pre-season.

If this aspect of the potential PRA is enforced it will only apply where there is a stockpile of international quality affecting game time. We don’t have anything like enough quality across the squad to have any concern. With Beard gone we only have two locks of international quality. We have no tight heads of international quality. Hire is a couple of years conditioning away even if he turns out good enough and Fackrell has already been released and is contracted only to the Whites where he is not a regular starter.

End of this season

We need him to put pen to paper

Just being pragmatic. I don't think we can expect senior players like Adam and Owen who have been with O's since boyhood NOT to look to their pension pots in their late 20's. I would love to retain both but we simply can't pay them what they are worth.

You are absolutely right to be pragmatic because there is a finite amount of money and each contract needs to be looked at relative to the market for that position and the depth we have in it.

Owen has re-signed.

Spencer was available because he has had had a number of injury ravaged seasons. If he stays fit he is a quality player who was once around the England squad. The thing I like about these Cheetah loans is we get the chance for an extended trial to judge how the player fits in. Kasende has been superb but Boshoff also has some real qualities. He closes quickly in defence and is very smart positionally. I really hope we use the loanee route during the 6 Nations and have a good look at one or two of their props because our scrum has been slaughtered when the first choice props are not there.

Signed a 3 year contract in March 24

No that was March 2022. He's out of contract this summer

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/60587070

Apologies I misread the date

I think the line is best drawn at players who have made the 23 at some point this season which is pretty much where it has been other than Scully and Ioreth-Scott who have made the odd one.

It is difficult enough with senior contracts to know which ones have break clauses and which don’t. It is harder still with academy contracts