Squad for 23/24 and beyond

Rhodri has been training with the squad all summer

Just need a top 9 and 3 imo...

Suspect it will be a tight head and back three. Maybe we will run with Rhodri as fourth 9 and Lewis Lloyd as fourth 2 . Both have been training with squad. Hooker the bigger risk as none of our 9s will be involved with team Wales whereas our hooker clearly will be.

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Great stuff Paul, thank you for posting this.

If you can confirm the time and date of the Sketty Lane hit out, I may go and watch and others may go as well?

Will try mate

Yep, I think a more direct approach suits our current backline better.

We should be quicker moving the ball from rucks this season now that Webb has left (though I admit I’m not to au fait with Luke Davies. I hope he’s a good addition but I would have been quite happy if we had signed Dane Blacker instead of the Dragons) if as you say the clearout issues can be resolved to a degree.

For those on Twitter, I found the below link an interesting read about our performances last season.

While it was written by someone who supports are noisy neighbours, I think it was put together with sincerity (apologies, it may be readable without an account, but I don’t know for sure since Musk implemented various changes):

https://twitter.com/HuwGriffinRugby/status/1656201931600084992

I think that a short time ago we had 28 players in Wales RWC and Wales Under 20 camps. The 6N is slightly less onerous but Ospreys have borne the weight of those demands for a long time.

I personally support the "homegrown player" ethos 100% but it does have negative side effects when the other regions fail to step up for Wales and we don't have 23 fit senior players.

The "system" and coaching doesn't matter and certainly can't be judged if you have no players to carry it out.

Unless I've missed it, yep, the PRA doesn't appear to financially acknowledge, renumerate for etc supplying players to the national team.

We found out last year we need a 12 who can get over the gain line and a 10 who can control territory. Kieran is our best gain line 12 and Watkin our second .

Our attack was hugely limited last year by so many slow players but I think it still needs to revolve around our carriers with a faster 9 behind them. Ratti was a great carrier for Cardiff.

Walsh is a good footballer but I'm curious to see what Edwards can do.

Yep, we've got five players who have or can play FB (I'm including Houston as aye he played there recently for the U20s) and they average out at as barely over 22 and a half-years-old. Protheroe is the 'old man' of the group at 26! Wasn't aware of Ben Evans, cheers for the heads-up on him.

Thanks for the ongoing updates. Everything crossed for Jones joining, would be a big asset for the coaching group.

Mark Jones wasn't wandering about as well was he?

Didn't see him

I managed to get over to Llandarcy today.

Unless I was very mistaken I'm sure I saw Mark Jones at the session.

He was t taking part but appeared to be meeting players and taking a look around

Yep, just googled him and the clip showed him with some serious pace for a centre. We're going to be short at centre, so a good signing.

Is there any indication how long this loan is for?

On the Beeb it says a season long loan.

My best guess for new names would be Llien Morgan wing Rhodri Lewis scrum half Freddie Chapman loose head Kian Hire tight head Evan Hill lock Liam Edwards lock

What about Harri Doel?

Doel is 23 so would not be transitional. He had a few good games for Worcester and given the injury history of Giles Protheroe and Cuthbert we will need back three depth but they may consider Harri Houston gives them that and if they are tight to the cap hooker scrum half and centre are bigger priorities than back3. if we have the cap room and get those other positions sorted he would be a reasonable squad addition.

Good to have these updates, keep em coming please.

I must say that having three Ospreys tight head props in the last Wales U20 squad was probably a unique event. Isn't Freddie still an Under 20 for the next 6N?

Thanks to Paul for the news.

Yes he is 20 next year. I thought the Ruddock plan was to convert Fletcher to hooker. Hire looks the really serious prospect but he is only 18.

After watching him play for the whites last season I think he needs a lot of progress to be ready to get game time at the ospreys

Hi Ogwr. Mark Jones was at Llandarcy today.

He wasn't taking part in the session but was meeting players and taking a look around.

I'm confident he's a done deal

Sounds good, he made a difference to the under 20s. Hope he had joined.

Are there any names being mentioned?

None that I have heard sorry.

Looks like Scully Tristan Davies were names not on the original list but I don’t think either Cai Davies or Grabham are still with us so the numbers stay roughly the same. The distinction between transitional and full is likely to move.

I think there has to be two hookers and two scrum halves and a centre. It may be Walsh moves full time to 15

Looked like a new hooker at training today but no name available sorry.

Talked to my contact who just said their looking for new players with a grin on his face.

Also interesting to see Owen Williams and Alex Cuthbet training ( I wonder if they've been released from works cup duty?).

That is great news, especially with his versatility to cover the back 2 rows of the scrum

Any potential rumblings on a new major sponsor?

I thought Westacre recently renewed...

Nothing on that sorry

If Swansea become the intermediate level between Prem and URC then surely those players signed to them are on the Pathway aiming to provide professional players to the region and therefore available to the region? I don't fully understand what is intended but;

"We need a vehicle to develop the highest potential rugby players to bridge the gap between the academies, the regional, and international game. This will sit between the top end of the community game and the URC,” explained Bevan.

Not sure I understand what you are saying. We have a finite amount up to the cap so have to get the best value for the amounts spent on new players that takes us up to the cap bearing in mind we cant go into the season with only one scrum half and two hookers.

If an offer came in for Cuthbert or North on the same sort of basis as Francis that might be worth considering from both our and the players perspective,

I was referring to coaches if we screwed them in this difficult market, they could move on at the first opportunity, better to be a little more sensible for long time keepers

Like I presume Owen Williams, although there would be other factors in play, I don't think he would have re signed if he felt agrieved at our initial contract if it had particularly undervalued him

Ok take your point. This is what happened with Hawkins. We should have taken him off his academy contract well before the signing freeze came in. We need to ensure we don’t make the same mistake with the likes of Morse. You need to pay the difference makers well and get the age profile right and recognise when an overpaid player is in decline. That is how all pro sport reacts to salary caps.

You will love this new entry to the Swansea RFC squad.

https://www.swansearfc.co.uk/player?id=129630&authtoken=NTdEQjExRTctNzI3Ri00RTFGLUI2NEItOUZGRkFFMkNFMjlB&teamid=MTA0NDA5

Won't open...

Blighters have added an Alun Wyn Jones, 37 as having made one appearance in 2022-23.

Maybe we did look at him? You are right though it is disappointing.

Yes and maybe we are in far greater need for a 9 15 and proper attack coach

Are there any new coaches coming in, I’m thinking backs coaches. TB said we didn’t score enough tries last season, that’s the reason I’m asking?

Nothing on that sorry

Cardiff moving Sanjay on may give them the budget for a proper starting 10 rather than having to shoehorn the young Caiser into a position that does not suit him.

I am guessing they are still making moves. Cardiff look like they may have got that Currie Cup 10 through according to Total Wales which may mean the young Caiser stays. Lewis Lloyd has signed for Swansea full time so we are probably looking for two hookers. There are now only 7 players in our squad over 30. Last year there were closer to 20.

Surely the Ospreys themselves must consider it absurd that the player himself Total Wales and BBC announce before they get around to making an announcement

You'd think, wouldn't you.

His limit imo...gave his all but never good enough.

Ouch !!!! some just don't make the crossover from 7's

Luke Morgan

A year ago I would have called this a monumentally stupid signing. Today I would call it an ok signing for a side that does not have the budget to splash the cash. That is because he has improved. He is still woeful under the high ball and does not always know where he is in space hence the high number of one handed failed catch yellow cards he gets. But he is durable and gives everything he has and is a serious try scoring threat

Given our budget and his improvement in the last 12 months whilst this is not a top signing it is an ok one.

Tackling not obligatory in sevens 🤔

I dont think its his tackling but his positioning and reading of the game. I think his commitment is there but his positioning isn't.

Corin Palmer has been on long term sick since early 2023

Corin Palmer has been on long term sick since early 2023

Thanks Paul.

Shows the pressure Booth must have been under. No Garcia Whapham or Palmer to take pressure off. Edwards leaves the coaching staff and is not replaced. Surrounded by rookie coaches on their first rodeo.

Does that just leave us with RMW at 9 ????

Apparently Osian Knott is signing with them full time too, but Swansea are expecting to see "less of" Dan Edwards next year so he might be more part of the O's group.

It will be interesting to see who the Whites next three signings will be. Sam Moore? Ashley Beck? Any other thoughts.

Any talk of potential incomings?

No,it does mention that he has to see off the threat of Henry Thomas for his Welsh shirt.

Have not read it all yet but nothing so far. This is pure speculation on my part but I suspect the stench of Gatland getting what he wants could enter the equation once he has settled on his 42 for the summer camps. He won’t want any of his 42 not having contracts post RWC and there will be pressure put on all regions to allocate any budget they have to the likes of Henry Thomas Corey Hill and Anscombe assuming they make the 42. And if they don't do what he wants he will attempt to veto nwq signings.

Also given he has lost Webb and wants kicking scrum halves he could well try and get Aled Davies back to a welsh side.

That is a reasonable shout. Would have picked up a lot working under a very good attack coaching mind in Blair.

Booth has already said recruitment will be minimal. Francis leaving and Henry Thomas looking for a welsh side creates one possibility. The scrum half stable has been virtually cleaned out so something has to happen there. Other than that a lock and perhaps a back the vast bulk of the likely 40 or so strong first team squad are already here.

I think that as far as senior players go we might see three or four but we may also see a few academy/transition players who have been released by other regions and English premiership clubs. Ospreys have taken up four or five very good prospects overlooked by Cardiff in the recent past so the recruiters are tuned in to that source and there will be more this season than ever before being released.

So the definite leavers are Roots Lydiate AWJ BBBD Francis Elvis Webb Anscombe Harri Hawkins Myler TTW which is 12. Rumoured leavers include Dan Evs Cross Aubrey Collins. Uncertainty over Moore Regan Baldwin Knott.

Looks like 18 leavers Paul mentioned are coming to pass.

Two arrivals in Ratti and Owen Williams. Imagine there may be a scrum half prop and lock to come

Moore will leave

For me, being an ex tight-head, I love the forward power we display at times. But would also welcome intricate back play. Hopefully our top people think the same and get it done.

Fussell is probably a decent skills coach but building a coherent attacking system is beyond him and Booth. It was very noticeable that by December we had totally jettisoned the system Fussell spent the summer installing

Mike Ruddoch ?

I do wonder if the reason for our failure to announce a leavers list is that we don’t know who are leavers are yet because some players have been given the chance to test their market value before accepting our offer

Be happy to see Webb go

Don't forget we also have Louis Fletcher and Ellis Fackrell at U20 and Kian Hire at U18 levels. They need time but Ellis and Kian already play for Swansea and Louis for the university.

Agree some decent prospects at tight head but it will be very hard for them physically to compete for a couple of years. Rhys Henry could step up to first choice alongside Botha and Warren becomes primary back up unless Henry Thomas comes seriously cheap.

I hope we don’t use the budget to overpay for Webb or Collins.