UAFC Ask the Opposition - Cardiff Blues - ANSWERS P4

[Loki]

been an interesting one this week - I ended up going through to Glasgow on Thursday for the referendum so haven't been able to interact with the Cardiff forum as I would have liked. answers being collated now...

I don't think the answers are half bad personally. this ATTR chap seems to have got the wrong end of the stick as to my intentions but sure look, it's all a learning curve. I'm sure we'll get a range of these as the season goes on...I'd be happy enough with any answers tbf. after the game I'll probably have more cogent opinions, got about 3hrs sleep last night so I'm feckin' wrecked!

[davejohnston]

been an interesting one this week - I ended up going through to Glasgow on Thursday for the referendum so haven't been able to interact with the Cardiff forum as I would have liked. answers being collated now...

I don't think the answers are half bad personally. this ATTR chap seems to have got the wrong end of the stick as to my intentions but sure look, it's all a learning curve. I'm sure we'll get a range of these as the season goes on...I'd be happy enough with any answers tbf. after the game I'll probably have more cogent opinions, got about 3hrs sleep last night so I'm feckin' wrecked!

Fair play to you Loki, it's a good job, and I hope it continues to be a regular thing.

I was a bit taken back by some of the blues perception of us Ulster fans. They are of course entitled to their opinion, but hopefully it won't be shared by the majority of fans.

[Loki]

ASK THE OPPOSITION - CARDIFF BLUES

Massive thanks to all on UAFC and The Arms Park for their contributions to the first Ask the Opposition of the 14/15 Season! The thread continues here...but with 90 minutes to kick-off, a selection of answers from the Scarlets fans are below:

• What do you think of the arrival of Mark Hammett, and the new signings over the summer? Is top four as a reasonable target this season even with so many changes?

ATTR: Far to early to say. No we have a way to go

CardiffStu: A much better prospect than our last DoR, signed on a budget of pennies who had failed everywhere else he'd been. Top four maybe next season with some decent signings. Too much semi-pro dross signed.

Cardiff_Steve: Top four is a bit of a reach to be honest. Top 6 a more realistic target. Hammett has been here less than a month and it'll take time for players to adapt to a new regime and vice versa. And, whilst some decent players have come in, some good ones have left and there are obvious gaps in the squad.

• The signing of Adam Jones has been met with some skepticism. Is he "so far over the hill he's now down in the valleys"?

ATTR: Not on the evidence so far. but after 2 game? Far too early to tell.

CardiffStu: Seems to have stabilised our scrum, despite struggling with the new engagement sequence last year and being way off the required fitness level. A stop-gap and no more.

Cardiff_Steve: He's clearly not 100% match fit. But, the scrummaging in the last match suggests that theres life in him yet. Time will tell.

• Do you think your management will strategically prioritise your Pro12 campaign over your European campaign, in order to be in a better position for Europe next year?

ATTR: The aim will, I'm sure, be a Top Tier European place.

CardiffStu: We are in RCC2, and properly managed have the potential to win the pool. I hope Pr12 isn't our priority.

Cardiff_Steve: I think that for the time being they'll just take each game as they come. The coach needs to get to know his players before anything else.

• What do you make of the Warburton deal and how it's affected the team and the player's pre-season?

ATTR: Sam was poorly advised by his agent and the crooks in the WRU (Walter and Delboy) Thankfully Delboy is gone and Wlater will follow soon.

CardiffStu: Sam allowed himself to be used as a pawn in Roger Lewis' game. Whilst I understand players need the security of employment I do wish he hadn't allowed himself to be used in this way. Wales cannot afford central or dual contracts and we are only a few years away from NO Union being able to compete.

Cardiff_Steve: The impression I get is that players and coaches ignore politics and simply carried on as normal.

• Are you happy with the new European setup? Is there a fear that any drop-off will be hugely damaging to the future of Cardiff Blues on and off the pitch?

ATTR: It's better than the old set up. Drop off?

CardiffStu: Clubs need greater autonomy, Unions were for the amateur era and the only way to grow the game is through greater club expansion.

Cardiff_Steve: From a Cardiff perspective, its difficult to separate the ERC dispute with the dispute closer to home as the two became so entangled. I think the outcome of that is a very positive one for us, but its probably come too late to see a real impact this season.

As for the future. Its in our hands and whether we improve or keep falling away is down to us.

sgorpioncaerdyddrob: I'm obviously alone in that I really enjoy the Celtic/Italian league and think the changes to make European qualification this season are long overdue even if it means the club loses out on revenue. A proper Anglo-Welsh Cup with full strength English & Welsh opposition would be far better than the current offering but that all depends on the money and player welfare.


ATTR: The joke (about the P12) is that the games do not interest the majority of us here. Your Stars such as O'Driscoll are rarely seen outside the emerald Isle. For us It is only about qualification for the Euro events. So, in the past, as long as you finish above Newport it is job done. Now there criteria has changed so it will be job done if we qualify for the main Euro event.

• What's your honest take on the Cardiff pitch?

ATTR: Having watch(ed) rugby on it and refereed on it, I think the pitch is excellent

CardiffStu: Love it. As a coach it has opened up the club to the surrounding area like never before.

Cardiff_Steve: Delighted. Yet to meet anyone that has an issue with it. the fact that it can be used through the week by local teams is a real positive.

• What do you make of what's gone on at Ulster over the summer and beyond? Any thoughts on the new coaching ticket, or the input of international coaches (eg Les Kiss) on the club scene?

CardiffStu: The picture of players "blacked up" left a lot to be desired, silly boys.

Cardiff_Steve: Looking from the outside, Ulster has for past couple of years seemed a very well run organisation. So, surprise at so much upheaval so suddenly. Cant really comment on the coaches.

• Ulster sacked Gareth Anscombe's father unceremoniously this summer, leading to some choice comments from the fly-half. Do you think his comments regarding his father's departure from Ulster were ill-judged?
  What sort of reception will he get if he plays at Ravenhill later in the season?

ATTR: Surely that is something that only Ulster supporters can answer. I should hope they can be mature about it.

CardiffStu: It's his father, he is entitled to feel aggrieved.

Cardiff_Steve: I saw the comments and whilst he probably should have thought twice, in the great scheme of things what he said is pretty minor. I think it'd be a bit petty if people gave him stick for it months down the line.

• Both teams have now sold naming rights to their stadia - Ulster with Kingspan, Blues with the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park. What's your take?

ATTR: With regard the CAP it seems a good deal. Regarding Ulster I have no knowledge of the arrangement so can't comment

CardiffStu: Everyone will still call it The Arms Park. It's money in the bank.

Cardiff_Steve: The game needs to be funded and its a perfectly acceptable way of achieving that.

• What do you associate with Ulster Rugby?

CardiffStu: South Africans and McIlroys Euros.

Cardiff_Steve: Evident pride in the jersey and a dogged pack backed with some genuine quality. I dont imagine this season will be any different.

• The French are considering blowing open the naturalisation rules, whilst each of the home nations has a variety of nationalities within their groups. What do you think of Gareth Owen's comments that only Welsh-born players should play for Wales?

ATTR: I believe you should only play for a country if you have a genuine claim to that nationality. Rugby mercenaries do not find favour with me. International rugby is different from the club game.

CardiffStu: Residency is too lenient. Five years should be a minimum.

Cardiff_Steve: It was Michael Owen. I think a three year residency period is too short personally. I'm certainly opposed to teams signing "time server" players. Its now allowed for in our agreement with the union so we'd be silly not to take advantage. But as a rule I dont agree with it.

• Given the vested interest of the Championship Rugby Clubs in the PRL, do you consider that a combined English/Welsh league was ever going to receive approval of the English Rugby Union and also the approval of International Rugby Board?

ATTR: Money talks. Of course it would have.

CardiffStu: Boudjellal will hopefully put an end to the IRB imposing their own rules over the law of the land. Hopefully we will one day get a true Anglo-Welsh league.

Cardiff_Steve: I think in that scenario it would have gone to court and both organisations would have wanted to avoid that.

ATTR: The Welsh clubs are businesses. We are not there to support the Irish, Scots or Italian game. you have your own owners / unions in place to do that. Don't be naive enough to believe that The other unions, yours included, would not be off if a better offer came along. It's called business and we all must look first to our interests. Also were it not for the whole dispute you in Ireland would not be benefiting from the improved Euro deal.

• Do you see any chance of Halfpenny & Roberts returning to Wales any time soon - and would you be confident they would want to go to Cardiff?

ATTR: They have both indicated a desire to return one day. For ½p that may be sooner than we thought. Are they being honest? I don't know.

CardiffStu: Any Welsh international is currently poor value for money and will continue to be so.

Cardiff_Steve: Roberts more so than Halfpenny. I see Roberts seeing out his French contract, maybe doing a stint in Japan or Super Rugby, then finishing his career here before making a great deal of money in medicine.

• After the schisms of the last 18-24 months, Wales & the Regions seem uncertain about what they actually want. As fans are you committed to making the best of the PRO12 or do they still hanker after the PRL? Do you see the strides Glasgow have made in recent seasons & understand what you can do in the league if you commit to it?

ATTR: The sooner we are out of this joke league the better.

CardiffStu: Pro 12 is a poor league. I've no interest in it any more and would rather we played against Bath, Glaws etc with Irish opposition as a less frequent fixture, e.g Euro fixtures.

Cardiff_Steve: Peculiar series of questions there. Theyve just signed a deal which was pretty much identical to the one they would have signed a year ago - but wasn't agreed to by the union at the time. So, I dont really follow this assumption that they seem uncertain about what they want. With the stability of knowing whats happening in the near future, we can now plan and Im pretty confident we can up our game. I'll be supporting the club regardless of competition but cant speak for anybody else.

• You've been in and out of the Arms Park over the years. What's going on? Is it weird having the Milennium next door? What's in the long term for the Arms Park - demolition?

ATTR: Define "in and out". We left and came back. Why would it be weird having the MS next door? The National Stadium has been next door for over 40 years. Did you not know that?

CardiffStu: Never known any different and plenty of life in the old lady yet.

Cardiff_Steve: I imagine it seems an odd arrangement but I suppose we're just used to it. Before the MS, the old national stadium was there. Its always been a ground with more than one stadia on it. We made a huge mistake moving and I think we're still showing the scars. Not so much because of the choice of new venue but because of the horrendous deal we signed to play there.

In the long run, I'd hope that various issues about ownership ( which we really, really dont have time to go into) will be sorted. Then, I think we'll either see a rebuild, or we'll sell the ground off and move into a new purpose build rugby ground somewhere in the city. But i dont think either will happen any time soon.

• Is there any way that the regional label can be removed and the clubs of old be reborn in the league?

ATTR: Sadly not any more. the label will stay even though regionalism is a sham.

CardiffStu: Hope so. blues is a @#$%& poor brand, alienates a lot of supporters and the bluesfamily@#$%&is just that, crap.

Cardiff_Steve: As far as I'm concerned we never went away. We just have to bear some dodgy branding baggage from 10 years ago.

• Has the structure of the regions, and the characters involved in administration, turned people away from rugby? Does the recent success in soccer of Swansea and Cardiff bring bad tidings for the next 10-15 years of Welsh rugby?

ATTR:[ Yes to the first question and regarding the second. Swings and roundabouts. The success of Welsh rugby is dependent on an attractive product. Hence the need to ditch the Celtic nonsense

CardiffStu: Yes. Welsh rugby loves half-measures trying to keep everyone happy. See our move to the Cardiff City Stadium to appeal to the Valley masses. Guess what? They didn't come and never will because of an @#$%& sense of entitlement, it's Cardiff, always has been and always should be. Get over it.

Cardiff_Steve: I think the period between 1995 and 2003 turned people away from club rugby in droves. That was the truly damaging period of infighting and disastrous mismanagement from our union. By 2003, the domestic game here was basically dead. Anybody who says otherwise is simply deluded.

The reorganisation began a gradual recovery but sporadic infighting has a tendency to drag things back again.

Nothing new about there being soccer in Wales. No reason rugby cant thrive at the same time.

ATTR: (We) are still below the 2002 levels of attendance at the pro game in Wales. So I can see no improvement. Many now feel disenfranchised by the game thanks to the WRU and Club mismanagement in the past. The number of people who've walked away in the last 10 years is staggering.

It is not only to elite end of the game that has suffered. The grassroots game is in turmoil. With sides like Tredegar close to closing (4 players training the other week and failing to fulfill their opening fixture this season). This is all down to the games mismanagement but Walter, Delboy, Moffatt and the WRU gravy train.

As long as it is about "TIM Wales" you can forget the "Regions" and the grass roots. Anyone who says otherwise is deluded.

Players might say "it's business as usual" but don't believe it. If you can carry on when all around you are losing their heads you don't understand the mess your in! (Loki: I felt this could have gone in a few places but it fits here...it's an important point and something that I'm very interested in personally)

and for the bonus - Xavier Rush...

• What's the craic with Xavier Rush? How did you view his "move" to Ulster - did we ultimately get the better deal by not landing him?

ATTR: He did a good job for us when he returned. Personally once he wanted out we should not have welcomed him back.

CardiffStu: Xav had his best season in our Amlin year IMO but picked up several injuries along the way and was a shadow of himself the following year before retiring. You dodged a bullet and signed a better 8 at that time.

Cardiff_Steve:
In the event, you had a bunch of other decent players coming in so i dont suppose you needed him. We'd probably had his best years and could do with a clone of him right now. The exact circumstances as I understand them were slightly carry on-ish. I think it ended up working out well for him on a personal level.

Again, a massive thanks to all involved. Bit of a tricky one this week but I think looking back at the answers there's tremendous quality there. Hoping for a great game tonight!

[Loki]

cheers Dave , and to all for the support and kind words. I keep meaning to come in and get more involved in the actual thread but on both occasions so far I've been too knackered! I need to plan these better.

[Hamsterdam]

Thanks Loki - really got my eyes opened to the Cardiff board. Bit different to Scarlets in terms of responses and response rate.
Keep it up.

[fermain]

Such a good thread, great work loki, we need to put these somewhere accessible....

[MattMo]

didn't realise until I read through again that 90% of the negativity comes from that one guy. Needs to learn some common sense,and manners

[rorybestsbigbaldnoggin]

ATTR clearly needs a night in bed with a fire-breathing Welsh heure to relax himself.


Is Adam Jones free? . . .

[Wee Woman]

didn't realise until I read through again that 90% of the negativity comes from that one guy. Needs to learn some common sense,and manners

Strikes me that he's never got over the fact that he never got to see BOD in Cardiff, bless him.

Don't recall seeing much of Sam Warburton in Cardiff shirt either but hey don't let those facts get in the way of a good old whinge.

[Russ]

Ask them about the childish disrespectful behaviour of Sam and the chavs in their corporate box

[MattMo]

Ask them about the childish disrespectful behaviour of Sam and the chavs in their corporate box

Can't blame anyone for losing interest in that game


MattMo

[rorybestsbigbaldnoggin]

Ask them about the childish disrespectful behaviour of Sam and the chavs in their corporate box

Can't blame anyone for losing interest in that game


MattMo

At least our central-contract players pretend to be interested in the games . . .

On the note of BOD never making an appearance in Cardiff - surely it's the job of the Welsh to remove their members from the local livestock for long enough to create teams that are actually hard to beat? Thus we would actually have to consistently send a full-strength team over . . .

This league isn't competitive. We should join the Aviva - oh no wait, there's only 2 teams (and 1 conglomerate) in that league where the result isn't a foregone conclusion. We should join the Top 14 - oh no wait, we have midfielders that can pass a rugby ball.

Ack sure, we'll just keep flattening the Welsh It oughta warm us up for the real games

[rumncoke]

Loki

save yourself some trouble with the replies pick the best two/ and the worse two for each question anyone seeking a fuller review can follow the link

[LegsLikeSausages]

ATTR clearly needs a night in bed with a fire-breathing Welsh heure to relax himself.


Is Adam Jones free? . . .

I reckon his missus was swept off her feet by a good-looking Ulsterman. Only explanation for that level of paranoia and bitterness.

[Ampersand]

ATTR clearly needs a night in bed with a fire-breathing Welsh heure to relax himself.


Is Adam Jones free? . . .

I reckon his missus was swept off her feet by a good-looking Ulsterman. Only explanation for that level of paranoia and bitterness.

How very true.

You'd never get that level of paranoia or bitterness on this forum!