CONTRACT KILLERS

DANNY Wilson has urged the Welsh Rugby Union to overhaul the National Dual Contract system following Leigh Halfpenny’s decision to reject a deal to return to Cardiff Blues in favour of joining the Scarlets.

The Blues coach warned west Wales regions Ospreys and Scarlets would get stronger at the expense of east Wales outfits Blues and Dragons if players were allowed to choose where they want to be based.

Former Blues skipper Bradley Davies and Wales points machine Leigh Halfpenny both turned down offers from their former team to head west.

Halfpenny opted to sign for Guinness PRO12 champions Scarlets after being booted out of Toulon at the end of last season while lock and ex-Wales captain Davies elected to join Ospreys.

Dragons also suffered when another former Wales skipper, Dan Lydiate, signed for the Ospreys rather than return to Gwent following his early departure from French Top 14 club Racing Metro.

Ospreys have eight NDC players on their books, Scarlets four with Blues and Dragons having two apiece. The WRU pays 60% of their contracts and the relevant region the other 40%.

“There’s four in the east of Wales and 12 or 13 in the west,” pointed out Wilson, before stressing it was vital the Blues became an attractive proposition for players returning to Wales from exile on NDCs.

But he explained: “The problem is the system has the risk, at the moment, of feeding the strong. If players have the choice where they go, perhaps the more successful Welsh players will go to certain clubs who will then attract the other internationals for obvious reasons. They will be with a side who are considered to be at the top end of the league or in European competition.

“For us to get to that point, we obviously need our fair share in the future. I’m sure the WRU is looking at that because, financially, it’s a huge gain and we would certainly need that financial assistance, which gives you the player resource that gives you a bit of depth.

“You are getting a world-class player for 40% of what that worldclass player is worth, which would be worth a huge amount to us as a region.

“We are in constant conversation with the union and there’s discussions to be had about how that (NDCs) works in the future. I suppose it depends what the aim and the goal is for regional rugby.

“There’s different models around sport.

“Here, it’s one of those where it’s the contract offer to play for a club and every player has a choice to turn it down or accept.”