Is departing Connacht giant Joe bound for the Dragons?
THE rugby season may have been severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, but clubs across Europe are still announcing the players who will be leaving at the end of their current deals – regardless of the fact that a ruck hasn’t been hit in anger for months now.
The latest Guinness PRO14 outfit to announce their departures was Connacht on Friday, with the Galway province listing 12 players who would be moving onto greener pastures.
Ireland international Niyi Adeolokun might have caught the eyes of some rugby fanatics, while the presence of former Cardiff Blues forward Robin Copeland was no surprise given his move to French side Soyaux Angouleme has already been announced.
Yet, it’s the name Joe Maksymiw that should draw the attention of a certain section of Welsh rugby fans.
The boiler room had been an area Dragons director of rugby Dean Ryan would have been targeting before Cory Hill’s departure was announced, but loss of the Wales second row certainly does add extra emphasis on the need to bring in reinforcements at lock.
Loughborough-born Maksymiw has already been linked to the Gwent region, with the South Wales Argus reporting last week that the 24-year-old was being lined up.
Friday’s news that Maksymiw will be leaving Galway surely moves him a step closer to a move to Rodney Parade, in the same way that Jonah Holmes’ departure from Leicester Tigers was announced weeks before his deal with the Dragons was officially confirmed.
Speaking of Tigers, that is where Maksymiw started his career, progressing through the academy at Welford Road.
Despite being English-born, he also qualifies for Ireland and Wales – hence the move to Connacht in 2018 after four years in Leicester’s senior set-up.
Standing at 6ft 8in, the 24-yearold would offer a significant boost to the Dragons’ lock depth, having relied heavily on Matthew Screech this season.
As well as the departure of Hill, the future of Brandon Nansen is unresolved. His deal is up imminently but he wasn’t announced in the list of departures put out by the region recently.
However, his injury record would certainly affect any deal the region would offer the Samoan international.
Having confirmed a deal for Holmes this week, the Dragons are expected to capture Wales international Nick Tompkins soon, while former Australia international Joe Tomane is also in advanced talks.