Halfpenny return may be dead in the water

THE prospect of clubless Leigh Halfpenny returning to Welsh rugby looks dead in the water, with all four Regions cold on the idea of making a move for his signature.

The Wales and Lions star is currently a free agent after Toulon decided not to offer him a fresh deal after his three seasons in the south of France.

Halfpenny is said to be ‘super relaxed’ about finding an alternative employer, but WalesOnline understands the chances of that being in Wales are virtually nil.

His former club Cardiff Blues are now not interested in any possible second spell for the player at the Arms Park, even though they have publicly courted him on several occasions in the last two years.

The Blues are already saddled with a £5.2m player wage bill for next season and have no spare cash to offer Halfpenny, even as part of a National Dual Contract (NDC) with the WRU.

The Ospreys also have no appetite to fund even 40% of a deal for the player and with Dan Evans, Sam Davies and James Hook already on board as fullback options it has limited appeal from a rugby perspective.

Meanwhile the Scarlets – for a while said to be Halfpenny’s likeliest destination were he to return – are also believed to be unwilling to commit to a substantial cash outlay, not least because of the timing of Halfpenny’s availability.

Following his involvement with the Lions this summer, the kicking metronome must now take an eight-week rest before beginning pre-season training.

It’s a schedule that means he, along with others who were in New Zealand, won’t realistically be available until October...just in time for autumn international duty with Wales.

The constraints on Halfpenny’s time, especially this season, have therefore lessened the appeal of any investment in him.

A move to the WRU-owned Dragons has also been put forward but with negotiations over a £420,000 NDC having broken down in March over the length of the deal, obvious stumbling blocks remain.

The best case scenario in terms of his Wales future could yet be that Halfpenny signs for another French club willing to grant him full release for international rugby. But if he goes to an English club – Bath have been linked with him – he will be subject to the strict rules around international release of the Rugby Players Association.