By Cardiff Blues Blog - @TheBluesLife
November 17 2015
@TheBluesLife gives us his thoughts on Gethin Jenkins and the news of he is on the verge of signing a new contract that would take him up to 2017. Do you agree with his views and thoughts? Feel free to comment on the article and if you have enjoyed the article give the writer @TheBluesLife a follow on Twitter.
News broke from WalesOnline’s chief joker, Delme Parfitt, this week, that prop Gethin Jenkins is poised to sign a new deal with Cardiff. The new contract could take him up to the end of 2016/17, and even add a testimonial season beyond that, meaning he might still be playing aged 37. After the recent World Cup, the Wales international was quoted as saying he “had no intention of retiring from the international scene yet”, and is even thought to be eyeing up the 2017 Lions tour to New Zealand.
Delme the Doughnut’s article: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/gethin-jenkins-set-offered-new-10453213
There were some murmurs from Wales fans following the World Cup that perhaps Gethin is past it to an extent. His scrummaging and general open play isn’t at the standard that they were when he was arguably the best loosehead prop in the World a few years ago, but whether he’s actually not good enough for the Wales team is another issue. The main point is that with Paul James an already established loosehead, and Nicky Evans and Aaron Jarvis coming through, is there a need to keep on the ageing Jenkins who won’t make the Japan 2019 World Cup.
A similar dilemma faces Danny Wilson and Cardiff ahead of this new contract. Wilson just last week announced his intention of cutting down on the amount of players given for free to Cardiff RFC and Pontypridd RFC, in an effort to lower squad numbers, and replace quantity with quality. With 20 players, Jenkins included, who’s contracts are up at the end of the season, it is a perfect time to do a squad transformation.
Cardiff to end free Premiership players: https://theblueslife.wordpress.com/2015/11/12/stopping-the-free-flow/
As part of the squad transformation, Wilson has to be looking more towards the future than the present. The squad won’t suddenly go from underperforming to competing at the top level over one summer, and even if there was an improvement, the key must be sustaining that form. The way that has to be done is building a solid squad of talented youngsters around a core of solid professionals. A player like Gethin Jenkins, even with all his experience, doesn’t fit into any long-term plan with a maximum of two years left.
For me I’d be leaning towards not renewing his contract, but there is one thing that could clinch Jenkins a new deal in my book, and that’s his international future. Gethin will command a decent wage from any new contract, quite rightly as his experience and quality is highly prized. But if I was paying x-thousand pounds for a player for just a year, I’d want him available all year. Therefore, an international retirement would be a clause in any new Gethin Jenkins contract. I don’t see why Danny Wilson would spend a large chunk of the wage budget on a player who won’t be around half the season.
Having said that, as far as I can work out, Thomas Davies and Sam Hobbs are both out of contract as well, and with Tau Filise surely retiring at last, that would leave no senior contracted looseheads. Personally, I’d re-sign definitely Hobbs, maybe Davies, although he hasn’t proved himself, but only sign him as senior academy players Callum Lewis and Brad Thyer haven’t fully impressed yet. I’d then use the money saved from Jenkins to get in a decent Southern Hemisphere loosehead. If Gethin was to retire from internationals though, Davies would be out, and the signing of a loosehead could be put off for a year.
So, the difficult decisions on the future of ‘the 20’ begin, and they will continue all season for Danny Wilson, as he works to become happy with a trimmed down squad. Big, potentially shock, choices will have to be made, but they are crucial if the club is going to be given the reboot it desperately needs. I don’t envy Wilson one bit in this process, and, despite my own personal opinions, we as fans need to give him time and allow him to make his own decisions. Having said that, no reason we can’t have a debate about them!
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