The summer close season once more brought turmoil and despair to Pontypridd and the rest of the Mid Glamorgan Valleys, as the WRU moved swiftly and callously to cull the Celtic Warriors' region.

Coaches and players' livelihoods were thrown into disarray, and supporters left angry and anguished by the decision. Ponty senior coach Justin Burnell had already departed the club, supposedly to join the Warriors' Academy, and his deputy Steele Lewis also stepping down due to work commitments. The club had to move swiftly during the summer months to put together a new coaching team, drafting in Simon King as forwards coach from Cross Keys, and welcoming back Paul John as player coach from the ranks of the disbanded Warriors. A playing squad was also hauled together, mostly recruited from the latest wave of young talent produced by the Warriors Academy. Pontypridd were now linked to the Cardiff Blues professional entity, facing a winter's premiership campaign following a summer of discontent.

Losing narrowly away to arch rivals Cardiff in the first game of the new season, Ponty also lost their catalyst amongst the forwards, Dale McIntosh to a long term injury, with salt rubbed into the open wounds of the summer's events as former Ponty winger Matthew Nuthall scored the decisive try for his new club Cardiff.

Ponty rarely hit top form during the opening weeks of the campaign, gaining hard fought but valuable away wins at venues such as Caerphilly and Cross Keys, but losing narrowly at home to Bridgend and Neath. A poor run where only one win and one draw were gained from eight games, culminating in a demoralising home defeat to strugglers Newbridge, saw Ponty plummeting uncomfortably close to the premiership relegation zone.

The squad to its credit regained its composure, putting in a sterling performance in front of the live TV cameras to secure an impressive home win over Cardiff. The season was now turned on its head as the Ponty team gathered momentum, notching up nine fine wins on the trot in league and cup, the style of their victories as much as the results gained, giving fresh hope for the future. With wins over Blackwood, Whitland, Cross Keys and Banwen under their belts in the competition, the Konica Minolta Welsh Cup now became the focus of attention for Pontypridd.

With stylish league wins over the likes of Llanelli, Swansea and Bedwas giving them added impetus, Ponty went into the semi final tie of the cup against Aberavon at the Brewery Field, and came away as distinguished victors by 33 pts to 13. All eyes now turned to a big day out for the club at the Millennium Stadium, facing Llanelli in the final tie of the Welsh Cup. The young Ponty team went into the game full of confidence, and backed by a huge vocal support, with many of the stay away fans who had been disillusioned by the politics of the game, obviously returning for the occasion. Building up an impressive lead of 24 pts to 8, Ponty then contrived to yield the game during injury time, going down to an astonishing one point defeat, 24 pts to 25.

Thus came to an end a season of highs and lows, of mixed fortunes and undulating form for Pontypridd. The obvious high of a Welsh Cup Final appearance was tempered by a poor league finish in tenth place, languishing towards the wrong end of the premiership table.

There had been obvious plusses to the campaign - the skills, style and adventure shown by a young set of backs, the form and sheer enthusiasm of veteran lock Dale McIntosh, the perpetual dynamism of flankers Shellard and O'Connor - at least giving Ponty hope of better things to come in the future. The season had however been played out, once again, against the backdrop of uncertainty and disillusionment which had enveloped valleys rugby.

Having drawn a veil over the 2004 / 2005 campaign, Pontypridd will certainly hope for a better return from the season to come, but knowing that their destiny still largely lies in the hands of others, and their hopes and aspirations of success restricted by the political manoeuvrings of the powers that be in Welsh rugby.

140 - Jason Pocock (Pontypridd)

121 - David Flanagan (Pontypridd)

Welsh Premiership May 13, 2005
		P	W	D	L	PTS
1	Neath	32	27	0	5	81
2	Newport	32	25	0	7	72
3	Bridgend	32	23	0	9	66
4	Llanelli	32	20	0	12	60
5	Aberavon	32	19	0	13	57
6	Cross Keys	32	19	0	13	57
7	Carmarthen	32	18	1	13	55
8	Cardiff	32	18	0	14	54
9	Swansea	32	17	2	13	53
10	Pontypridd	32	17	1	14	52
11	Ebbw Vale	32	14	0	18	39
12	Pontypool	32	12	1	19	37
13	Bedwas	32	12	0	20	36
14	Llandovery	32	12	0	20	36
15	Caerphilly	32	8	0	24	24
16	Llanharan	32	4	1	27	13
17	Newbridge	32	4	0	28	9