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Not just players who's jobs are at risk from the Hammett chop!

I don't really see why we have signed the Argentinians until the end of the season,

The season is effectively over as a competition and it is not like they are going to love playing for us and want to stay if we are putting together such awful performances,

With Argentina refusing to pick foreign players from 2016 they will surely be off at the end of the season and we will be left scraping some barrels looking for someone with an ounce of talent. No doubt Gavin Evans will be playing 12 all next season as well :/

We signed them at until end of season so we don't have to put up with people like Fish, they will only sign until end of season, then join the new team entering Super Rugby, even if we offered them 2/3 years if either want to play for Agentina they would turn it down

Quote:

cardifflose
We signed them at until end of season so we don't have to put up with people like Fish, they will only sign until end of season, then join the new team entering Super Rugby, even if we offered them 2/3 years if either want to play for Agentina they would turn it down

That is what I am saying, we are unassumingly paying them a fair amount of money, and while it will be good to watch them play and I have been a fan of Amorisino for years, I don't see what benefit it gives us in the long term, especially now that European rugby id pretty much already off the cards for next season.

Quote:

wales606

Quote:

cardifflose
We signed them at until end of season so we don't have to put up with people like Fish, they will only sign until end of season, then join the new team entering Super Rugby, even if we offered them 2/3 years if either want to play for Agentina they would turn it down

That is what I am saying, we are unassumingly paying them a fair amount of money, and while it will be good to watch them play and I have been a fan of Amorisino for years, I don't see what benefit it gives us in the long term, especially now that European rugby id pretty much already off the cards for next season.

Its possible to climb the table quickly in this league. Last season we were looking at 10th place in April but ultimately finished in 7th and had an outside chance of making top 6.

So I dont agree that top 6 is off the cards yet.

If there are funds there to add some players to the squad then theres no reason not to. Theres plenty of time to find good replacements for next season.

You've missed Cardiff off the title.

Short term deals for the Argentinian players so they can move to Super Rugby (new franchise) suits them and us - ie the players we've signed have all been less than average for the last three or four seasons for the most part.

Not so much the wheels have fallen off, we don't have any wheels and we aren't sure where they would go if we found them.

A confused identity on and off the pitch. Whoopee, go bluesfamily.

Very few will be here next season, it seems a lot of the players prefered the lets all be friends approch to coaching from Phil rather than the i am your coach and will coach you approch from Hammett, the "team Wales" players really like him, the non "team Wales" players don't what does that tell you?

If that's the case get rid of some of these players now - want people who put the effort in, not those who whinge!

Quote:

bluesmudge
If that's the case get rid of some of these players now - want people who put the effort in, not those who whinge!

Exactly,

If things continue this way I think Hammett should just drop everyone that won't be playing next year and throw in some players who want to fight for the shirt.

Also, reading the Hammett interview on the Blues website he says that the Argentinians have been signed until the end of the season because he wants to make sure they fit with the culture he is trying to build. Makes me think there will be a massive movement of players before next season.

I have to say that I shall wait to see it happen in practice before I believe that Argentina won't pick anyone not playing for their solitary Super Rugby team.

Agree the season is not over and we COULD get into the top 6 (although 7th place would put us in play-off for that extra Euro place of course) - whether that will happen or not mind .........

Quote:

Rich.
I have to say that I shall wait to see it happen in practice before I believe that Argentina won't pick anyone not playing for their solitary Super Rugby team.
Agree the season is not over and we COULD get into the top 6 (although 7th place would put us in play-off for that extra Euro place of course) - whether that will happen or not mind .........

Is that happening now? Originally it was going to be 7th and 8th in the Pro 12 and 7th in the English and French leagues, but I haven't heard about it since

I think they are definitely worth the gamble till the end of season. If they can get us up to 6th then great, I'm sure we're looking at players to bring in next season, so why struggle and do poorly in the pro12 and wait till next season when we can bring in two top players?

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wales606

Quote:

Rich.
I have to say that I shall wait to see it happen in practice before I believe that Argentina won't pick anyone not playing for their solitary Super Rugby team.
Agree the season is not over and we COULD get into the top 6 (although 7th place would put us in play-off for that extra Euro place of course) - whether that will happen or not mind .........

Is that happening now? Originally it was going to be 7th and 8th in the Pro 12 and 7th in the English and French leagues, but I haven't heard about it since

Just checked out the EPC Rugby site and it says the followingf which shows we'd still be in with shout if finishing 7th (or 8th provided there was a rep of each country in the top 7 - which there won't be unless Treviso or Zebra get a move on!):

For the 2014/15 season, the 20th qualifier was determined by a play-off over two legs between the clubs ranked seventh in the Aviva Premiership and the Top 14 (True - and Wasps beat Stade Francais to be in the Champions Cup this season).

For subsequent seasons, the seventh-ranked club from the Top 14, the seventh-ranked club from the Aviva Premiership, and the eighth and ninth-ranked clubs from the PRO12 (or the two highest-ranked clubs which have not already qualified automatically) will compete in a play-off series for the 20th place in the Champions Cup as follows:

Match 1: Aviva Premiership (seventh-ranked club) v PRO12 (eighth-ranked club or highest ranked club not already qualified)
Home advantage to be decided by toss of coin

Match 2: winner of Match 1 v Top 14 (seventh-ranked club)
Winner of Match 1 will have home advantage

So we need to finish 7th or 8th to qualify for the playoffs, assuming Treviso/Zebre don't rocket into 6th

Yep and if we beat Wasps/Sale/Harlequins/Gloucester (likely one of those) then we'd be at home against someone like Bordeaux, Racing or Grenoble.

Getting ahead of ourselves a bit there mind and coming 6th and guaranteeing a spot may still be easier to achieve than getting through all that. But very nice to know 7th place could get us into the ERCC for next season though.

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cardiffstu
You've missed Cardiff off the title.
... A confused identity on and off the pitch. Whoopee, go bluesfamily.

Sorry Stu, but that's such a silly and unnecessary comment. The title was long enough, so I went with Blues, rather than Cardiff Blues. See other 'Cardiff' quotes from this reasonably short article below:

1. ...the Cardiff Blues are facing the very real prospect...
2. ...With 8 games gone, the Cardiff Blues have won one...
3. ...The capitol region...

I don't know what you're implying here, so please could you clarify.

Admin of theArmsPark.co.uk,
Make Noise and You Will Be Heard!

It's pretty simple. You missed Cardiff from the title, I feel this demeans the history of Cardiff, something "Blues" seem to do at every opportunity. I couldn't care less if you used it in the main body.

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cardiffstu
It's pretty simple. You missed Cardiff from the title, I feel this demeans the history of Cardiff, something "Blues" seem to do at every opportunity. I couldn't care less if you used it in the main body.

I'm sorry Stu, I am usually very interested in what you've got to say, but on this occasion you're making such a petty non-point that it comes across as childish and a bit embarrassing.

Let's move on, shall we?

Admin of theArmsPark.co.uk,
Make Noise and You Will Be Heard!

Yes let's move on and I'm sure everyone understands your point on this Admin (and the article and the work you do for this site is VERY much appreciated) - but I guess we should all remember that the Blues 'add on' grates with many supporters and so if it must be used then adding 'Cardiff' in front (especially in Headings) will keep everyone on board. There's not many of us so we need to ensure we do that.

Admin you do a sterling job - I agree whole heartedly!

You used Cardiff Blues I number of times within the article - where is the problem?

I could understand some gripes if you referred to the Blues throughout and no mention of Cardiff.

Move on people - there are other things to worry about, like the poor performance against Edinburgh!