Celtic Crusaders

[kingboy]

As a sport, we're brilliant at shooting ourselves in the foot at every opportunity. Look's like Friday will see the big announcement...

WRL CONFIRM PLANS FOR NEATH CLUB

By Ian Laybourn, Press Association Sport

Details of a new Championship One club to be based in south Wales will be unveiled on Friday as the Rugby Football League anxiously await news of the Crusaders' proposed move to Wrexham.

Plans to hold a press conference in north Wales have twice been put on hold after talks between a Wrexham consortium and Crusaders' owner Leighton Samuel reached a critical stage.

It was hoped to combine news of the relocation of the Super League outfit with the launch of a new Neath-based club but talks over the transfer of ownership of the Crusaders are thought to have hit a snag.

With just seven weeks to go before the Crusaders are due to kick off engage Super League XV against defending champions Leeds Rhinos at the Racecourse Ground, there is growing anxiety among RFL officials.

No-one was available to comment on the latest Crusaders' situation but Wales Rugby League chairman Mark Rowley confirmed on Thursday night that plans to launch a new club, to be known as South Wales.

"We're ready to rock and roll," said Rowley. "It will be a 99.9 per cent Welsh team and will be based in Neath.

"I'm confident in the people involved and I believe the team will flourish."

The new club are currently interviewing for the position of head coach but national coach Iestyn Harris, who is on the backroom staff of the Crusaders, is likely to have some involvement.

The Championship fixtures have been delayed in order to incorporate the newcomers, who are set to kick off the season with a home game against Workington on February 28.

[Kiwi fan]

The Crusaders have just become a farce. I hope Toulouse can make the grand final next year so that they are eligible for promotion for 2012. This South Wales RLFC sounds good, it should provide Wales with much more depth.

[arh21980]

Given the calibre of some of the players that have signed with the Crusaders over the last couple of months they will only improve.

BTW Check out there new site when you get the chance to it's great ;D

[HKR AWAY DAYS]

They did OK last night - Michael Witt looks very good. Our old boy Luke Dyer got a game as well. Sell out crowd so well done Wrexham too!

[jim]

Jan 31, 2010 1:56:48 GMT 10 HKR AWAY DAYS said:

They did OK last night - Michael Witt looks very good. Our old boy Luke Dyer got a game as well. Sell out crowd so well done Wrexham too!

They look alot better than last year IMO, they have signed nicely, no real stars but some very handy players and Witt would not be out of place in any other SL or NRL side, I was amazed when the Warriors let him go. I expect them to win atleast double the games they did last year. Also good to see a few Welsh lads are pushing for spots, Flower should be in the 17 every week IMO and Kear and White should be there or there-abouts. A few injuries and Dudson and Mills might get a look in.

There are likely to sign Hanbury, Huaraki and Blake Green shortly too which will complete their squad (currently no #1,7 or 11).

1. - Vacant - (Rhys Hanbury)
2. Nick Youngquest
3. Tony Martin
4. Vince Mellars
5. Gareth Raynor
6. Michael Witt
7. - Vacant - (Blake Green)
8. Ryan O'Hara
9. Lincoln Withers
10. Mark Bryant
11. - Vacant - (Wellar Huaraki)
12. Jason Chan
13. Rocky Trimarchi
14. Luke Dyer
15. Tommy Lee
16. Frank Winterstein
17. Adam Peek
18. Jamie Thackray
19. Jordan James
20. Ben Flower
21. Lloyd White
22. Elliott Kear
23. Peter Lupton
24. Anthony Blackwood
25. Lewis Mills
26. Gil Dudson

Not too bad at all, wouldn't be too suprised to see them finish a few spots off the bottom.

Also excellent work by the off-field staff for the sell-out crowd, unimaginable in South Wales. The move to the North might prove the goods, hopefully anyway, would be nice to have the Crusaders suceeding in North Wales and SW Scorpions doing well in the lower leagues in coming years. A Crusaders V Scorpions challenge cup tie would be nice.

[Kiwi fan]

That crowd is shockingly large and maybe this Crusaders team can be a big success after all. They are going to need to wind a lot if they want to keep the average person going along to their games. Hopefully the fans return next week.

[jim]

The rumours running around suggest the Crusaders will announce a new signing within a few days, one the will "fill the stands". Leads me to think an RU player or very high profile RL players. Gavin Henson seems to be a popular suggestion and I hope it comes off if indeed they are after Henson.

Wendall Sailor may be another possibility?

[sportsmad]

wow , if the crusaders could manage to keep this team until the end up next year they should be top 5 contenders come 18 months time IMO

[sportsmad]

bloody hell , anyone actually from Sydney here? or not many Sydney based international league fans lol

[Druzik]

Feb 15, 2010 21:05:57 GMT 10 jim said:

The rumours running around suggest the Crusaders will announce a new signing within a few days, one the will "fill the stands". Leads me to think an RU player or very high profile RL players. Gavin Henson seems to be a popular suggestion and I hope it comes off if indeed they are after Henson.

Wendall Sailor may be another possibility?

Nah I talked to Dell on Twitter and he says he is hanging the boots for good.

[Druzik]

Feb 16, 2010 4:36:37 GMT 10 sportsmad said:

bloody hell , anyone actually from Sydney here? or not many Sydney based international league fans lol

Well, I live in Sydney, but was born and raised in Sydney and still consider myself as such... lived at least 3/4 of my life there.

[arh21980]

Feb 16, 2010 8:01:29 GMT 10 Druzik said:

Feb 16, 2010 4:36:37 GMT 10 sportsmad said:

bloody hell , anyone actually from Sydney here? or not many Sydney based international league fans lol

Well, I live in Sydney, but was born and raised in Sydney and still consider myself as such... lived at least 3/4 of my life there.

Same but from the Central Coast

[sportsmad]

be interesting to see who supports who at origin time. i myself obviously support the blues.

[Druzik]

Feb 16, 2010 13:31:35 GMT 10 sportsmad said:

be interesting to see who supports who at origin time. i myself obviously support the blues.

blues man through and through.

[sportsmad]

The former Wales and Lions captain Gareth Thomas, months after breaking new ground for British rugby union by announcing he was gay, has been targeted for another bold move – a switch to rugby league. Thomas is understood to have held talks with the Crusaders, the Welsh Super League club who relocated from Bridgend to Wrexham last autumn, with a possibility his move could be confirmed this week.

Crusaders' financial backers are keen to build on the momentum of the five-figure sell-out crowd they attracted to the Racecourse Ground for the first game of the Super League season against Leeds three weeks ago and Thomas would be the high-profile signing the Crusaders have been looking for since their formation in Bridgend in 2006.

The 35-year-old's sexuality should not be an issue in league, as that taboo was broken in 1995 by the London-born former Wigan and Australia prop Ian Roberts, one of the tougher forwards to have played the game, whose top-level career continued for three more years with the North Queensland Cowboys after he had come out.

Thomas's age and lack of league experience would be more serious stumbling blocks but a Crusaders source said he would be signed only if their coach, Brian Noble, thought he could offer value on the field – and not purely as a publicity stunt.

"Brian has drawn up a list of players in union and league who could strengthen our squad and it is fair to say the name of Gareth Thomas has cropped up," said the insider. "He is the type of player Nobby has looked at and thought that he could probably convert to league, but obviously there are a number of other factors to take into consideration.

"The people at Wrexham Village who have backed the move are serious about this as a long-term venture so we're not in it for publicity stunts. Any signings we make will be on the basis of the contribution they can make to the Crusaders team."

Thomas's contract with Cardiff Blues expires in May and, despite rumours that he may join the coaching staff of the Ospreys, nothing has so far materialised.

The Crusaders have been linked in the past with Gavin Henson, a near neighbour of Thomas and another rugby maverick who remained a regular attendee of Super League games in Bridgend last summer despite the disenchantment with rugby union which led him to take indefinite leave from the Ospreys.

However, Thomas would seem the more likely to consider switching to league at this stage. If so, he would be comfortably the highest-profile union player to switch codes since rugby union became openly professional in 1995 – discounting the likes of Henry Paul, Wendell Sailor, Mat Rogers, Timana Tahu and now Lote Tuquiri, who have all returned to league after stints in union.