It used to be quiet at sleepy Rodney Parade. The only sounds often heard would be groaning fans or the starting of engines in the car park as players made their escape to elsewhere. But Robin Davey – who first revealed in his Dai Sport column that the region were keen to sign Ross Moriarty – says the noisy neighbours are now making the other three regions turn their heads eastwards.  

 

The wheel really has turned the full circle – or the worm has turned – as the Dragons emerge from the shadows to become the most talked about Welsh region.

It all began with the Welsh Rugby Union buying Rodney Parade, taking over the Dragons, installing a new hybrid pitch and making considerable ground improvements.

That started the tongues wagging with many, especially on the virulent social media outlets, where plenty started crying foul and accusing the Union of favouritism.

Negativity became the byword and the activity reached fever pitch this week with the Dragons virtually clinching the signature of Wales and Lions back row ace Ross Moriarty from Gloucester as he seeks a return to Wales.

The reason for his wish is to retain his prospects of playing for Wales as he would have fallen foul of the new 60-cap rule.

If he had stayed with Gloucester, or joined another English side when his contract was up at the end of the season, he would have forfeited his international career as he is well under 60 caps.

But what a hornets nest that has stirred up. The Dragons have long since been the poor relations of Welsh regional rugby, constantly languishing at the foot of the league table, sometimes even lower than one of the Italian sides, and generally becoming a laughing stock.

Now, a new broom has arrived with the takeover off the pitch and the arrival of a new board, a new chairman, and a new coach leading up a vibrant new team on and off the field.

Granted, results haven’t exactly been overflowing with success so far, but that has partly been down to a massive injury list when between 25 and 29 players have been sidelined and also, in part, to the small squad which new head coach Bernard Jackman inherited.

His immediate aim was to strengthen that squad and after a couple of signings like Rhodri Williams from Bristol and Jarryd Sage, a Welsh-qualified back from South Africa, he really set the cat among the pigeons by not just going for Moriarty but almost certainly clinching his arrival in a sensational deal.

The Scarlets and Cardiff Blues would have liked to have signed him, but Jackman has met Moriarty on a number of occasions and has clearly sold him the new vision and environment at Rodney Parade.

That, in turn, has sparked a massive outpouring on social media ranging from incredulity, to disbelief, to sheer hostility.

It could not be, surely, that a player of his stature would simply choose to join the lowly Dragons, hitherto without a prayer, spurning a team which has won the Guinness Pro 12 title and plays in the Champions Cup.

There must have been some kind of skullduggery involving the WRU, a number have claimed. They smelt a rat and when the Dragons are owned by the Union they must surely have been complicit in luring Moriarty to Rodney Parade, it has been alleged.

Jackman, not slow to engage with others, countered himself on social media by asking why shouldn’t the Dragons enjoy some success in the transfer market? Why should it be the preserve of their rivals?

Meanwhile, many have become almost apoplectic with anger at developments, never pausing for a moment to consider why Moriarty is preferring the Dragons to the Scarlets and the other regions.

They don’t consider how Moriarty might enjoy becoming a talismanic figure at Rodney Parade, a marquee signing, a figurehead, leading a major Dragons revival, one which long-suffering fans thought would never arrive.

Just consider the effect Moriarty would have – not just on the field, but off it as well. For starters, it would greatly increase the gate which, in turn, would boost income while new sponsors and backers would follow suit.

New chairman David Buttress, co-founder of the JustEat organisation and a wealthy man, is passionate about increasing the Dragons appeal and profile.

He will soon add to his new board – a major aim is to appoint a new commercial chief charged with bringing in greater revenue, while he will also bring about other significant internal changes as well.

Meanwhile, what of the other regions? The Scarlets, successful though they have been, are losing players. Cardiff Blues are losing their director of rugby amid financial cutbacks and the Ospreys recently suffered an unprecedented run of defeats.

The Dragons, on the other hand, are starting to fire on all fronts – and how their rivals and social media masses are howling. They don’t like it one bit.

But, like it or not, the phoenix is finally rising from the ashes in the east.