WALES defence coach Clive Griffiths could be the surprise new front-runner for the position of Newport Gwent Dragons' coach next season.

The job will be vacated at the end of this season -- or earlier -- after the decision by the Dragons' board last Wednesday night not to take up the option of a second year on Chris Anderson's contract.

Harlequins backs coach Paul Turner, the former Newbridge and Newport captain, is one leading candidate but Griffiths is another, especially if the board decide to replace Anderson with a newcomer rather than go for Dragons' assistant coach Leigh Jones and Newport and Dragons' Academy chief David Rees.

Griffiths was assistant coach of the Dragons last season and worked closely with Mike Ruddock, a partnership they are currently renewing successfully with Wales.

Griffiths could even return to the Dragons on a part-time basis by combining the job with his role with Wales, leaving Jones and Rees to run the show during the Autumn internationals and Six Nations Championship.

That could be appealing to the Dragons board as it would save them money and leave them without the need to appoint a full-time replacement for Anderson.

Giffiths knows all about the Dragons after being at Rodney Parade last season. Also, he knows about the Welsh squad members acquired since then because of his Wales job.

He offered Anderson the use of his laptop containing all the information on the Dragons and their Celtic League opponents last summer, an offer which was never taken up.

The Welsh Rugby Union will want a say in the appointment of the next Dragons coach under the terms of the charter which the four region signed with them, though the Dragons were the last to commit themselves to it.

The board, through chief executive Andy Marinos, will issue another statement this week after the turbulent events of the end of last week.

They want to give assurances to players and fans that the loss of benefactor Tony Brown and another coach does not mean they are in severe financial hardship.

Financial and business plans have been drawn up and there will have to be savings, but they will be on the administrative front and will not affect the players. The Dragons are not in major financial trouble.

Brown, while removing himself from the Dragons board and as their chief backer, will retain an interest in their activities.

He is still the major shareholder at Rodney Parade and effectively owns the ground. He made a rare rugby appearance in Newport this season on Saturday night at Rod Snow's testimonial dinner, and insisted Rodney Parade will be ringfenced and that he will leave the club debt free.

He partly funds major signing Percy Montgomery, and will continue to honour any contracts after he has left the Dragons.

There has been speculation about the South African's future with the Dragons as well, though he has signed a two-year extension on his contract.

Major signings of the type Brown brought to Newport will be a thing of the past, but new players could still be introduced in certain key positions as the soon-to-be-announced new board get to grips with running the Dragons.