Last chance saloon

Moffett insisted at a Press conference today that the Dragons be marketed as a region and takes the region fully on board after an agreement was finally reached last week after months of wrangling.

He initially praised the Dragons team and coach Mike Ruddock for moving up to third place in the Celtic League table (dropping a place from last week after Llanelli's win in Glasgow) despite all the off-field problems.

"Notwithstanding the shambles off the field, the Dragons have been performing well which is an incredible testimony to Mike Ruddock and the players, and also for the way the game is being taken around the schools," said Moffett.

But in another swipe at the previous board, Moffett stormed: "The Dragons took the new organisation into administration in six months which was unacceptable behaviour.

"But Newport do not control the region, it is a board with two members from Newport and two from the WRU - and the chairman is David Pickering (also WRU chairman).

"They will ensure the Dragons take a regional perspective on and off the field.

"Newport is not a stand alone club. It is known as Newport Gwent Dragons but the branding will be the Dragons. We did this deal with the administrators."

Moffett then revealed the WRU could have ditched Gwent and Newport altogether as one of the five regions at the helm of Welsh rugby.

"There were times when we may have considered the option of four regions, but we believe Gwent is so important to Welsh rugby we hammered out a solution," he said.

"I had discussions with Tony Brown (Newport benefactor) in Sydney and in the end we managed to hammer out a deal in terms of what we could do with the administrators.

"It's a regional side and we want them to be a success. Tony Brown and Martyn Hazell (Newport's other director on the Dragons board) have got an opportunity to see that they want to be part of regional rugby in Wales.

"Now let's get behind it because we're drinking in the last chance saloon."

Moffett said he wasn't surprised fans have not been supporting the Dragons so far, but he hopes that changes now.

"When you look at the off-the-field shambles it's no surprise people don't want to buy into it," he said.

"But the Dragons are third in the table and no-one expected that.

"Tony Brown and Martyn Hazell shouldn't talk to us about why they haven't sold season tickets, but that's in the past.

"We've drawn a line under that now, the deal has been done with the administrators and everyone has agreed to it.

"Now we've got to move forward."

Moffett also hit out at Cardiff and chairman Peter Thomas. "They are the region and the club causing most concern, and it lies firmly at the door of chairman Peter Thomas," he said.

"He should be bringing his business talents sooner rather than later to make sure they contrbuting. They are languishing near the foot of both tables which is unacceptable, but certainly the buck stops with the chairman."

Moffett slammed the Southern Hemisphere countries for trying to split the Six Nations with their proposal to form a nine-country tournament.

And he insists that while the next national coach should be Welsh he must have the vision to make them a top five country. Current coach Steve Hansen would not be involved in choosing his successor.

The WRU also want central contracts for players, partly to save the regions from overspending on new players.