IT may be the middle of winter, but January is going to be a hot month as far as Newport Gwent Dragons are concerned.

One victory from their three holiday matches was the absolute minimum requirement to keep their heads above water in the battle for Heineken Cup qualification for next season, if not survival as one of the four Welsh regions.

Successive defeats were suffered at the hands of Llanelli Scarlets and Cardiff Blues, one home and one away, and to pour ice on to a gaping wound as far as squad strength is concerned the Dragons lost three more players long term.

Richard Bryan and Kevin Morgan were both cruelly ruled out for the rest of the season, Bryan with a similar knee injury which sidelined him for nine months a little over a year ago and Morgan dislocating a foot and requiring an operation to pin the main bone in his left foot back to the ankle.

On top of that Nathan Brew broke a thumb in only his second game back from a nine-months absence with ankle and groin problems, putting himself out for a further two months.

But then came some relief with victory at the third attempt against the Ospreys which enabled the Dragons to leapfrog them near the foot of the Celtic League table and therefore ahead of them in the race for Heineken Cup qualification.

There is, however, a long way to go and the Dragons must beat bottom team Connacht at Rodney Parade on Friday night to stay ahead of the game.

The Ospreys don't play this weekend so will receive four points, meaning the Dragons need to win to remain in front of their Welsh rivals given that they look unlikely to finish in front of the third placed Scottish team as well as the fourth placed Irish side.

They must do that should they be the bottom Welsh team to qualify for a play-off with the third Italian team for the last qualifying place for next season's Heineken Cup.

That is always assuming the Dragons board and associates want to remain at the sharp end in Europe and maintain a proper presence in Celtic rugby.

Because, let's face it, they have hardly shown themselves to be burning with ambition at the very top. I know it's not easy demanding other people part with their money to top up what comes from the Welsh Rugby Union to keep a team in the front line.

But money is what it needs, whether it's a Welsh, English or French team in particular with central contracts nowhere in sight.

And that is why in the case of the Dragons January is going to be an unusually hot month.

The board are unhappy with my recent criticisms, but they have to realise that unless they act there is only one outcome - the Dragons will become the Connacht of Welsh rugby. Is that what they really want?

Such a scenario would mean the Dragons still existing on WRU money, but with little else to support it they would clearly lose their leading players on a regular basis and would consequently keep going and no more, in other words the Connacht of Welsh rugby.

There are one or two things which could happen this month to change things completely at the top. Meetings have been held, 'leading lights' have been present and moves could be made within weeks.

The board also want to make their situation clear by insisting they are ambitious and do have plans for the future. But you know the saying that while Nero fiddled Rome burned.

Some front line Dragons backs are out of contract at the end of this season. They don't want to go for they are happy playing here - but they can't be expected to just hang on while nothing happens. So, members of the board, you have been warned.

What is badly needed, of course, is more players and quality ones, too. They were from the outset, but despite constant pleading from coach Paul Turner nothing has been forthcoming - but there are at last signs of a change of heart here, too.

Some seemed to think that half-a-dozen or so current internationals and an Academy system up and running would be enough, forgetting that rivals the Scarlets and Blues recruited quality players like Regan King and Xavier Rush, among others, last summer while the Dragons' recruitment was poor to say the least because there was no money.

Well, changes could be afoot whether it's from the current people controlling the region or via an upheaval. At least something looks destined to happen on and off to make the winter a little warmer.