PAUL Turner faced an important meeting today which will eventually decide whether he stays as Newport Gwent Dragons coach or quits his home region.

Turner was set to meet key board members to try to thrash out the way ahead at a preliminary meeting. No firm decision is expected for a while as the whole issue is ongoing.

Turner remains non-committal, meaning everything hinges on what is put on the table.

It won't be simply down to money, but what the future holds for the Dragons and what guarantees the board are able to provide about bringing in new players.

"We'll be talking in the next 24 hours, I've made people aware myself that we should have been talking before Christmas, but it's happened and here we are. I hope to sort out my future one way or the other.

"As a business and as an entity, decisions have to be made so that the region can keep progressing whether that means keeping players you want to keep or releasing players you want to and bringing other players in. Nothing changes really."

Asked whether he wants to stay with the Dragons Turner replied: "I enjoy the place, the company and the people I work with, and at the end of the day that's what it's all about.

"And I'm from the place so the region holds a special place for me. But it's other people's decisions."

Turner is in his third season as Dragons coach, and it has never been an easy ride for him because he has had to cope with all manner of problems.

He has seen players go he didn't want to and has been unable to bring in the quality players he would like because of financial restrictions.

A lack of quality strength in depth has often seen the Dragons struggle and having to play through a Heineken Cup qualifier against the third best Italian side.

But Turner is also a tower of strength for the Dragons because he is a truly regional figure having played for both Newbridge and Newport with great success, and some of the work he has done to try to promote the region has been over and above his responsibilities as head coach.

But the whole process has been delayed and neither Turner nor his fellow coaches have been able to do anything about bringing new players in because they don't even know their own futures. That is about to end.

Meanwhile, Turner has been forced to take a near shadow team to the Madejski Stadium tomorrow to take on London Irish in the Heineken Cup after shipping 45 points against them at home in November.

No fewer than 15 players have been ruled out, the latest being skipper Colin Charvis, scrum half Andy Williams and hooker Steve Jones. Aled Thomas plays at full back, Gethin Robinson at tight head prop and James Harris at openside flanker.

"When the draw came out we always had to manage expectations," said Turner. "We were disappointed to lose at home, but this competition is tough and don't ever dismiss Italian sides.

"It also comes either side of the EDF when we played Wasps, Newcastle and Gloucester, two of them major European sides, then three games at Christmas against Cardiff Blues, Llanelli Scarlets and Glasgow.

"You've got to get lucky with your injury list and we've been savaged, so this weekend we've got a squad who need to give a good account of themselves and remember the defeat we had at home.

"And we played on a narrow soccer pitch in Glasgow last week whereas this one is the complete opposite."