We’ve got the right team in place to take this club forward – that is the firm belief of Newport RFC first team manager Gareth Davies.
A major shake-up of the coaching staff saw head coach Ian Bletcher ousted from the Forton Road hotseat last week.
He was replaced by Steve Dolphin, who captained Newport for seven years through its most successful period.
Dolphin will be joined in the dug out by Bob Adams and current prop Craig Ingram.
Davies stays on in his current role while former player Matt Batters takes over from Ray Price as chairman of rugby.
With its new localised look, Davies believes that the fantastic five will work well together.
He said: “We need to attract more players from local clubs.
“We hope that the new localised team of coaches and back room staff will help us achieve that. Steve is well connected within the area and his reach extends as far as Birmingham.
“You only have to look at what he achieved while he was captain here, but he’s also had two good years as coach at Eccleshall.
“And Craig is a very clever player and has some good ideas.
“Bob is a great coach who has been important in keeping the players motivated, and Matt is very astute and will be the brains behind the operation.
“All five of us have similar thoughts on moving the club forward and it’s really quite exciting.”
The new-look team had their first glimpse at the Newport squad during last night’s Shropshire cup semi-final against Bridgnorth.
That game took place after the Advertiser went to print.
Davies insists that it is too early to predict how Newport will fare next season – but he did hint at wholesale changes to the playing staff.
He said: “We need to expand our player base within the club.
“We need to be proactive in attracting players from lesser clubs who might want to try their hand at a higher level.
“And we need closer links with Harper Adams College and Wrekin College.
“We must be putting out two or three teams a week and that just hasn’t been happening.
“We’re already talking to individuals and making them aware of our plans for next year.”
Dolphin, 36, is likely to be registered as a player in case of emergencies while 34-year-old Ingram is also expected to play on.
By Sean Wozencroft