Ollie Barkley - pay cut

By Cherry Picker
April 23 2008

A blank weekend is the ideal build-up for Gloucester as they prepare for the last two games of the regular Guinness Premiership season, according to coach Dean Ryan. Nearing the end of a long, hard campaign, the break this weekend gives Glaws a chance to sort out one or two niggling injuries and to recharge the batteries.

Then come their visit to Wasps next weekend and the grand finale at home to Barff a week later.

Glaws have come back to form in recent weeks after a mid-season slump threatened to hit their hopes of finishing top of the table for the second season running, and Ryan (right) says he’s delighted with the way his players have turned the season round at such a vital time.
He told the Citizen: “We played well against Munster. You just don't always get the results you want.
"You've got to remove the result element of it sometimes. What it has been is three good performances, and that coincides with this team being together for the last three weeks.
"Prior to that we played some pretty poor stuff. We always said that - keep this group together and we will get good performances.
"Get good performances regularly and we will win most games. But not all games, as Munster showed."
Meanwhile, a player who will feature against Glaws on the last day of the season says he has taken a drop in pay to join the Kingsholm staff next term.
Ollie Barkley, who has been told that an assault charge against him has been dropped because of lack of evidence, says his decision to switch from Barff was made in order to further his career and freshen up his game by training with new players and coaches.
He told the Citizen: "In the next two years, I will earn less at Gloucester, but I thought that if I re-signed with Bath, I would remain here until the end of my career."
"I didn't want to get to 34 or 35 and ask, 'What if? What if I had gone to Gloucester, been around new players and new coaches, would that have made me a better player?'
"If I go and it goes wrong, it goes wrong. Not one day goes by when I don't think how much I'll miss everyone at Bath, but Gloucester are going in the direction I wanted."
Barkley was ignored by England for the Six Nations because of the court case, but says he felt he could have played his part for his country. He has been in top form for his club and will add even more competition to the Glaws squad in the centre and at stand-off next season.

Rest will do us good, says Glaws coach Ryan

Discussion started by Shedloads (IP Logged), 23/04/2008 11:22

Shedloads
23/04/2008 11:22

Rest will do us good, says Glaws coach Ryan

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cheerycherry
23/04/2008 14:01

Glaws need Allen back fit, until Barkley arrives Glaws are exposed. I think DR has finally settled on his " First XV" shame there are only two regular season games to go!

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