Coaching and squad announcements

Coaching Team

Greg Woods has announced his coaching team and all are familiar names and faces at the club. Greg is confident that the talent and passion of the new coaching team will continue the recent return to form and further improve performances during the second half of the season.
James Lewis will assume the role of Backs and Attack Coach and he will bring a fresh and innovative approach, taking his lead from several of the coaches he has played under during his 12 years in the professional game. James will also keep his playing boots available!
Ashley Sweet, who joined the coaching staff this season, will continue to coach the line out and will add the responsibility for defence to his role. Ash also hopes to return to the field before the end of the season following his recent back injury and subsequent operation.
Lewis Roberts, a former player and the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the last 5 seasons, will add the role of Skills Coach, working with the squad as agreed with the coaching team.

Squad Ins and Outs

The club has completed the signings of back row forwards, Lewis Young from Aberdare and Ben Papp from Usk RFC. Lewis rejoins the Steelmen after a few seasons at his home town club of Aberdare where he has worked his way back to fitness after an injury-interrupted first spell with Ebbw Vale. Lewis has impressed in the all 3 games that the the club has won in recent weeks.
Joining him in the back row is Ben, a former captain at Usk who is highly rated by coaching favourite Ceri Jones. He signs for the Steelmen after putting in quality performances as he has stepped up to assist when injury has struck and fully deserves the opportunity to join the club on a full time basis.
We will also see Dragon Gerrard Ellis spend time at the Steelmen as he continues his conversion from hooker to loose head prop.

Prop Ian George has left the club to join Pontypridd in pursuit of first team rugby. Ian has been unlucky with injuries this season limiting him to only a couple of games and with a fierce battle with the evergreen Ross Jones, the fast maturing Joel Harries and now Dragon Gerard Ellis, the 34 year old has decided on taking up the opportunity with Pontypridd. Ian has had a few spells with the Steelmen, always a quality performer and a popular player within the squad and with the Ebbw Addicts, we wish him well for the future and remind him he will always find a warm welcome at Eugene Cross Park.

The squad still has a few injuries. Josh Jacas undergoes an operation to remove screws from his ankle in the next week or so, and is confident of an early February return to the field of play. Open side Owen Jones is recovering from the knee injury sustained at Newport and is looking at a March return, and that month should also see Jon Davies back in the selection frame following the shoulder injury sustained at Merthyr.