Dai Young is resigned to losing star centre Max Llewellyn at the end of the season and expects more players to leave the Welsh game over the coming weeks and months.
As exclusively revealed by Wales Online Llewellyn has opted to leave Cardiff having signed for a club in the Gallagher Premiership and is one of many players to have become disillusioned by the current state of Welsh rugby.
There is currently a freeze on offering new contracts to players in Wales with the Welsh Rugby Union and the four regions at loggerheads over the future direction of the game in this country. Both parties have verbally agreed a six-year funding framework but the freeze remains until is is officially signed.
"Yes, unfortunately that's the case," said the Cardiff director of rugby when asked if Llewellyn would be leaving the club. "But can you blame these boys?
"That's the question we've got to ask ourselves. Unfortunately they've got to look at their futures, their job security and at this moment in time, until things are resolved, we are pretty much in a situation where we can't do anything on that.
"It shouldn't be a surprise should it when things drag on as long as they have. At the end of the day they've got mortgages to pay, they've got careers, and they've got to look at.
"He (Max) isn't the first and he certainly won't be the last unless things can get resolved very quickly."
There is also significant interest in Wales tighthead Dillon Lewis with several clubs in England interested in securing his signature. And Young admits he has no idea whether the 26-year-old will be at Cardiff next season.
"No idea to be quite honest with you," he said when asked whether Lewis would remain in Welsh rugby. "We've got 20-odd players out of contract and I couldn't tell you if any of them are going to be here.
"At the end of the day we want to keep the majority of the players but if this goes on for much longer and if people start putting contracts in front of these players they have to do what is best for them and their families.
"I don't think players are desperate to leave Welsh rugby but at the end of the day they have to look after themselves. I think in all walks of life we understand how difficult it must be for everybody."
Young hopes an agreement can be signed in the very near future but he won't hold his breath with Welsh rugby's future as uncertain as it has been since 2003 when the game went regional.
"Everybody expected a deal to be done back in August or September and here we are," he said. "Until it's done we are in this situation.
"Fingers crossed it's going to be next week but next week has been next week for a long time now. I understand these things are not easy because at the end of the day we need the game to be more sustainable in Wales.
"That's the most important thing to get the game sustainable and these things have to be right before they can be agreed but when it drags on this long it's inevitable you are going to lose talent."
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