Jonah Holmes faces a “tough gig” if he joins English Championship club Ealing Trailfinders in the wake of them missing out on promotion to the Gallagher Premiership. That’s the verdict of Dragons director of rugby Dean Ryan on his departing Wales winger.
The seven-times capped Holmes is moving on having lost his wage appeal to the Welsh Rugby Union. The Union decide the salaries of the elite 38 home-based Wales internationals under their wage banding system. Holmes was unhappy with his offer and lodged an appeal, which was supported by his region, but that was rejected.
Players in the elite 38 effectively have 80 per cent of their salaries paid by the Union. With the out-of-contract Holmes not in that group, the Dragons would have had to pay all of his wages out of their own playing budget and they were not able to offer him a deal which would keep him on board.
