So…what now?

The three months in limbo are finally over, and while debate still may rage over whether the handling and result of the investigation into allegations made against Dai Young are correct, ultimately it will not change anything. The only way to look is forward.

For Cardiff that means another three month window, this time three months on Saturday until our 2023/24 United Rugby Championship campaign gets underway, and three months to be in a position to actually complete the whole season.

As things stand Cardiff have the following; two coaches (attack coach Matt Sherratt and backs coach Richie Rees), around 23 first team players (at least seven of whom are in Rugby World Cup training squads), and around eight transition players coming out of the Academy (three of whom have recently finished Wales U20 duty).

It’s not an ideal situation, that’s for sure.

First things first, the senior management at the Arms Park need to take a long at themselves. Are they the right people to take this club forward? We are entering a new era for the club, where financial belts are tightened and the battle to be competitive will be both uphill and handicapped. It will take innovation on rugby and commercial fronts to survive.

Chief Executive Richard Holland has been in-post for 11-and-a-half years now, he has to ask himself if he is the right man to lead the organisation through a cultural review and into this new era, while it is coming up to five years since Alun Jones was appointed Chairman, with similar questions for a man who has become increasingly invisible in the last 18 months.

If they decide the time is now for new faces at the top, then asking Matt Sherratt or Gruff Rees to take charge on a temporary basis until new senior management are in place to appoint their own Director of Rugby/Head Coach would be a smart move, but if they believe they are still the right people for the job then they need a plan in place quickly.

That rugby plan needs to cover what the aims are for the next five years and how Cardiff can embrace the challenge of being competitive on a smaller budget. Whether it’s a focus on the Academy and putting a coaching staff in place with a track record of developing young players, a recruitment strategy that looks for value where other clubs don’t see it, or a mix of the two, the direction must be clear.

Appointing rugby management who can implement that plan is the first key milestone, and then building the squad in a way that ensures any new contract or new signing adds value to the playing group on and off the field, rather than just being a body to fill a gap. If that means we end up a bit weaker in certain positions then so be it, nobody expects the Blue and Blacks to suddenly have a full, play-off chasing squad.

Having succession plans and clear recruitment targets falls into place around that, with the aim of being in a much more competitive, yet sustainable, position by the time 2025/26 rolls around.

Alongside all that must come a review of the culture at the club. An overhauling of the relationship between the players, coaches and senior management, and particularly a fresh start in the relationship between supporters and the club.

Since that Challenge Cup win in Bilbao and the departure of Danny Wilson, there has been a lack of engagement with supporters, as the attitude seems to have become “they’ll be there no matter what”. Supporters want to be more than just there though, we want to be engaged and on board with the direction of the club.

If there is going to be one or two seasons of tough results, then be open and honest about that, and inform us of the need for those tough times and the objectives that Cardiff are looking to hit along the road back to being competitive. Take us along for the journey.

Getting everyone pulling in the same direction is the main focus now, and that has to come from the top of the club. It’s cheesy, but divided we fall, united we stand.