This time a year ago the Dragons seemed be to having a leaving-do every other night as 22 players departed Rodney Parade.
It was an exodus almost matched by the numbers coming in, with 16 new faces rocking up for the summer photo call.
Presumably, some players are still getting to know each other.
Whatever, a major rebuild isn’t always the way to bring about success.
But it doesn’t stop many from taking such an approach.
Thirty-five players are leaving their Welsh regional teams this summer, with the recruitment yet to be completed at many of the teams because of the delays caused by Project Reset.
Here’s the full list of those who are exiting...
CARDIFF BLUES
The departure lounge at Cardiff Blues has been busy, with 15 players heading out of the squad.
A number of those are youngsters, but there are some big names who won’t be on the playing roster next term, too.
Chief among them is Gareth Anscombe, who has joined the Ospreys , while Gethin Jenkins and Matthew Rees have moved into coaching. Some have argued that Anscombe may not be missed that much, and it is fair to point he will be away with Wales for much of next season.
But he’s a leader who points the way and those kinds of players can be priceless.
The popular Blaine Scully, a man with many friends and admirers, has also moved on and George Earle has decamped to Colomiers.
Another big loss is Rhys Carre to Saracens.
The 21-year-old is far from the finished article but 6ft 3in, 20st 7lb props who can hurtle around the field are not exactly commonplace in Welsh rugby or anywhere else for that matter.
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There is huge potential for him to become an exceptional player and it’s a shame for the Blues he has opted to leave. As Matthew Rees summed up recently: "Saracens will be getting a very good player and it's a massive loss for the Blues because a loose-head of Rhys’ quality is hard to come by."
The absence of Nick Williams’ name from the list of leavers released by the region last week is encouraging for all at the Arms Park, though.
He may not be as sprightly as he once was, but he showed with his display against the Ospreys on Judgement Day he still has much to offer, scoring plus points in virtually all areas.
Can he exert a positive influence on younger players at the club and fulfil a mentoring role as they come through? Of course he can, if the WRU let him.
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Blues player departures:
Gareth Anscombe
Rhys Carre
Steve Shingler
Jack Roberts
Tom Williams
Gethin Jenkins (retired as player)
Matthew Rees (retired as player)
Blaine Scully
George Earle
Dane Blacker
Sion Bennett
Ben Jones
Cameron Lewis
Corey Howells
George Thomas
Future yet to be settled:
Nick Williams
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DRAGONS
By last year’s standard, this term has been a beacon of stability and continuity for the Dragons.
True, nine players are heading out, but at one point in 2018 that many seemed to be departing before breakfast on some days.
Much attention has focused on Gavin Henson but an evening with Nostradamus and Mystic Meg wasn’t needed to predict he might be coming to the end of the road at Rodney Parade, with the former Wales international playing just three times this season, not helped by injuries.
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If we have seen the last of him as a player, most will want to conjure memories of him in his pomp, the brilliant youngster sailing through defences for Swansea and the Ospreys and nervelessly delivering for Wales.
However anyone looks at it, the hole left by Hallam Amos is a large one.
Injuries have hit him hard over the years, but his talent has never been in doubt and he will take some replacing.
Other notable exits include Jason Tovey and Rynard Landman, while Zane Kirchner had his moments and Jarryd Sage was admired by plenty.
Will Sam Davies yet arrive to bolster the Dragons behind the scrum? There will be hope that proves the case, but the switch isn’t over the line yet.
Dragons playing departures:
Jason Tovey
Hallam Amos
Zane Kirchner
Rynard Landman
Jarryd Sage
Gavin Henson
Dan Suter
Rhodri Davies
George Gasson
OSPREYS
The departure that’s caused most comment was that of the outstanding clubman Tom Habberfield.
When you spoke with the Bridgend product you were left in no doubt about the pride he felt in being part of the Ospreys set-up. He played out of position without protest and always gave his all. There may be scrum-halves in Wales with more X-factor, but the gritty Habberfield came without ego and pretty much the entire Ospreys squad liked what he offered.
Ultimately, though, with five good No. 9s on their books the Llandarcy-based region had to make a call and it was Habberfield’s misfortune the decision went against him.
The Harlequins-bound Scott Baldwin is another popular fixture who will be missed on an off the field, notwithstanding that the Ospreys have decent depth at hooker in the shape of Sam Parry, Scott Otten and Ifan Phillips, while if youngster Dewi Lake doesn’t make it big in Welsh rugby in the coming years something will have gone seriously wrong.
A nod to Rob McCusker, too, with the former Wales player having stepped forward during international periods when the Ospreys were down on numbers.
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They will be anxious that certain other names are not added to this list, Nicky Smith among them.
It has taken an age to nail him down to a new deal and no signature is on a contract yet.
The Ospreys thought they had their man after Judgement Day, only for uncertainty to once again rear its head.
But there are signs that Smith is finally edging towards putting pen to paper.
The Ospreys will be taking nothing for granted, while they will also be anxious to thrash out an arrangement with Alun Wyn Jones, though his contract extends through to the World Cup.
The assumption is that either Sam Davies or Luke Price — perhaps both — will need to be retained, with Gareth Anscombe set to be away with Wales for extended periods.
Davies is a better player than many give him credit for. For much of this season he has had to operate behind a pack shorn of key players because of Test calls, but his display against Cardiff Blues last time out underlined his quality. He can run a game, something that can’t be said about every fly-half.
Ospreys playing departures:
Scott Baldwin
Tom Habberfield
Alex Jeffries
Rob McCusker
Giorgi Nemsadze
James Ratti
Joe Thomas
Future yet to be settled:
Nicky Smith, Sam Davies, Alun Wyn Jones, Luke Price.
SCARLETS
Some are still a shade puzzled as to why Will Boyde is leaving the Scarlets.
Again, he may not be an individual who reaches for the nearest loud hailer and lets the world know of his qualities.
But he is someone who has a lot going for him and Welsh regional rugby must be in a better state than many suggest if it can let a player of his sort depart.
He is hard-working, fearless and nuggety, an individual who can hold his own at the breakdown, carries well and is likely to be around during Test windows.
How many times must it be said that league success in this part of the world isn’t just down to big names? The back-up cast can be just as important.
David Bulbring has also served the Scarlets well, but with Sam Lousi arriving and Jake Ball, Steve Cummins, Lewis Rawlins and Josh Helps in the set-up, it was getting a shade congested. But Bulbring never let the Scarlets down.
Scarlets player departures:
Will Boyde
David Bulbring
Tom Price
Declan Smith
