Cardiff Blues: Danny Wilson says bigger squads are needed due to concussions

Prop Brad Thyer is the latest Blues player to need time on the sidelines due to concussion protocol

Cardiff Blues coach Danny Wilson says a larger squad is needed to deal with the increasing number of concussions.

Prop Brad Thyer and centre Ray Lee-Lo and flanker Ellis Jenkins are the latest Blues players to be sidelined with head injuries.

"More squads will have to be bigger for the reason that we lose players to concussion almost every week, for a week if not longer," Wilson said.

"Safety first - but it does put a stress and a strain on the resources."

Wilson has strengthened his squad by signing Ulster lock Franco van der Mewre,Leicester centre Jack Roberts and Exeter second row Damian Welch for the 2017-18 season.

"We all work to budgets and constraints and to those constraints we feel we've made some good signings and got some good people on board to add to what we already have here at Cardiff Blues,

"Ultimately the bigger and the deeper the squad you have the more you can deal with injury problems and the latest problem in the game is concussion," Wilson said.

Cardiff Blues have also in recent weeks offered new deals to young fly-half Jarrod Evans, centre Garyn Smith and props Dillion Lewis and Ethan Lewis.

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The region have a high number of home grown players in their current first team squad, which is a necessity according to Wilson.

"With the financial constraints, you need to bring players through the academy system and develop from within," he said.

"Credit to this region a number of players have come through the system and play not only for Cardiff Blues but also for Wales and long may that continue," Wilson added.