Playing staff cull as Cardiff tighten the purse strings

THE high cost of Heineken Cup failure was brought into sharp focus in Wales last night as Cardiff Blues cut loose two of its biggest stars and prepared to make others available for transfer.

Reduced to also-rans in the Heineken Cup pool stages for the second season in a row, the Welsh region’s estimated £5m stg wage bill has been cut by £750,000 for 2011-12 and Wales Grand Slam heroes and Lions stars Martyn Williams and Tom Shanklin were yesterday told they would have to leave the Blues after their contracts expire at the end of the current campaign.

That could also mean Welsh heroes of a younger vintage such as Jamie Roberts and Leigh Halfpenny being offered to clubs around Europe.