NEW boss Bernard Jackman has pledged to give every Dragons player the chance to prove their worth by declaring there is no pecking order for his Rodney Parade revolution.

The 41-year-old former Ireland hooker will take the reins on Monday and when unveiled at a press conference in Newport yesterday said he is “impatient to get cracking”.

He is charged with helping the Dragons improve on a season in which they won just four games in the Guinness PRO12 to finish with only Zebre beneath them.

Only former Wales fly-half/centre Gavin Henson and ex-Springboks utility back Zane Kirchner have been added to the ranks for 2017/18 but Jackman intends to give the current crop the chance to impress him over the coming weeks and months.

He said: “There’s a clean slate for everybody and I hope that every player, whether first or second choice last year or in the academy, comes in on Monday morning feeling there is no hierarchy.

“If I was a player that'd excite me. It’s a fresh start and the people who put their hands up in pre-season will get an opportunity. Then it’s up to them to take it.

“The players want to change, they are enthusiastic, they are ambitious and now they have their chance. Let their actions do the talking.

“We have a huge, huge challenge but I want to see the green shoots of change in terms of performances early doors. Once that we can see improvement then we know we are on the right track.”

Jackman, who arrives after six seasons in France with Grenoble, has replaced Kingsley Jones at the Dragons helm.

The Welsh Rugby Union are now calling the shots at Rodney Parade but the Irishman hasn’t already been pestering the governing body for new recruits.

“I think it’s fair to give the current squad the chance to show how good they can be under a different type of gameplan and in a different environment,” he said.

“A lot of coaches come in and bring six or seven players with them but I don’t think that’s the right thing to do.

“The players have had a lack of stability over the last couple of years, working in not ideal conditions. Now my job is to make sure that changes and that we fulfil that potential.

“If that’s not good enough to win games then we have to look elsewhere but I will give them the chance to impress.”

“I know that if I go and make a case for a recruit, the support will be there if it’s possible,” he continued.

“But recruitment should be a really thorough process and if we panic buy in June then you are taking a big risk.

“I’ve got to identify people who can add to the organisation on and off the field. We are not going to rush into anything.

“We will do our research and in the past for me at Grenoble it was a three-month process to do it properly. In the future we will very ambitious in our recruitment.”

The Dragons players will get the chance to prove their worth to their new boss and he has high standards.

Last season the Irishman annoyed a section of the Grenoble squad by banning pudding from the menu at the training ground while some felt his regime was too demanding.

“The dessert issue for me was because there were a lot of players in our squad who didn’t have acceptable body fat levels,” said Jackman.

“I did ban desserts – part of the reason was I was eating them all myself! – but I want the team I coach to be unbelievably detailed in their level of excellence and search to be professional.

“If there are people who don’t agree with that then obviously we will have conflict. I wouldn’t drop my standards.

“I wanted the club to become a top-six side but unfortunately there were a group of players who were happy to stay as a team that played to stay up every year.

“For me that’s not exciting, I want players and coaches who want to get better. If that means sacrifices in certain areas then so be it.”