BERNARD Jackman should make the most of these precious few weeks when he can switch off from all matters Rodney Parade because numbers 6, 7 and 8 will be running through his mind next season.

The Guinness PRO14 champions are yet to be crowned but, believe it or not, the Dragons return for some light training in a couple of weeks, gradually ramping things up before things get serious in August and September.

There have been times throughout the past few seasons when Lyn Jones, Kingsley Jones and Jackman have longed for a few selection quandaries, looking at a squad list savaged by injury.

It's fair to say that the back row is a position where blows, bumps, bruises and operations are regular yet it's hard to imagine that head coach Jackman will be struggling for options in 2018/19.

Dragons supporters can't exactly consider themselves spoilt over the years but they have been treated in terms of back row forwards.

Perhaps that's down to familiar problems of size in Wales; flankers are plenty but big locks are hard to come by.

I would argue the region's finest ever player – in fact one of the greats to have played at Rodney Parade – is number eight Taulupe Faletau.

He heads a list featuring Lions Dan Lydiate and Michael Owen, former Wales captain Colin Charvis, talisman Jason Forster, record appearance holder Lewis Evans, Jamie Ringer, Joe Bearman, Gavin Thomas, Nic Cudd.

Competition has always been fierce in the Dragons' back row but next season is going to be ridiculous. You could draw three names out of a hat and be assured of having a handy trio.

In fact, if somehow everybody is fit then Jackman could do with nipping over the footbridge and along to Castle Bingo to ask for use of their machine.

Not since Faletau have the Dragons had a shoo-in player in the back row (although he was bizarrely left on the bench for a European quarter-final against Cardiff Blues, when he was an early replacement because of Andrew Coombs' career-ending knee injury) but a fit Ross Moriarty would be close to that, even given the riches on the roster.

The 24-year-old is the biggest signing the region has made for years, maybe even going back to former All Black Tom Willis.

Moriarty is on big wages and not on a dual contract but the Dragons need to manage their stellar recruit wisely given his struggles from the back injury suffered in the opening game of the Lions' tour last summer.

Thankfully Jackman has the ability to take Moriarty out of the firing line rather than flogging him.

In Ollie Griffiths the Dragons have a player who provides similar oomph and he will be fuelled by the frustration of a stop-start season.

Jackman will hope that the explosive flanker can return to remarkable form of 2016/17 that earned him a cap against Tonga, even if he was inexplicably only given two minutes.

Do that and Griffiths will be a key figure and a World Cup contender but he will be kept on his game by his peers.

Aaron Wainwright could well become the next Dragons player to be capped after his call-up for the summer Tests against South Africa and Argentina.

The 20-year-old was flung in last year and was remarkable but he will know that the odd speed bump lies ahead.

Harri Keddie knows all about that after being hindered by a shoulder injury in a season that could have seen the 21-year-old make his move in the World Cup cycle.

It would be daft to overlook Lewis Evans and think of the 30-year-old as merely a mentor for the younger players while James Benjamin moved back into the first-team thinking thanks to an excellent season, especially in the early months before a heavy workload took its toll.

Cudd will be back in the mix after the August knee injury that ended his 2017/18 before it started while lock/blindside James Thomas, who was so impressive when he burst onto the scene in 2014 thanks to his exploits with Bedwas, is fuelled by a similar injury that limited him to just seven outings.

Huw Taylor is arriving from Worcester and is a blindside/lock while Samoa international Brandon Nansen heads to Wales as a second rower primarily but has also featured as a big hitter in the back row for Stade Francais and in New Zealand club rugby.

James Sheekey remains on the books to bolster the ranks after showing flashes of what he could do following his arrival from Cardiff RFC last autumn.

The Dragons have always been represented strongly in the Wales Under-20s back row – I remember a triumvirate of Lydiate, James Harris and Evans in 2007 – and this summer will be no different.

The party travelling to France for the World Rugby U20 Championship features Max Williams (as a lock), Taine Basham and Lennon Greggains, who made Dragons bows this season, as well as Ben Fry.

It means that competition will be fierce at training next season and those that stand still in 2018/19 risk being fringe players.

Young talent will be hungry for outings in the first team, others will be desperate to press their Wales chances, there will be some playing for contracts.

Jackman had a busy autumn and winter wheeling and dealing in the transfer market but will hope that his back rowers ensure that is not a department he needs to worry about in Year Two.

Produce the goods and it will be retention rather than recruitment.

The Dragons are looking well stocked at 6, 7 and 8, now it's up to the players to make sure Jackman & Co are mulling over their options in the wee small hours, muttering about horses for courses.