WE’VE got used to hearing the order of ‘use it’ barked by the referee as a scrum-half dawdles at the base of a ruck. It’s an instruction that is applicable to the bosses at Newport Gwent Dragons.

As we head into 2016 there is a sense of déjà vu at Rodney Parade; a frustrating Guinness Pro12 campaign means that ninth spot and finishing above Cardiff Blues is the only realistic aim but thankfully the prospect of knockout European rugby is giving us something to look forward to.

The Dragons have shown in flashes that there is talent in their ranks but consistency is a problem, as you’d expect when operating on a budget that is dwarfed by most professional clubs in Europe.

This is a good squad with a pretty nice mix: talented youngsters such as Ollie Griffiths, Ashton Hewitt and Elliot Dee, those looking to make the next step in Test rugby in Hallam Amos, Tyler Morgan and Jack Dixon, seasoned Welsh campaigners like Rhys Thomas, Lewis Evans, Andrew Coombs and (the still young) Adam Hughes plus good overseas recruits in Rynard Landman, Brok Harris, Nick Crosswell and Sarel Pretorius.

It is time for them to be backed. It is time for push on and bring in some quality reinforcements.

Sadly, this is a call that has been made many a time, one that my predecessor Robin Davey frequently made when it was Paul Turner at the helm.

But there is a professional rugby team at Rodney Parade and it needs to be backed by the board or the gap that we hoped was closing will instead widen. ‘Use it’.

There have been some excellent developments recently off the field, most notably the reintroduction of the family village behind the North Terrace.

It was a successful part of Tony Brown’s Newport that mystifyingly disappeared but now it’s back with the sponsorship of the Cwmbran-based company We Fight Any Claim.

By all accounts the marquee has been buzzing and adds to the experience of going to a game at Rodney Parade, now we just need a successful team.

And adding some quality recruits is vital on that front – not promising players or those who are English Championship quality – and one fears that the other three regions are already ahead.

Cardiff Blues have signed Nick Williams and Salesi Ma'afu with Wales internationals Rhys Gill and Matthew Morgan also reportedly set to strengthen the squad while the Scarlets are relishing the return of Jonathan Davies and arrival of Rhys Patchell, the man who put the boot into Lyn Jones’ men at the death last Sunday.

The current Dragons have the makings of a good side but the squad depth – as proved by the current absence of around 10 first team players – is as thin as the paper crown from last Friday’s crackers.

South Wales Argus:

IT’S that time of year when sportsmen will be reflecting on how certain games panned out.

The decision to go to the corner against Wales will be haunting at (then) England captain Chris Robshaw, Australia cricket skipper Steve Smith will wish that his team had showed just a little bit more backbone in the Ashes opener to be saved by what would have been a day five washout in Cardiff, Alex Cuthbert will be thinking about his understandable decision to come off his wing to tackle Duane Vermuelen for Fourie du Preez’s World Cup quarter-final winner.

Meanwhile, at Rodney Parade some will be pondering whether the right decision was made on Jack Condy after his stunning performance in the Scarlets’ Boxing Day defeat to the Ospreys. Did they pursue him hard enough?

The powerful 21-year-old moved west last summer after catching the eye in the Principality Premiership with Cross Keys, a club he joined after being part of a strong and hugely successful Penallta Youth team.

Newport Gwent Dragons were also interested in signing him but were beaten to the punch by their rivals from Llanelli.

So, when the Aberbargoed back rower starred in front of a packed house at Parc y Scarlets – his eighth appearance of the season – it was easy to stick the boot into the Dragons for missing a talent, just as they had when Lewis Rawlins headed west from Pandy Park.

In an ideal world both would have been preparing with the squad for the New Year’s Day Ospreys encounter, Condy ready to take over from Taulupe Faletau next summer while Rawlins would be in the mix for selection in the boilerhouse or blindside flanker.

Sadly it’s inevitable that some players will slip through the net. With money tight there are only so many green, project players that can be carried in a squad without questions being asked about whether the squad size is at the detriment of quality.

As I said in the piece above, the Dragons need to bolster their ranks with established and already proven players first.

It’s also a shock that Condy has made an impression so soon; his raw talent, especially when carrying, was never in doubt but he has profited from the Scarlets injury problems in the back row and benefitted from slotting in next to seasoned pros.

And that’s a key point. In the past the Dragons have flung too many young players in together without having old heads to guide them and clearly felt that the limited number of back row prospects in the squad are the supremely talented Ollie Griffiths with Wales Under-20s blindside/number eight Harri Keddie’s time to come in the coming years.

Would Condy have even got a look in yet given the form of Griffiths? Even Nick Crosswell, Nic Cudd, Lewis Evans and Ed Jackson have had to live with being rotated at times so far this season.

There is always the risk that a scorned player will make a coaching team look daft but they have to live with the decision and hope that they make more good calls than bad.

Could the Dragons do with Condy as a back row option? Yes if money was no object and stockpiling players was an option, but the Scarlets’ need was clearly greater and the Rodney Parade side have other areas of their XV that need more attention.

Fingers crossed Condy will go on to flourish at the Scarlets while Griffiths, Keddie and James Benjamin strengthen what has traditionally been an area of strength at the Dragons.

It is the nature of professional sport that teams will have their Decca moments and see the odd player make them look daft, just ask the Ospreys after they cut a little lad called Leigh Halfpenny from their academy.