THERE are times when Welsh rugby goes a bit Ukip, with some lambasting those foreign sorts who come over here taking our boys' jobs.

But Newport Gwent Dragons desperately need to be shrewd in the overseas market if they are to shed their tag as the regional whipping boys.

At the moment there is precious little chance of Welsh talent heading to Rodney Parade. Players that do venture east are either need to rebuild their career or are coming towards the end of it.

Those that are on the fringes of the national squad appear to be reluctant to head to the Dragons as it will be seen as desperation or a move that reeks of lack of ambition.

When fly-half/full-back Matthew Morgan decided to leave the Ospreys he had an offer from the Dragons but opted to instead stay on the M4 for a few more junctions and pen a deal with Bristol in the Championship.

Flanker Sam Lewis initially agreed to come to Rodney Parade but got cold feet and instead settled for being Justin Tipuric's back-up at the Liberty Stadium.

Just imagine if Rhys Patchell fancied a move away from Cardiff Blues because of the arrival of Gareth Anscombe; the Ospreys is a no-go because Dan Biggar is pulling the strings and is backed up by Sam Davies, the Scarlets have Rhys Priestland. I'd imagine he'd soon by plying his trade over the border.

Owen Williams has been mentioned as a dual contract target for Wales boss Warren Gatland but would any ambitious player swap big Champions Cup nights and Aviva Premiership title challenges with Leicester for Challenge Cup and Guinness Pro12 bottom-half tussles with the Dragons?

The region needs to change their perception and it will take one big Welsh recruit to set the ball rolling, but for the time being they will probably have to settle for overseas talent.

The hope is that they can strike gold again in 2015, bringing in individuals as impressive as Rynard Landman.

It is, of course, early days but the South African lock has been excellent on the field since joining from the Cheetahs in the summer and has been influential off it.

The 28-year-old is a seriously impressive individual and has swiftly earned the respect of his peers, captaining the side in the absence of injured skipper Lee Byrne.

Landman could not play against Bucharest after suffering a concussion against Glasgow the previous week but was still a keen traveller to Romania. There he was in freezing conditions, days after having a pin removed from his hand, acting as waterboy, passing on messages to the team and chatting away to the merry band of Dragons fans.

He may not have the caps of profile of Connacht's legendary All Black Mils Muliaina but is up there with this season's best recruits by clubs in the Guinness Pro12, providing more value for money than an established Wales international. Landman has flung himself in and clearly has not just headed north to top up his bank balance.

The Dragons need more of the same if they are to get themselves to a level that encourages burgeoning Welsh talent to stay and international players to join.