CHIEF executive Jim O’Toole has hit back at claims Worcester Warriors are struggling to keep hold of their top youngsters following the departure of talented teenager Myles Edwards.
As The Observer revealed last week, the promising 18-year-old, who made his debut for Worcester Cavaliers last season, has joined Top 14 outfit La Rochelle.
His departure provoked a flurry of tweets, with some supporters fearing the club was finding it difficult to persuade its brightest prospects to stay.
The comments saw O’Toole issue a withering response to the critics, labelling one tweet as ‘just a silly comment’.
“One kid goes elsewhere and it’s a drama,” he said.
“Why not celebrate the great kids we have in the academy?”
“The bigger the base of the pyramid the better. Only the best will make it going forward.”
Rumours over possible Warriors signings have been circulating, with former Wales international hooker Matthew Rees believed to be in talks with the club.
However, speaking to The Observer, O’Toole remained tight-lipped.
“We are in the classic dilemma of all promoted clubs who have come through the play-off system,” he said.
“The window in which business is done is generally between November and February.
“We did a lot of business in that window with guys who knew what our vision was and they knew there was a chance of having another season in the Championship, but thank goodness that’s not the case.
“Players available at the moment fall into a couple of categories, not all of which are ponds you want to go fishing in, so it is a very delicate exercise for Dean (Ryan) and the guys.
“Sticking to our strategy, we will only sign players who will add value to the club, so we are not just going to bring in bodies for the sake of it.
“But it is a question of quality rather than quantity,” he added.