Warren Gatland is keeping an eye on Welsh talent at the Celtic Crusaders

Warren Gatland has warned Super League new boys Celtic Crusaders that their players could be poached by Wales' union clubs should they impress.

The Crusaders began life in the top-flight by losing 28-6 at Leeds Rhinos.

Gatland, Wales' Grand Slam-winning rugby union coach, said: "There's so much money in the union game that their players may be targeted in the future.

"If the Crusaders are successful, their challenge is to stop our union teams picking off some of their players."

If any of Wales' four union regions tempted Crusaders players to switch codes it would be a case of gamekeeper turned poacher in Welsh rugby.

As in union's amateur days, Wales' union stars such as Jonathan Davies, Scott Gibbs, Scott Quinnell, John Devereux 'went north' to earn big money in rugby's 13-man code.

I don't think switching from league to union is as much of a temptation as you may think Former dual-code international Iestyn Harris

But the emigration to league stopped when union turned professional in 1995 and players in the 15-man code could start earning wages from playing the game to rival those in league.

Coach John Dixon's current Crusaders squad is mainly made up of Australians, but the Bridgend-based club, who have a three-year franchise in Super League, are developing their own Welsh players in their youth academy.

And Gatland issued a warning to league on the eve of Wales' Six Nations title defence in Scotland.

He told BBC Wales' The Back Page show: "The disadvantage for league is that it is traditionally played in a very small area in the north of England, in Australia and probably in Auckland in New Zealand.

"As a global game, league has probably struggled to develop a little bit whereas rugby union, since it went professional in 1995, we've seen the mass amount of financial influence it has had.

"It has probably taken over rugby league as a professional sport and I think rugby league has struggled to keep up with the pace and sponsorship and wages that rugby union players have been able to command.

"And now you see a lot of stars in Australia now switching to rugby union."

Andy Farrell, Jason Robinson, Lesley Vainikolo, Wendell Sailor and Iestyn Harris all made high-profile big-money switches from league to union.

Harris cost the Welsh Rugby Union �1.5m when he switched from Leeds Rhinos league team to Cardiff union side in 2001 and was hailed as the 'saviour of Welsh rugby.'

But Harris, who represented Wales in World Cups in both union and league, insists union's clubs do not pose a threat.

606: DEBATE Should the Celtic Crusaders fear a talent drain to union?

"I don't think switching from league to union is as much of a temptation as you may think," he said.

"The link is inevitable but if you look at the Catalans Dragons in France, they have developed extremely well.

"They have been in Super League for three years and finished in third position last year.

"The Dragons have good home-grown players and they have not been poached by the French Rugby Union.

"Once players are performing for the Crusaders and gaining admiration from the rugby league world, it will be something the players won't think about."

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