Leighton Samuel still wants to buy out Pontypridd's debts

Pontypridd went into administration on Thursday with debts of �670,000, despite Samuel making an inital offer last week to buy out the club's debts in return for sole control of the Warriors regional side.

That offer was rejected by the WRU because it wants the region to be run on a 50-50 partnership basis, so Samuel has returned with his new counter-proposal.

Samuel is now waiting to meet adminstrators Grant Thorton to establish whether he has first option on buying Ponty's Warriors share.

If his plan succeeds, and the WRU agrees, the Warriors would then be owned on a 50-50 basis by Bridgend and Welsh rugby's governing body.

That would allay fans' fears that Samuel is looking for sole control of the Warriors and would move all games away from Pontypridd's Sardis Road ground.

Pontypridd opted to go into voluntary administration after an emergency meeting of shareholders on Sunday, but they must rely on the support of their creditors for the process to succeed.

They had that backing from shareholders on Sunday, but they owe money to creditors including the Inland Revenue, a brewery and �120,000 in VAT.

Ponty poverty angers Samuel

With Samuel's money on the table it remains to be seen if a reduced repayment of those debts would be acceptable to creditors.

After a brief period in administration Pontypridd's directors plan to buy the club's assets through a new company called Pontypridd Rugby Ltd.

Swansea opted for voluntary administration route last season, offloading its playing staff and making swingeing cuts before re-emerging with the club's finances straightened out.

Pontypridd's fragile financial state has already created a deep rift in the Celtic Warriors' management team this season.

Samuel has publicly criticised Pontypridd over what he believed was a failure to disclose the full financial predicament at Sardis Road.

With Pontypridd unable to shoulder an equal share of the costs incurred by the Celtic Warriors, Samuel's offer to pay off their debts would have seen him gain sole control of the new entity in return.