NEWPORT Gwent Dragons say there has been worldwide competition to lure star No 8 Toby Faletau away from Rodney Parade.

The 20-year-old Wales ace flies in tomorrow from a break in his Tonga homeland to visit family in time for Friday night’s Rabo Direct Pro 12 game against Cardiff Blues.

He will not be involved in the game after his strenuous efforts for Wales in the World Cup when he was the only player to start all seven matches.

But he had already committed his immediate future to the Dragons after signing a new contract with them for the next two-and-a-half-years.

“There was worldwide interest in signing Toby, I can’t say where, but we want Toby to be here for the rest of his career,” said Dragons coach Darren Edwards.

“Toby and the other Welsh boys know what’s in place here, there is a strategy and with everything that’s going on here the interest is huge.

“The new stadium shows the board’s ambition and their commitment to the business. And top rate coaching will put players into the Wales squad.

“Obviously we must be doing the right thing here and there will be improvements in the facilities and in the squad which is something I’m working on.

“But we need to be creative in the way we retain our players and in the way we fuel their ambitions.

“Why can’t these players go on from here and play for the Lions?

“I know these guys personally and they are good guys, they are desperate to improve on their careers and improve the Dragons, too.

“Players may want to move on at 20, but it’s important they stay and we make sure they are stimulated.

“The worst thing a player could do is take himself out of that environment. If you stay with that and if you enjoy what you are doing and you play for Wales and you play in the World Cup it shows you are working in the right environment.

“Things don’t just happen, there is a lot of groundwork being put in here, too.

“Toby is flying in tomorrow and I’m expecting him to ask to play on Friday! And Dan Lydiate is already in here doing weights, he can’t stay away.”

There is, however, a concern about Wales lock and new Dragons captain Luke Charteris, the other regular member of the Wales pack, who is having his wrist re-scanned.

He suffered the injury during the World Cup group matches and played on with it heavily bandaged. The Dragons are now awaiting the results of that scan.

But the plan is for all five of the returning Wales players, Lloyd Burns and Aled Brew completing the set, to figure in next week’s Amlin Challenge match against Cavalieri Prato in Italy.

But bad news for the Dragons is the confirmation that wing Mike Poole will almost certainly be out for the rest of the season with damaged knee ligaments while hooker and former captain Tom Willis is expected to be missing for six weeks with a broken thumb, both injuries suffered against Treviso last Saturday.