Lance Bradley: Ospreys boss insists agreement over Toby Booth exit

Talks of a new deal for Booth had floated since before Bradley joined the Ospreys in January 2024.

Booth was out of contract at the end of this season and Bradley had told the BBC in February he hoped the coach would stay within the organisation for a long time.

Now seven months on, Bradley says no new deal was offered when the Ospreys and their current head coach both agreed on Booth’s departure date.

“We talked to Toby and other people involved in this decision about what the best way forward was,” said Bradley.

“If those conversations had led to a point where we all agreed Toby would take us forward on the coaching side, then a deal would have been offered.

“In the end that was not the decision that we all came to, so a deal was not offered.”

Bradley says Booth had played a part in the process with the coach himself insisting the timing of his departure was right and in line with his own wishes.

“Discussions are just that,” said Bradley.

“You work out what’s better, nothing was decided before discussions started but having involved everybody, this is what we all agreed was the best outcome.”

Bradley added: “The conversations started before I joined the club and when I came in, I was part of them.

“We are looking at what we want to do over the next five years or so and we felt that this was a good time to make the changes we have announced.

“It is always difficult when you have a coach as popular and good as Toby to see when that comes to an end.

“We have all decided this is the right time. Toby has said he is going out at the top of his game for Ospreys and that is a lovely way for everybody to recall his time here.”