LES WILLIAMS is adamant the general committee of the Welsh Rugby Union would be the wrong body to appoint the professional management team he believes should run the game in Wales.

"If you used the committee to make these key appointments, you can forget it," was his damning assessment.

"Four or five people do the talking and the rest nod their head. It's like a local council meeting."

Williams may have been forced to relinquish his post as union vice-chairman and committeeman earlier this year on health grounds but he is as passionate about the sport as ever.

And, having witnessed and taken part in the decision-making process, he believes radical change is necessary to create a structure that offers Wales a chance to compete on the international stage.

Even then, he wonders whether it will be enough, questioning the motives and attitudes of players and coaches. But he was adamant that establishing a slick, streamlined and pro-active WRU would ensure there could not be any excuses for continued failure at international level.

"Players and coaches use the structure as an excuse when their teams don't perform," said Williams.

"You don't hear them mention it when they are winning. The structure is the biggest red herring of all when it comes to what happens on the field.

"However, we must not say that is a reason not to change it. In my opinion, having a professional structure governing the game would result in the other facets having to be more professional.

"If you have a professionally-run union, coaches or players would have nothing to hide behind if they did not produce."

Williams would like to see a new tier introduced by the WRU in the next couple of years - the advent of the drafted team for European competition and possibly a Celtic tournament.

He believes it would act as a massive incentive for all players in Wales because those centrally-contracted players would be paid more. Success should bring reward, he argues.

"It does not matter who the teams are. I do not understand why people say we have got to look after a certain few clubs."

Williams says those teams should be made up of Welsh-qualified players and be backed up by a healthy club structure, like in Ireland.

"One of the biggest problems in Welsh rugby is the animosity between East and West Wales," he said.

"Because of it the whole game suffers. I know the game has been built on the clubs but are they the right option for the professional age?

"I was hoping Neath would have won the league championship to prove a point. When they didn't I was glad they helped stop Newport, the multi-nation team, winning it."

Williams is also deeply concerned that rugby is following the way of soccer with coaches being hired and fired on a regular basis.

"What incentive is there for a young coach holding down a well-paid job outside rugby to go full-time when the sport appears to be going the same way as soccer?" he asked.

"It said on the radio, 45 managers out of 92 football clubs have had the boot this season. How can a coach develop in such a system?

"Drafted teams set up and run by the WRU might give coaches breathing space to improve," added Williams who defended his role in the departure of Wales coach Graham Henry last February.

"Results before and since at international level have borne out the mess we are in.

"Wales have had just three wins this season, against Romania, Tonga and Italy. Take out Italy and we would have been whitewashed in the European championship."