The Glendale Merlins return to the Pacific Rugby Premiership and will bring a completely new-look squad compared even to last year.

The return of the Merlins changes the profile of the PRP, too. What was a six-team competition divided equally between Southern California and Northern California, is now a league with three teams in SoCal, two in NorCal, and one in Colorado. 

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Glendale's connection with the Glendale Raptors Major League Rugby program is also a shift. While the PRP is a superb training ground for future professionals, this is the first member that is directly connected with an MLR team.

FloRugby caught up with Merlins head coach Luke Gross, capped 62 times for the USA, to find out what his squad brings to the table.

FloRugby: Why did you shift to the PRP?

Luke Gross: The Red River Conference was a very good competition and we really enjoyed being in it. Last year we filled out their play so they had enough to go for a championship, and they provided us with really good competition. So Hats off to them, at such a late notice from us, to include us. 

It was important for us not to leave them high and dry; they pulled up two more teams and that filled out their schedule. They took care of us. As far as the PRP goes, domestically it's one of the strongest leagues in the country game per game. We want to play the top teams in the country every single weekend.

FloRugby: Since you are also part of a Major League Rugby program, what is the overarching goal for the Merlins - development or winning?

Gross: We all want to win. But the first goal is development. That led us to make some changes. We have integrated our Academy into our D1 men's team. We had our D1 team last year which was a mix of guys from D2 and D3, and new guys we'd recruited.

But it didn't really work.

After last season our Director of Rugby, Mark Bullock, met with the coaches and said we would do a hard push to support the professional side and the WPL side for the women. 

With that in mind I had to go back to the players on the D1 level and evaluate every player: "Is this young man ever going to play professionally?"

I was honest with them, and after that we let about 20 guys go. I told them, they're great guys, great teammates, good athletes, but I can't tell you that you're going to play for the professional side. They were disappointed, but they are such top guys, they understood. In the end they decided to go form their own club, the Denver Misfits, in D3, and I go out and watch them and they're doing well.

Watch Glendale Academy U23s vs Saint Mary's LIVE on FloRugby Feb 2

FloRugby: So that set the tone, right? You must be going younger.

Gross: Yes, we've combined the Academy side - although the Academy will play some games as an Academy team - with new players in our D1 squad, and with a smattering of pro guys who come down.

FloRugby: This has been an issue since the Super League days - the idea that once a player plays at a very high level, other clubs in the next level down bristle at playing against those players. But we've seen PRP squads have internationals on their rosters. How do you look at it?

Gross: We won't have pro guys from the top end, but guys in the pro setup who are not getting a lot of time. They need games to help their development; they can’t just sit on the bench. The top guys will train with Davey [Williams] on the MLR side, and the rest train with me twice a week. But sometimes there will be pro guys who aren't getting time, who need games. It's the same in sports all over the world.

Watch Saint Mary's College vs Glendale Academy from 2018

At the same time, you've got guys coming back from injury, things like that. You can't throw someone into a high-level game who hasn't played in a month. You need to give him game minutes to prepare.

FloRugby: Is there an overall Glendale way of playing?

Gross: Yes. We play the same kind of game as the Raptors. Almost everything will be the same. We will have one or two twists based on personnel and individual skills, but we're developing a style of play within the club as a whole.

FloRugby: So everyone in the PRP better watch out?

Gross: Well, we're excited about the season. We've had lots of changes, but at the end of the day, it's about the players. As coaches you organize and you find the right direction to go and you point them in that direction, and then it's about them all pulling together.