THERE is still room in Worcester Warriors’ budget to recruit players for the new season, confirmed chief executive Jim O’Toole.

Head coach Carl Hogg says Warriors “will travel with the group we have got” but the club’s board have pledged to increase the rugby budget by 25 per cent.

Supporters have been urging the club to boost their ranks at fly-half with Wales and Bath star Rhys Priestland among the names mooted by fans.

Director of rugby Dean Ryan quit Sixways on Wednesday.

O’Toole admitted: “This has been a difficult situation but we are convinced we are going in the right direction with this management team, the squad and our developments and investments off the pitch.

“We have been more than happy with the progress along our long-term business plan.

“There has been a lot of talk about five-year plans but we don’t have a five-year plan — we have a long-term business plan to make this a top-six Premiership team and a club challenging initially to get into the European Champions Cup and subsequently to be a competitive team in that.

“The rugby department will see a 25 per cent uplift in the rugby spend. There’s no shortage of money coming in.

“Nobody said we are going to achieve the top six this season. Our goal is to become a top-six club. We want to move in a northerly direction at a pace that reflects the quality of the squad we have at any given time.”