Filo Tiatia has lifted the lid on the Dragons players' "emotional" response to Ollie Griffiths' retirement announcement.

On Monday the Wales international, 29, was forced to tell his team-mates that he would be stepping away from the sport for good following his diagnosis of Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, which has led to nerve issues. His last game for the Dragons came against the Sharks back in January.

Back in September, it was announced that Griffiths would be taking a break from the game after finding a tumour on his spine. But the one-cap Wales international ultimately took the difficult decision to call time on his career for good and received an impromptu standing ovation from his team-mates at Rodney Parade earlier this week.

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“The players were sad,” Tiatia said of Griffiths announcing his decision on Monday. “When he announced it to the group they all stood up and gave him a standing ovation and it was an emotional moment for a lot of those boys.

“When you’re fighting for your life, fighting for the things that are important having been out of the game for a long time it’s hard to let go.

“He’s quite an inspirational man and just to see him how he is now, you wouldn’t think he is sick, he’s a fit man and looks after himself. For some reason God puts us in these difficult situations. But, yeah, he’s a special guy.”

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Griffiths made 105 appearances for the Dragons and picked up his one Welsh cap against Tonga at Eden Park in 2017. He would likely have played more for Wales were it not for the injuries he sustained throughout his career.

But, after deciding to step away from playing professional rugby to focus on his recovery, Tiatia paid tribute to the "massive impact" the back-rower had on the club over his decade-long career.

“It’s definitely a sad day, I didn’t really work with Ollie, but I’ve seen him play and his performances for the club,” said Tiatia. “Over 100 or so games and he’s had a massive impact in the region.

“I messaged him the other day to wish him all the best. This is his home and any time he wants to pop in he’s welcome because he’s made a massive impact and he’s a special man.”