I honestly think that unless you are a massive caster then 50mm rings are a waste. More difficult to protect in transport, heavier than more suitable 40mm rings. The larger ring was to deal with a particular line situation on the cast, feeding or funnelling it down with a particular shaped and sized reel.
In terms of budget rods, the current Fox range of Warriors, or Shimano Velocities are worthwhile, or even look at Shimano Alivio DX's.
The DX's are underpriced compared to some other budget rods! The Velocity is a recognised name, whereas Alivio is probably not.
Here is something for you, and it really pains me to say it, Shimano on the reel side in the basic Baitrunner and cheaper range is going downhill in terms of quality, compared to say 15years ago, but the rods are coming forward.