Quote Saint94="Saint94"I know the season hasnt started but it will give us something to talk about. The following players contracts are up and the end of the coming season. Who if any would you offer new contracts to and for how long?
obviously this season will say alot but atm what would you do?
Wellens
Soliola
Meli
Flannery
Hale
Clough
Wheeler
Dixon
IMO
Wellens: Coaching position?
Soliola: Still young..3 years
Meli: Can see him getting 1 year, but i'd let him go
Flannery: Bye
Hale: 2 years (its the trend atm)
Clough: 3 years.....shown he has quality, he will only improve further
Wheeler: can see him going somewhere else and being injury free and a world beater
Dixon'"
OK you can tell its been a while since anyone had some rugby. There is alot of rugby to be played before anything is definative and that IMO goes for all players. So with that proviso in mind.
Wellens ~I can see a rolling one year deal. Personally I'd do this at the moment if he finds a new role. I think we need to give someone the chance to make a play for FB for the long term benefit of the club. But he may have a stormer so who knows.
Soliola/Meli/Wheeler~for me all three are connected. Dixon to but to a lesser extent. We need a new centre. If wheller does not step up and take it then the club have to look elsewhere. If they can get anyone better then Meli will get another year. If Sia signs then we cant go NRL and that limits the centre field even more. If Sia goes then we need cover in the second row therefore increasing dixons chances of a new deal. If Wheeler steps up and takes the centre spot then Saints will be keener to keep sia as they will not need his spot for the centre position.
Flannery ~ hardly played recently and at the moment would struggle to get a bench spot in the starting 17. But the formation of the team will be all important. ie loose forward who will play here? back on the bench policy? how gaskell lance and lomax will fit together? So flannery may still be decent but time to give his spot to an up and coming academy lad.
Dixon ~tough one went well in 2010 less so last year but I was really impressed in the GF he ran some of our best lines tackled well and gave us some penetrating runs. If he can increase his fend and or offloads could be a diamond in the rough. For me he's a keeper at least one year but if he storms it then performance will determine the size and length of contract.
Clough ~ Injury will determine whether he cuts a new deal. We need props but who knows who the club have a long term eye on.
Hale? needs to get some games to prove anything. he is a bit of a srodingers cat. is he good is he not. we'll only know if we open the box.
Wheeler ~for me he could be a skillful centre but needs to get injury free. heart has nothing to do with it. at the moment he would be no major loss. but then neither was keith mason at the time and he went on to be a very hany prop. we need them at the moment.
Its all very long winded but contract negotiations arre rarely done based on one player. we have no idea who saints are targeting from out side. what new players will impress both at saints and in other teams and what players are asking for and what intentions players have to go elsewhere?