Just read this article about contract expiry dates. Thoughts? https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sp ... -contract/

Just read this article about contract expiry dates. Thoughts? https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sp ... -contract/

November 2022 - here's my take for what it's worth.

Jason Clark - release
Stefan Ratchford - retain, lower contract - utility player, one year
Josh Charnley - release
Mike Cooper - retain - one year , still currently our best prop
Gareth Widdop - release
Jack Hughes - release
Matt Davis - release
Keanan Brand - release
Ellis Robson - release
Rob Butler - play regularly or release
Robbie Mulhern - extend 2 years - solid member of a stronger 4 prop team
Riley Dean - retain - 2 years
Eribe Doro - release
Jacob Gannon - retain
Billy Magoulias (option for 2023) - retain for 2023, seen glimpses of talent but way off fitness yet

Lots of salary cap space there for improvements!

Agree, except for Cooper, who we can`t afford to lose, like we lost Hill.

He will be after a longer deal for possibly his last contract.

I could live with that

I would, despite his weird unpopularity, keep Matt Davis. Yes he’s limited but as a utility squad member on a lowly contract he is value for money. Has decent hands, defensively sound and gives 100% every single time he plays. Likely to be on half of what J Clark is on and offers twice as much.

Pretty much agree with that, though I keep changing my mind on Mulhern, if it was Philbin at the end of the deal right now, I would let him move on. Mulhern is far from our worst performing prop, but he too is relatively small so is part of the general prop problem.

Would depend on what was out there, if losing Mulhern meant we could bring in two signings of size and quality then I’d let Mulhern go, he can count himself unlucky, but that’s salary capped sport

Davis, I think he is a good player to have in a squad, and will be fairly cheap I expect. Could be tempted to keep him on, but not at the expense of the development / opportunities for Gannon / Whitehead - so depends whether Powell sees these as ready to start bringing in to the first team from 2023.

For Mulhern, it depends on how much he is prepared to sign for.

Assuming that Powell doesn`t rate Butler, since he isn`t playing him, then we need to retain Mulhern, assuming that we will sign two more props for 2023.

Let's be honest, if both mulhern and philbin were out of contract, there would be no debate about who we should keep. Mulhern shouldn't suffer just because we are stuck with philbin for a few more years. He's been good this year and was outstanding v Hull against a so called monster pack of forwards.

It’s a shame some are on contracts beyond this season, can’t we just give them away to Widnes or something.

We need to do what’s best for the squad, 100% agree Mulhern would stay out of preference of the two of them, but Philbin has a long contract and we need the right props in place for next year.

I believe Middleton is happy to pay off some contracts of under performers. Philbin should take the money now and King should prepare himself for a nice pay off.

Ratchford, Charnley, cooper and Dean are the only ones I would definitely like to be retained, mulhern and Davis I wouldn't mind if they stay on but the rest should all go. We need a big rebuild so the bigger the portion of salary cap available the better.

I'd also let Philbin go, he's been bouncing backwards off the first tackler for too long and making very little impact.The sky crew made the great impact myth up, its just an urban legend. I like him but he's not big enough to be an effective prop.

Did I not read on a thread some time back that Philbin was being shopped around.

.

Surely Middleton will hold our CEO to account for these contracts, if he is prepared to pay off these players?

His money hasn`t been spent, it has been squandered

I'm happy we have so many off contract, means we can get rid of a big chunk of dead wood and replace with better players if possible. Cooper and Mulhern need to be retained, i'd keep Ratchford and Matt Davis for ulility purposes and Riley Dean that's it.