If my counting is correct, we have fifteen squad players whose contract ends this year - that excludes all the reserves btw. From that number there are some players that are surely going to get an extension; Julien, Livett, Toby King, but I would imagine that the vast majority of the rest will be leaving. Looking at the Academy, I can not see any new players coming through this year other than those ie. Moran, Smith, who have contracts beyond 2017.

Assuming we have around 10 squad places to fill, that seems like an awful lot of players to find at the end of the season - at a time when there is not a lot of quality around in the UK game, and what little there is, is jealously guarded ?

(Just as an aside, I think we also need a big effort on the Academy front to ensure at least 3 possibly 4 players are coming through each year. We can no longer rely on poaching high quality youngsters from other clubs / feeder teams.)

Well hopefully no new contracts have been negotiated yet because its being left for the new coaching staff to decide, just wishful thinking on my part.

Some players become available at short notice and can be snapped up, but surely the vast majority of recruitment will already be taking place - leaving it until the end of the season would be laughable, and simply play into the hands of the rest of the SL clubs.

The club needs to give more academy players a chance, will dagger hasn't ripped it up this year but he was asked to train with the first team for a few weeks and impressed enough to get a start, 5 or 6 youngsters should be asked to train along side the first team to see how they do. Smith/Moran/ dagger imo don't stand out much more than the rest of the u19 players but training full time/ first team has proved they can make the step up and I'm sure a few more would given the chance

I'd cut a lot of them, there's plenty of dead week.

The reserves have sent Danny Rasool, Tyler Prell and Alex Whalley out on loan, which is great for all involved and hopefully getting them some game time will ready them to come into the squad. Declan Kay has been at Rochdale recently, again these opportunities are great and it puts the ball in the players court to impress.

The under 19's have a lot of names that seem to have been around for a while, Reardon, Pythian and Gillam (not including Dagger for obvious reasons) who should be the next pushing through.

It's a shame we haven't pushed Rasool or someone else in during the centre crisis rather than persistently sticking with Hughes. Play the youngsters, give them a go. It won't always work short term, but it will battle harden them

Wigan/Widnes/Wakefield etc have all given quite a few academy kids a go this year and that will give the whole academy team a boost because the rest of the kids will know they have a chance, wire u19s know they have slim to no chance because warrington would rather go for the older/ journey man player on a 12 month contract , there's lads in the u19s that have been there from 15 year old ,let's give them a go , they must be good to have been in the academy for 4/5 years

Warrington haven't been in a comfortable enough position to blood youngsters this season.

The best outcome will be we make the top eight then once safe for the rest of the season, creating seven games that meen pretty much nothing and can be used to blood the up and coming.

Unfortunately, for a good few years now, RL has been walking into the situation the game finds itself in now.
It isn't a choice these days for a respected coach to be able to click his fingers to assemble the right set of players to do the job on the field . The way the game's grass roots & development at lower levels in clubs has dwindled has left a shortfall of decent players coming through & there is also no longer the availability of good players from Down Under....even players from overseas are over priced & below par compared to what used to be available. Now ,more than ever,is the time for coaches to step up & earn their corn in terms of coming up with developing teams at their disposal & clueless coaches will get found out.

I agree make the 8.
Well have 7 dead rubbers so we can play all the young ones.

Well there is your answer for one of the fifteen

Gidley is retiring at the end of the season

rlhttps://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sport/wolves/15376882.Wire_half_Gidley_announces_retirement/rl

Cannot believe we're allowing Smith to oversee such a major overhaul that will be needed

Completely agree about if we make the 8 using the games to blood the youth. 7 top flight games would be a great boost for a young guy trying to force his way into the first team

One has to wonder whether TS is overseeing the squad for next season, there are so many first team squad members to change SM may well have his plans hatched?

Simon Moran would needed to have sounded out any new coaching set up with regards to possible replacements.

Would Hiku have been signed on a 3 year deal if that was the case, sadly I doubt it, and expect to be filled with average utility players all over the park, and Patton and Brown to be halves