Up to last week everyone was buzzing about the turnaround in performance and the possibility of a play off place, then with four games to play in the fixed schedule we all start getting into signings and releases. Now it bugs me when i hear of players not been offered contracts and players being signed for next year. I know players are professional and should give their all for their club but they are also human beings with feelings and if i was one of these players who had been told or given the impression that they would not be retained or they have signed for another club for next year i would find it difficult as much as i tried to give one hundred percent untill the end of the year. I will be suprised from now untill the last four games have been played if we get the same performance as we were getting after Webster took over and as such many walk up supporters will not bother coming and season ticket holders will be left feeling a bit short changed.
I would like the RFL to look at introducing a rule that states all wheeling and dealing should be carried out during the closed season (5 months), i know it would be difficult to police but some sort penalty for breaking the rule could imposed. Reading all the topics on the forums in the last few days about all whats going on although exiting to some people just leaves me feeling a bit deflated and thinking is it worth while getting another season ticket. Maybe i am being a bit pessimistic but its how i feel, what about you?.

I think players would rather tolerate playing the last few games of the season knowing they're off elsewhere, than have the window of opportunity to get a new deal shorted to just 5 months; they have families to feed, bills to pay and Costa Coffee accounts to service, so I would imagine the sooner their future arrangements are put to bed, the better for them?

Yes i can understand that from the players point of view Bren but from the clubs point of view would it not be better to know that all your players are focust for the full season so if the post can not be achieved i think the club should enshore that all players contracts should extend to the following season i.e the team next year 2015 should all have contracts to at least 2016 especially as 2015 is a relegation year and we need the players to be competing and focused right to the end of the season.

Two perfect examples where your theory falls down, unless you were not at the match on Sunday you could not have failed to miss Richard Moore chase their winger down with a 90 yard chase, also you could be forgiven for thinking that Tautai was still a Wakey player next season.

Well you have made my point there, i saw that situation differently i was stood at the north stand end looking down the touch line and Richard Moore was matching him stride for stride and i believe if Richard had been in contract for another year he would have hammered him into touch as it was he just shadowed him to the try line. But look i can see the next year been same old stuff as the previouse two years too many new faces starting the season getting beat and the same excuses i.e. the players need time to gel BLA, BLA, BLA. But if you are happy to pay your money to watch repeats of previous years then thats your perogative, good luck.

You're bagging a prop forward for matching a wingers speed? Was a great effort if you ask me

+1 from me on that one, Jaffa.

Moore has given 110% in every match he has played in this year, and Sunday was no different... I for one will be sorry to see him go (again !!).

Your argument was a reasonable one and worth discussing - don't shut it down because someone disagreed with you!

I don't have issue with the spirit of a lot of what you've said, but I can't see how it would be implemented in reality; players are, understandably, self-interested, so they'll do their best to get arrangements sorted asap when their contract is coming to an end - if that means they play out a season with a club they'll be leaving, you have to hope that professional pride and respect for their mates will see them put it all in, and for the most part, I think they do; with some notable exceptions.

The measures you're proposing, whilst favourable for clubs, would be deeply unfavourable for players, which is somewhat counterproductive given that clubs need players; there could even be some employment law issues with restricting their ability to secure alternative work when a contract is coming to an end.

My point was that even though he was leaving he still chased him down as not bothering at all and imo if he had been given a contract for the next 5 years' he would not have caught him I can imagine Moore's thoughts' when chasing him, sod it they've not given me a contract so I'll not stop him scoring I'll just shadow him to the try line, And no I'm not happy at the way things end up at the club every season but unfortunately that's how things' happen here due to lack of finances but in spite of all that I am happy to pay my money till times get better in they ever will, if your not happy with the situation and you choose not to bother like a lot more seem to have done then that squire is your perogative, good luck. incidently I seemed to have missed you thoughts' on Tautai's attitude.

As opposed to the members of the team who have a contract? Remind me what they did?

Tautai is a great player and just maybe the fact that he got his contact sorted months ago means he would carry on playing at the same level as he was when Wigan spotted him plus he is young and got a long carear ahead of him i dont know, but my overall point is in my opinion a successful team wining trophys etc is a settled team who can be kept together for a few years, i think this was the case in the sixties with only one or two changes. As for the players we all have to work for a living its not just sportsmen/women but i dont see my employer as being beholdent to me if i was made redundant

Personally, I think Moore is pretty bullet proof in this discussion.
He hasn't got a contract, and has probably known that for a while, yet he seems to put more effort in than anyone else, and in a position where effort really hurts.

I don't think sport, and rugby league in particular allows you to give less effort because of your contract. Your team mates would know and you'd be dropped pretty quickly.
For me, personal pride makes you play to the end of the season, especially if you've been here a while as you'll want a good send off. I bet you see Mathers play some of his best rugby now.

You may be right pop tart and i hope you are i would love to see a good finish to the season and be proven wrong, i also think Richard Moore is a genuine player and wish him luck in whatever he does, but as to whether i have a point or not i guess we will have to wait and see will it be buisiness as usual next year or will we have a successfull trophy winning team who knows maybe we can come back to this thread halfway through the season.

In reply to the op, the contracts that players have (or not) are a fact of life in professional sport.
Equally, like the rest of us, they have good days and bad days.
The difference is that most of us don't get discussed in public and get panned when we have a bad day.
Again, we don't get the same adulation and satisfaction of getting paid for something we enjoy doing.

The end of season always causes disruption and unless there is something to play for, it must be more
difficult to up for certain games, especially if you haven't got a gig for next season.

A decent coach will keep all players interested, even if they're off somewhere else.

Going back to the original post and the theory about how it could affect a players performance. I would be interested to know what people think about the contract status of Richard Owen after taking his last few performances into consideration.