The Matt Hodgson re-signing with the 4s had me looking at who else's contract is due for renewal. So, below is a list (as best I have) of players whose contract is up this year:
Reds:
Ben Daley
Berrick Barnes
Digby Ione
Greg Holmes
Hugh McMeniman
James Horwill
Leroy Houston
Sean Hardman
Daniel Braid
Tahs:
Tatafu Nau
Sekope Kepu
Sam Norton-Knight
Phil Waugh
Matt Dunning
Luke Burgess
Kurtley Beale
Jeremy Tilse
Dean Mumm
Daniel Halangahu
Chris Thomson
Brett Sheehan
Ben Batger
Beau Robinson
David Dennis
Brums:
Afusipa Taumoepeau
Ben Alexander
Clyde Rathbone
Francis Fainifo
George Smith
Huia Edmonds
John Ulugia
Josh Holmes
Mark Chisolm
Mitchell Chapman
Nick Henderson
Patrick Phibbs
Peter Betham
Peter Kimlin
Shaun Mackay
Stephen Moore
Tryone Smith
James Stannard
Force:
Richard Stanford
Drew Mitchell
Gareth Hardy
James O'Connor
Josh Valentine
Junior Pelesasa
Matt Giteau
Nick Cummins
Pat O'Connor
Richard Brown
Tamaiti Horua
So the Reds have 9 and the Force only have 11 players to re-sign (if needed), the Tahs have 15 whilst the Brums have 18! There will be some interesting decisions having to be made about who to keep, who to ditch and who to poach.
For the Reds, the key will be to re-sign Horwill and Barnes ASAP, from there hopefully the likes of Holmes & MMM will follow. Digby was talking of going back west, so who knows. Braid has the option after one year. Both Houston and Daley have all to play for this year to prove they have a future, and it must surely be Hardman's last year?
For the Tahs there will be interest surrounding what happens with Waugh, Sheehan and Dunning (who won't have the benefit of proving himself deserving of a contract on the field this S14 season). I would've thought Beale, TPN, SNK, Kepu, Burgess, Mumm and Robinson (Beau) will all be re-signed with the last 4 deserving of upgrades? Dennis, Batger, Thompson and Tilse are, you would think, under pressure. As for Halangahu, well it depends on what happens on the field I reckon. And at other teams.
So the Brums have more than an entire team off contract. Rathbone, Fainifo, Edmonds, Chapman, Holmes, Henderson and Mackay under pressure? They'll be wanting to get onto Smith (both), Alexander, Moore and Kimlin pretty quickly. And then there's Gits....
...from the Force, who also have another young, quick stepping inside back off contract in JOC (James O'Connor). Plus another Wallaby back in Drew Mitchell. Pelesasa probably needs to pull out a big year, although game time may be difficult. Brown will be due an upgrade, whilst Horua could force the same with a big year.
Let the fun times begin!
Reds:
Ben Daley
Berrick Barnes
Digby Ione
Greg Holmes
Hugh McMeniman
James Horwill
Leroy Houston
Sean Hardman
Daniel Braid
Tahs:
Tatafu Nau
Sekope Kepu
Sam Norton-Knight
Phil Waugh
Matt Dunning
Luke Burgess
Kurtley Beale
Jeremy Tilse
Dean Mumm
Daniel Halangahu
Chris Thomson
Brett Sheehan
Ben Batger
Beau Robinson
David Dennis
Brums:
Afusipa Taumoepeau
Ben Alexander
Clyde Rathbone
Francis Fainifo
George Smith
Huia Edmonds
John Ulugia
Josh Holmes
Mark Chisolm
Mitchell Chapman
Nick Henderson
Patrick Phibbs
Peter Betham
Peter Kimlin
Shaun Mackay
Stephen Moore
Tryone Smith
James Stannard
Force:
Richard Stanford
Drew Mitchell
Gareth Hardy
James O'Connor
Josh Valentine
Junior Pelesasa
Matt Giteau
Nick Cummins
Pat O'Connor
Richard Brown
Tamaiti Horua
So the Reds have 9 and the Force only have 11 players to re-sign (if needed), the Tahs have 15 whilst the Brums have 18! There will be some interesting decisions having to be made about who to keep, who to ditch and who to poach.
For the Reds, the key will be to re-sign Horwill and Barnes ASAP, from there hopefully the likes of Holmes & MMM will follow. Digby was talking of going back west, so who knows. Braid has the option after one year. Both Houston and Daley have all to play for this year to prove they have a future, and it must surely be Hardman's last year?
For the Tahs there will be interest surrounding what happens with Waugh, Sheehan and Dunning (who won't have the benefit of proving himself deserving of a contract on the field this S14 season). I would've thought Beale, TPN, SNK, Kepu, Burgess, Mumm and Robinson (Beau) will all be re-signed with the last 4 deserving of upgrades? Dennis, Batger, Thompson and Tilse are, you would think, under pressure. As for Halangahu, well it depends on what happens on the field I reckon. And at other teams.
So the Brums have more than an entire team off contract. Rathbone, Fainifo, Edmonds, Chapman, Holmes, Henderson and Mackay under pressure? They'll be wanting to get onto Smith (both), Alexander, Moore and Kimlin pretty quickly. And then there's Gits....
...from the Force, who also have another young, quick stepping inside back off contract in JOC (James O'Connor). Plus another Wallaby back in Drew Mitchell. Pelesasa probably needs to pull out a big year, although game time may be difficult. Brown will be due an upgrade, whilst Horua could force the same with a big year.
Let the fun times begin!
