The following players are Out of contract at the end of this year;

Lee Briers
Simon Grix
Chris Hicks
David Solomona
Paul Wood
Matty Blythe
Vinnie Anderson
Mike Cooper
Micky Higham

Imo only Grix, Wood, Cooper and possibly Briers are going to be retained. I hope that there will be enough availability on the cap for Tony to do some decent business this summer.

Why not promote more players from the under 20s rather than buy in to replace all of these?

Lets hope we have good enough players in the under 20's that we can promote. I would imagine that tony would like to do both things. Im really hoping that we can get a new s/o in to eventually replace briers.

Top priority for next season has to be a playmaking loose forward. For all his honest endeavour Ben Harrison doesn't fit the bill. He's a second rower and when a little older and heavier, a prop.

Solomona will surely be retained if he stays fit and continues to perform (one significant mistake aside). He looks dangerous whenever he has the ball in hand and is a real strike weapon.

Hopefully McCarthy will continue to improve sufficiently to be a suitable replacement for Vinnie.

Grix is a terrific player but unless he becomes a regular rather than a bit-part man I can see him being tempted elsewhere if promised a permanent position.

Blythe is performing extremely well by all accounts and hopefully TS will be taking full note and giving him a fair judgement. He was atrocious last season but does have some very positive attributes.

Higham would seem to be Smith's preference over Clarke at the moment so, although unlikely, you still wouldn't rule out him being retained.

higham will be retained and clarke should go it's sad but i think highams the betta player. and is hicks not staying?

Can't see Blythe being kept on to be honest, average squad member at best.

Hope McCarthy can push on and take Vinnie's place, not sure about Solomona yet though.

For the record, Clarke is still recovering from injury and isn't available for selection yet. It will be interesting to see what Smith does with him when he is fit. I just cant see him getting in the 17 when everyone else is fit.

I still cant believe Cullen gave Clarke a 4 year contract all because he played hooker for England when there was no other option. I dont mind Clarke as a back up squad player, however he is not the required quality for a top SL side.

Surely at this time its impossible to say who will be retained or not??....Who can honesly see into the next 6 months and the possible impact any of those guys can have?

Looking at the list though, Hicks is the most obvious choice to leave, simply because of his age....Vinny Anderson probably next, because at this time it would appear he is dropping down the pecking order and looks the type to be replaced by a younger, more ambitious player...Of the rest, well Blythe, because he seems to have stalled in his development, something that I'm sure TS will be monitoring carefully.

The rest have it all to play for....A successful season and its likely all could be rewarded with contracts...Its no coincidence that Leeds & Saints, the 2 most successful sides of recent years, are usually the 2 sides who see little change in their playing roster??

Bloody hell !

Season has only just started and you're planning for 2011. Let's just get on with what's happening now, and hope for a successful 2010, then open this debate towards the end of the year.

I was thinking just the same thing myself. We might as well discuss 2012.

Jon Clarke was the most important player for the club for a number of seasons; sadly unnoticed by too many but those who value the graft and organisation of a none-flamboyant hooker fully appreciate his worth to the club. While I agree his Wire career appears to be drawing to a close behind Higham, Monas & Thompson, noone should forget what he gave to the club.

Sooner Blythe goes the better.

Behind Thompson, give over.

He might not even be behind Higham, we don't know. He'd walk into our side at halfback right now, walk in. That's his value, one injury to your halfbacks and he's the best option we have at six/seven. One injury to a hooker and he's our best option at nine. Probably two injuries in your pack, and he's one of your better options to come in at thirteen.

I'll be staggered if Briers isn't retained, unless his body really gives up this year, I can't see it.

Let's see how people perform this season panties.