THE May 1 deadline has been and gone with out-of-contract Super League players now able to negotiate with other clubs with a view to securing their futures.
It is a tricky time for top-flight clubs with retention and recruitment for 2024 very much underway already.
And for St Helens head coach Paul Wellens – who has as many as 16 players coming off-contract at the end of the 2023 Super League season – it is a process that is already underway.
“Conversations have been going on for some time with myself, Mike Rush (chief executive), Eamonn McManus (chairman) and the board of directors in terms of where we want to move forward,” Wellens said.
“Most of that is largely about retention as keeping our better players here is what we like to do but we are also looking at recruitment and looking at holes we need to fill – those discussions have been ongoing for a while.
“Once you get past the May 1 date, things start to snowball a little bit and you start to get some more movement.
“Like every team, we are looking to improve for next year and discussions are taking place around where and how we can do that.”
The 16 Saints players with contracts ending at the end of 2023 – with three of those having options to extend:
Lewis Baxter, James Bell, McKenzie Buckley (option for 2024), Matty Foster, Daniel Hill, Will Hopoate (option for 2024), Konrad Hurrell, Sione Mata’utia, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Dan Norman, Taylor Pemberton, James Roby, Sam Royle, Jumah Sambou, Curtis Sironen (option for 2024), Jake Wingfield.