Guest Blogger: Contract situation at Glasgow Warriors

Guest blogger and Glasgow fan 'The Pen' discusses the contract situation for the Glasgow Warriors.

Next season is shaping up…

January always herald that horrible time of year when players can start talking to other clubs and decide if their future lies elsewhere.

Glasgow Warriors are no exception to that. With no fewer than 32 players whose contracts expire in the summer, whoever is in charge of negotiations at Scotstoun/the SRU must be working around the clock and buying shares in a coffee plantation to keep themselves going!

Of course, everyone has a different opinion on who should stay and who is surplus to requirments but I guess there are only 3 people who can influence it. The player themselves- do they want a new challenge or to make more money? The SRU- can they afford the player anymore? And finally the Warriors head coach- is this player part of the plans for next season?

The latter is almost unchartered territory for Glasgow because with Townsend leaving and Rennie coming in, I expect it’s the Kiwi who is calling the shots on this one.

Glasgow and the SRU have worked hard already and secured Stuart Hogg, Henry Pyrgos, Adam Ashe, Tim Swinson, Greg Peterson and Tommy Seymour and both the players and the SRU should be applauded. I’m sure for players like Hogg and Seymour they could have made significant money elsewhere but they see their future here and the SRU deserve a lot of kudos for ensuring these players will be at Scotstoun for the foreseeable.  

Of the players out of contract, there will of course be losses. Some just haven’t cut it at Scotstoun and to those players, I would wish them well and thank them for the contribution. Guys like Nemia Kenatale, Hagan Schulte, Ratu Tagive and Tijuee Uanivi have barely played for the club and for myself personally, have not done enough to gain a new deal.

Some players have been beset by injury (Richie Vernon) and will probably struggle to be gain a new deal. Other like Ryan Grant have lost form and perhaps need a change of scenery to recapture what got him a Lions call-up.

Brive have announced the signing of Sila Puafisi for the 2017/18 season so Warriors fans know that at least one player is leaving.

That leaves Glasgow with a number of significant players who are not yet signed up. Josh Strauss, Mark Bennett, Alex Dunbar, Peter Horne, Gordon Reid, Simone Favaro and Sam Johnson are all players who could easily be considered as star players and unfortunately I believe at least 2 of these will leave.

Do I want them to leave? No, of course not. But I don’t see how we can sign everyone, lose only Puafisi of the first team regulars and bring in players that Rennie may want to compliment the side. If I was a betting man, I suspect that Josh Struass will be packing himself and his beard off to more Gallic climbs and I wouldn’t be shocked to see Alex Dunber move to France either if I’m honest. Purely speculation and my own thoughts I should add!

Players will almost always come and go and the club will in time move on and eventually they will be replaced but there are those who it would be a real wrench to lose. Take Simone Favaro for example. He came to Glasgow 2 years ago and instantly won a place in the hearts of the Warrior Nation. Add into the mix that he’s a cracking player and you really can’t afford to lose him. And replacing him would cost a lot of money!

So there are some worrying times ahead at Scotstoun and there are going to be a few goodbyes to be said!

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