Will KR extend stars’ stays?
AS much as the here-and-now recruitment and retention is the priority for Hull KR and coach Willie Peters, it would be wrong to rule out the club not eyeing up extending some of their contracted stars this season.
May 1 already seems a long time ago, with incomings such as Oliver Gildart and AJ Wallace coming to fruition, and the news Ethan Ryan won’t be offered fresh terms at Craven Park all breaking within the last week.
Expect more stories along those lines as the weeks progress, but looking ahead, it wouldn’t hurt the Robins to open talks with those whose deals expire in 2024.
To put the situation into context, the likes of Jordan Abdull, Tom Opacic, Matty Storton, Matt Parcell, James Batchelor and Sam Luckley all will be free to talk to rival clubs this time next year.
With Rovers’ stock rising on and off the field, those mentioned, plus the other players in the 2024 bracket, won’t be short of suitors, so Rovers could kill two birds with one stone by offering fresh terms to some.
Take Batchelor and Opacic as an example.
The way they’ve transformed Hull KR’S right edge is nothing short of sensational.
At 24 and 27, respectively, the pair aren’t slowing down any time soon and will get better in each outing.
If they want to continue in East Hull, slap two or three-year extensions on the table.
Yes, it’s early days, but the fact the Robins sit third in Super League isn’t a fluke. Peters is building something, and he will want that core group with him all the way.
With Ryan Hall recently penning a new deal and Matt Parcell revealing last week that he could call it a day after 2024 or do one more year in Red and White, those two will probably be slow burners.
It will be a case of seeing how their bodies hold up and how they feel/perform in 12 months’ time.
This season’s academy graduates Owen Maull, Connor Barley, Darnell Byas-tash, Harvey Moore, Harvey Reynolds, Jack Potter and Leo Tennison all will be vying for another deal moving forward.
However, they need to impress Peters in training and push for a loan deal to experience senior rugby with the reserve grade still not up to scratch.
To keep those in-form players, now is the best time to secure their services for the foreseeable future.
The Robins are red hot, and the atmosphere around the place is buzzing.
People from outside will want to join the club, and those involved now will quietly know Hull KR is an organisation on the up. It means they’ll be more likely to want to agree to new terms even with time left of their current deals.
Hull KR players contracted until the end of 2024: Louis Senior, Tom Opacic, Jordan Abdull, Rhys Kennedy, Matty Storton, Yusuf Aydin, Matt Parcell, James Batchelor, Sam Luckley, Owen Maull, Connor Barley (on loan at York Knights), Darnell Byas-tash, Harvey Moore, Harvey Reynolds, Jack Potter, Leo Tennison, Ryan Hall.