The pressure is on! Exeter Chiefs' head coach, Rob Baxter, has sent a clear message to his players: their futures with the team are on the line. Baxter hasn't initiated contract talks with players whose deals expire at the end of the season, emphasizing the importance of performance.
It seems like the Chiefs are taking a 'wait-and-see' approach, wanting to assess the team's performance before making any decisions. This strategy puts the onus on the players to prove their worth on the field.
One player likely to remain with the Chiefs is England star Henry Slade, who has expressed his desire to stay at the club. However, the situation isn't straightforward. His former agent is now the recruitment chief for R360.
Several other players are in the final year of their contracts, including Ethan and Jimmy Roots, Will Goodrick-Clarke, Ehren Painter, Dan John, and Olly Woodburn. Baxter's stance suggests that these players will need to demonstrate their value to secure new deals.
Baxter explained his reasoning, stating, "I haven’t started what you call formal negotiations, no. The biggest reason why is that we have got to see how the team goes. We didn’t have a good season last season."
He further added, "There’s no ulterior motive behind the fact that I want to see how we go and how the form of the squad is, whether we have got the formation of the squad correct. All those types of things."
"I’d like to think that we are rebuilding a group of players who can be very successful together, and I am not going to rush into re-signing everyone who is here now because I want to see how we go."
"In professional sport, you are always playing for your future, and that will always be the case. I want the players to embrace that we talk about it very openly."
"The way these lads look after themselves, their careers and families is to play well and train well. Every player is playing for their future in every game that they play."
"Everyone knows who is available, and all of the talk can go ahead, and I’m not saying we haven’t had talks because we don’t want them to be here. That’s completely different," he said.
Meanwhile, Josh Hodge, a former England A full-back, is returning from suspension and has been linked with a potential return to Newcastle Red Bulls, where he began his career.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding player contracts, Baxter is pleased with the team's start to the season, having secured nine points from their first three games. New additions, including Wallabies stars Len Ikitau and Tom Hooper, are set to play against Harlequins this Sunday.
Baxter noted, "We have collected points in every game this season, and that’s how you build a foundation and ultimately get us to where we want to be at the end of the season."
"To collect the points that we have has put us right in the mix, but we have got to keep on collecting points. One hundred per cent we would have taken this start."
"At this stage last season, we hadn’t won a game. I think we collected a couple of bonus points, but that was it. We feel in a much better place, and the players look a lot brighter. We look competitive in a lot of areas," he added.
What do you think? Is Baxter's approach fair, or should he be more proactive in securing key players? Do you think the players will rise to the challenge and perform even better under this pressure? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
