Welsh players out of contract this summer as legend’s future remains uncertain

There are still a handful of players without a new deal confirmed for next year

As the season heads into the final weeks, the hope would be that pretty much everyone would have their futures resolved ahead of next season.

However, this is Welsh rugby. Naturally, that isn’t the case as uncertainty continues to overshadow the game in this country. Right now, it remains painfully unclear just what the path forward for Welsh rugby is, other than just more uncertainty around the corner.

That doesn’t make it the easiest of environments for players to commit their future to.

The likes of Jac Morgan, Dewi Lake and Aaron Wainwright have already signed deals with clubs across the border.

Some, though, have decided to stay in Wales a little longer.

In recent weeks, Wales internationals Alex Mann and James Botham have penned new deals at Cardiff, following Dan Edwards, Morgan Morse and Harri Deaves – to name but a few – in deciding to ply their trade at home.

There are still some players out of contract at the end of the season.

Some, like Josh Adams, Kieran Hardy and Rio Dyer, seem likely to stay.

It’s understood Adams and Dyer – both of whom would have been targets for Mike Tindall’s breakaway R360 league before it was delayed for two years – will sign new deals with Cardiff and Dragons, respectively.

As for Hardy, the Ospreys scrum-half was also linked with a move elsewhere – but the club are confident they will keep hold of the Wales international.

Less certain is the future of Jack Walsh, with the fly-half having been linked with moves away this season.

At one stage, Exeter were interested, although that seems to have cooled down. However, the latest suggestion was the Scarlets could move in for the former sevens player – who will eventually qualify to play for Wales.

The smart move for Walsh, amid the uncertainty, would seemingly be to stick, rather than twist.

Perhaps the hardest future to predict is Taulupe Faletau’s.

The suggestion throughout the year has been that Cardiff would not extend his contract at the end of this season.

However, just as he was nearing a move away from the Arms Park last year, some late-season form saw the Blue and Blacks manage to keep hold of the talismanic No. 8 for another year.

It’s been an injury-hit one, though.

It’s a shame because, when he does play, his class is clear for all to see. However, he’s managed less than four hours of rugby all season.

Another injury against the Sharks last Friday means we may well have seen Faletau play in a Cardiff jersey for the last time. Right now, the extent of the injury is unknown.

But with only a handful of matches left in the campaign, this could well be the end of his time in the Welsh capital.

It’s unclear how much longer the 35-year-old envisioned playing for, too.

Just last week, team-mates were once again reiterating that he could do a job for Wales. Yet, there’s every possibility at this stage of his career that the latest injury could be the last.

He was reportedly a target for the ill-fated R360 – a competition that would have suited him, given the relatively light load compared to a regular club season.

Clubs in France’s second tier and Japan were also interested last year. If the injury isn’t too serious, that could be the destination for a final swansong.

The World Cup next year would have been a target – just a year ago, he was Wales’ starting No. 8. You’d imagine doubts will begin to manifest over whether he can make it to Australia or not.

Of course, whatever Faletau decides to do, his legacy as perhaps Wales’ greatest No. 8 remains beyond question.

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