DARYL Clark is currently in his ninth season as a Warrington Wolves player – but rarely if ever has he been in the position he finds himself in now.
Having always had the security of long-term contracts since joining from Castleford Tigers in 2015, the hooker now finds himself in the final year of his deal with the club.
Alongside Ben Currie and Peter Mata’utia, he is the highest-profile player of a comparably small off-contract group when balanced against last year but it leaves both him and the club with a decision to make.
From May 1 onwards, Clark and every other off-contract player in Super League will be free to speak to rival clubs about moves for next year and beyond.
If he was to enter the open market, the dummy-half would be one of its hottest properties but to this point, the 30-year-old England international says he still does not know what will happen.
“You try not to think about it too much but at the end of the day, it's your livelihood. It’s got to at least enter the back of your mind at some point,” he said.
“It’s the last year of my contract but at the minute, I don't know what I'm doing.
“Hopefully we can keep winning, I can keep playing well and there will be options out there.”
While a player of Clark’s proven quality is likely to be high on the list of priorities for retention from a Wire perspective but evidence shows the future of the hooking position at the club appears to be bright.
Danny Walker has long since played second fiddle but is growing in stature and influence and beyond him, youngster Aiden Doolan is impressing the first team coaches after progressing through the academy.
The 19-year-old has been likened to Wire legend Jon Clarke in terms of his style of play, and Clark certainly likes what he sees.
Aiden Doolan scores a try for the reserves against Salford Red Devils (Image: Lewis Tate)
“Dools has worked with us for a while and he's got a lot of quality signs,” he said.
“He’s been doing well in the reserve team, so he's definitely pushing us.
“If we get a couple of injuries throughout the season, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see him making a few appearances at some point throughout the year.”
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