ANY new contracts drawn up at Blundell Park will have to be earned – that is the message from the Grimsby Town's management team.
The turn of the year has brought the issue of players' contracts into sharp focus, with the deals of many key men set to expire in May and June.
Among those whose deals are coming to an end are captain Craig Disley, Shaun Pearson, Ian Miller and Bradley Wood.
Management duo Rob Scott and Paul Hurst admit the club is not in a position to "throw around" new contracts and say those players who want a new deal will have to earn it.
Hurst said: "We've had a chat with Shaun (Pearson) but, in general, it's mid-season and there are a lot of players who are out of contract.
"We're not in a position where we can offer everyone contracts now, but also, from our perspective, players have to earn things.
"Speaking to people at other clubs, there's sometimes a situation where people sign deals and then suddenly get the deck-chair out, so to speak, and take the foot off the gas.
"We need every player to keep pushing and striving to try to bring success to the football club.
"Players in general are aware of that – they know things can't be given out too early.
"So we'll see how things develop with players and when we decide to make those offers, but if people keep playing as they are then they're in a good position – whether it's with us or elsewhere."
He added: "Ultimately, what we want is to get promoted. If we do that, these players are in a great position. We've done it ourselves where we look at players and we like the fact that you look at the CVs and they've won promotion.
"If you get to that stage and want to keep someone, of course you run the risk slightly that you've let their contract run down.
"But if things have gone well and they like it here, then that's a positive for us."
With the Mariners sitting top of the Conference, there is uncertainty around which league Town will be playing in next year, making contract extensions difficult to judge.
Fellow boss Scott admitted that the situation is "up in the air", but added that, regardless of the time remaining on individual contracts, all of his squad will remain focused on the task at hand.
Scott added: "We're not a Premier League club where there is a year left on their contract and we have to do something.
"Yes they are doing well – but that doesn't mean we can just start chucking round new contracts.
"These players continually have to keep performing to get us where we need to be and they will then be rewarded for that.
"At the minute, we are a non-league football club and that reflects in what we're able to do with contracts and wages that we're able to pay.
"As we stand, everything is up in the air and we're not able to talk to too many players about converting their contracts to a longer term at the minute.
"But what we'd ask is that the players keep doing their job for the football club and I have no doubts that if they continue to do that, they'll be rewarded with new contracts."
Dayle Southwell is another Town player whose deal is set to expire in the summer.
And Scott says the Youth team graduate's contract situation is different to that of his more seasoned peers.
"Dayle is slightly different in the respect that he's come out of the youth team and he's going to have to bide his time a bit more," he continued.
"He's a player that probably has had more action than he probably thought he would get – albeit in a wider role.
"We've already had discussions with Dayle about his performances and we know there is a good player there.
"He's got to bide his time – it's his first full season with the first team and if he continues his development, he's a young man that's got the potential to have a good career in the game.
"He's another one that we'll continue to monitor and look at his contract towards the end of the season."
