Mullan ‘set to go’ but Pennell stays (From Worcester News)

Mullan ‘set to go’ but Pennell stays

5:27pm Wednesday 23rd January 2013 in Sport By Tom Guest, @tomguestWN #WENsport

MATT Mullan is ‘very unlikely’ to be a Warriors player next season, according to Sixways head coach Richard Hill.

The Worcester boss delivered the depressing news all Warriors fans have been dreading at yesterday’s press conference.

One-cap England international Mullan, who is a product of the club’s academy, is out of contract this summer and it appears the highly-courted loosehead has opted for pastures new.

Hill said: “I think it is looking very unlikely Matt will be with us, to be perfectly honest.

You can’t say anything until it is done and we’re told one way or the other, but I’m not holding out too much hope at this moment in time, which is a shame, but you never know.

“If there is a lot of speculation about a player, that is when I start to worry because there is no smoke without fire.”

Hill also revealed fly-half Joe Carlisle, who has been heavily linked with a move to Wasps, is set to quit Warriors and fellow number 10 Andy Goode has not yet been offered a deal to stay at Sixways beyond the end of his contract this summer.

He added: “Will Andy be here next year? That is up in the air at the moment, so I don’t know.

“He is at the end of his contract and 10 is one of the posts we have to sort out I haven’t done that yet.

“Both outside-halves — Andy and Joe — are out of contract, so I have to sit down and work out what I’m going to do there.

“I haven’t spoken to Andy about a new contract yet, but at some stage I will have to sit down with him and have a talk about it.

“I’m looking at one or two other positions first before I get to the 10s. It’s a critical role, so it can’t be rushed and it will be an absolutely key position.

“I’d like to keep Joe, but I think there’s a strong possibility he will go. He has been here for eight years now and hasn’t made regular starts. You can understand why he might think a fresh approach could be appropriate.”

Some positive contract news for Warriors fans did emerge yesterday, though, as full-back Chris Pennell has extended his Worcester deal.

The academy graduate, who was club captain between 2010 and 2012, is now closing in on a century of appearances for Warriors and has already featured on 16 occasions in all competitions this term.

Hill said: “Defensively, Chris is superb I’ve never seen him miss a tackle and he is one of the best in the country as a solid, dependable full-back.

“We are now working on his attack game to make sure he can threaten as much as the likes of Ben Foden or Mike Brown.

“Chris does have the pace and footballing ability to do that — it’s exciting that there is more to come from him.”