Jarrod Evans has refused to rule out an exit from Welsh rugby this summer, amid ongoing uncertainty over his current deal at Cardiff Rugby.
Evans is one of several players across Welsh rugby approaching the end of his current deal, with growing fears a number of top Welsh talents could soon depart.
There have been suggestions recently that the union is close to agreeing a new funding deal with regions, which many hope will snuff out the potential for some of the country's biggest stars moving on.
And a breakthrough clearly can't come soon enough, with Evans stating that the uncertainty over what the future may hold is causing plenty of stress for him and his team-mates
"I'm out of contract at the end of this year. This is my last year," he said. "It's credit to the boys and the staff how well we've done considering the climate of it. It's not something I've experienced being a professional rugby player and I know by speaking to the older boys it's not something they've experienced and a lot of contracts have tended to be done November, December time before.
"We're now heading into February and there's still no chat. It's disappointing but at the same time I feel like the boys are still putting in the performances for themselves.
"It's stressful. It's very stressful and I think it's in the back of a lot of players' heads and I feel like it needs to be sorted pretty quickly because for the game in Welsh rugby it's important it gets sorted.
"I don't really know how the boys are performing the way they are with the situation we're in really. So, we'll see how the next week pans out. It's not nice to see. It's a tough time for anyone.
Asked specifically if he wanted to stay at Cardiff, he added: "I've got to do the best for my family. It's sort of been taken out of the players' hands. Not just myself but a number of other players. It's not an ideal situation and it's not something, like I said, that I've experienced before.
"But everyone's got to do right by their families and whatever that may be. Everyone's situation is different, but every player puts their family before everything."
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Cardiff boss Dai Young admits he fully expects players to 'explore other options' over the coming weeks amid the ongoing uncertainty.
Asked if they had held any conversations over new deals for players at Cardiff, Young said: "We're not at this moment in time but it's not too far round the corner. I know I said this last time, which was maybe more in hope than expectation.
"It certainly can't come quick enough. People are starting to get really anxious. Understandably so. I want them to know the situation and see. I'm one of them and eager to really get going and try and put minds at rest and put people in a position where they know what their future holds."
Asked if any of his players were actively looking to leave, Young added: "No not really. But I do think their agents wouldn't be doing their jobs if they weren't looking at other options for them. You've got to be honest and you've got to be fair about it. We're in the back end of January and any agent worth their salt should be looking at other options for their clients.
"That doesn't mean they want to leave. It doesn't mean they will leave. But I'd be very surprised if players haven't got the ability to look at other options. But I don't think there's a lot of players that want to run away from Welsh rugby.
"I genuinely believe all regions are moving forward. Consistency is what we want and strength in depth, which we all struggle with a little bit and we're trying to grow that. Performances have been up. Not where everybody wants them, obviously. But certainly they're on the way up. It's difficult times for players and coaches. The quicker we can get going the better really."
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