That was the stark assessment of forwards coach Owen Finegan, who predicted players who failed to force their way into the team would struggle to earn new contracts.

Of the 31 players in the Brumbies' senior training squad for the 2009 Super14 season, 19 are coming off contract at the end of the year.

And Finegan believed players' attitude and performance would have a significant bearing on who was offered new deals and who wasn't.

''When you play under a new coaching staff as the guys are this season, you can't rest on your laurels and you really have to take a step up and prove yourself,'' Finegan said.

''We've got a lot of blokes who are coming off contract at the end of the year so blokes are also playing for their future here at the Brumbies.

''There's a lot to play for. After a disappointing season last year, some of the best seasons we've had at the Brumbies have been coming off a poor year and we need to achieve that again.''

Of those coming off contract George Smith is the highest profile and Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan has deemed he and Stephen Moore as priority targets.

Wallabies prop Ben Alexander is another who will register significant interest from other provinces, as will fellow Wallabies Mark Chisholm and Peter Kimlin.

Finegan predicted the contract situation would make for fierce positional competition but dismissed suggestions it would provide added motivation for the players to succeed.

''You'd hope not. They're professional rugby players and most of them just love playing and enjoy it,'' the former championship-winning Brumbies prop said.

''It's more about getting them to buy into the style of game we want to play, how we want to play and our psychology.

''The players shouldn't, and I'd like to think won't, be motivated purely by the fact they are coming off contract. They should want to succeed for the good of the team.''

Fagan was not surprised by the number of players coming off contract. He revealed he had already started negotiating with some players' managers and hoped to have some new deals finalised before the Brumbies' first Super14 game against the Otago Highlanders in Dunedin on February13.

He said others would take months.

''Some started as long ago as the back half of last year,'' Fagan said. ''Given the ARU plays an important role in topping up certain contracts there are some that will take longer than others, but I'm very comfortable with where everything stands at the moment.

''We do have 19 guys coming off [contract] but there's always around half the squad anyway in any given year due to the structure of contracts in Australian rugby.''