Nathan Jones and Paul Watson have more reason than most for wanting Albion to secure Championship survival as soon as possible.

It could have a direct bearing on the futures of two of the club's longest serving players.

Manager Mark McGhee has reached an unusual agreement with Jones and Watson, both of whom are out of contract at the end of the season and fighting for new deals.

"I've said to them unless they win their place back in the team now, which at the moment neither of them has been able to do, then they will have to wait until such time as we have got the points we feel we need," McGhee revealed.

"Then I will give them a chance. They will play and get an opportunity to prove in what ever games are left that they are worthy of a contract.

"The risk they take is that it takes us until the last day of the season to get the points and they haven't won their places back in the team."

Jones and Watson have made 350 League appearances between them for Albion but the current campaign has, for different reasons, brought nothing but frustration for the pair.

Jones, signed on a free transfer from Southend in July 2000, missed six games in his first season as Albion won the Third Division.

The tricky 31-year-old Welshman was also a regular when the Seagulls won the Second Division the following year and played 28 times when they were relegated from Division One.

Jones, born close to Cardiff, was on cloud nine when he helped Albion to promotion in the play-off final against Bristol City at the Millennium Stadium in May.

He missed just ten games, but the left-sided midfielder has more often than not been sitting and suffering on the sidelines this season.

Darren Currie took his place and Jones' fortunes have not improved since the sale of Currie to Ipswich in December, McGhee preferring Dan Harding or latterly Leon Knight.

Last Saturday's second-half appearance at Stoke, where ironically he was on the bench in place of Watson, was only Jones' 15th in the Championship and he has only been in the starting line-up twice, at home to Preston in August and at Cardiff last month.

Watson's fall from the first team picture can be traced back to a succession of niggling injuries last season.

The 30-year-old from Hastings, bought from Brentford for £10,000 in July 1999, had until then made the rightback position his own.

He was restricted to 15 games last term as Adam Virgo took over his role, having missed a mere two matches in the previous three seasons.

Major back surgery for Watson in the summer gave Paul Reid the chance to establish himself as a right-sided defender for Albion, once Virgo was switched up front and McGhee started operating with wingbacks.

Watson was not fit until December. He has been limited to three appearances in the first team since then, including one start at home to Watford in January.

Both Jones and Watson want to stay. McGhee says they are prepared to be patient and, with the transfer deadline a fortnight away, he can ill-afford to lose back-up members of an already small squad.

"If one of them came to me and said I cannot afford to take the risk and somebody else wants me' then I would respect that," McGhee said.

"But, as long as they are prepared to sit tight, then the one thing they will get when the opportunity arises is a chance."