Wigan Warriors owner Ian Lenagan has admitted the club expect Jackson Hastings to return to Australia at the end of the coming season.
Hastings’ future beyond this year was intensified again recently, after he admitted to the Daily Telegraph that ‘beggars can’t be choosers’ in regards to a club in the NRL in 2022, with his contract at the Warriors set to expire after the upcoming campaign.
He said: “You only need one club to show interest in you. I’m not too bothered if the club’s been coming last or coming first. All I want to do is fit into a culture and earn the respect of the playing group that’s there, the coaching staff also.”
And when asked about Hastings’ future for 2022, Lenagan was clear that he expects the star half-back to depart at the end of this season – but he can stay at Wigan ‘as long as he wants to be here’.
“Do we expect him to go back? Probably,” Lenagan said. “Do we have plans in place if he does? Yes. Will we keep him if he wanted to stay at the right price? Yes, obviously. Every player has only got a ten or twelve-year life, and you’ve got to make your plans.
“Jackson wants to play in the NRL, there’s no doubt about that, he’d like to play for any team in the NRL. But he’s obviously not got the offers. Jackson is a great player; I love the contribution he makes and the fact he was prepared to play at hooker when asked last year. He’s a commendable rugby league player who’s got a place at Wigan for as long as he wants to be here.”
