I hope this year has served as a bit of a wake up call to him. It was widely reported that he was unhappy about being selected at FB and only wanted to play in the halves which I always thought was a shocking attitude of a 19/20 year old who should've been happy playing anywhere. He hasn't developed as a SL halfback during this season on loan at Cas and if anything it has reinforced the opinions of those who didn't think he was a halfback. I'd have no problem with him coming back in the Sarginson-type utility back role but I think it's fairly clear he'll be way down the pecking order for a HB position, even if as rumoured Smith does move on.

The stupidity of it all is that had he stayed put, and been willing to fight for his place, he would have played plenty of games for Wigan in the halves this season. Williams has missed 10 games this season (plus his first game back gregson played in the halves).Shorrocks has played a further 5 games from the bench. That is 16 games he would have featured for Wigan in the halves in. And another 4 games at the start of the season when Sam was injured, but Williams and Smith played would have been 4 games at FB.

20 games. Imagine if the guy just had a bit of fight in him!

Bad news for him is he has fallen behind Shorrocks in the pecking order.

He is not a halfback, as much as he wants to think he is. There is no way he would have survived 20 games in the halves as he's just not got it there I'm afraid and Wane wouldn't have let him stop there. We have 2 halfbacks on our coaching staff, which tells its own story that they have played a prop and a hooker there and left Hampshire on the sidelines as they haven't seen anything in him to suggest he has a future as a half. His best games have been on the wing lately, but his positional play in defence needs some working on, and his kick returns are nothing to shout about. The same goes for fullback. I only see a future in SL for him if he resigns himself to the 'utility back' roll within a squad as he has no position that he is good enough at to truly make his own, but he does have good speed and footwork and can follow the ball to back up well and sniff out an opportunity. Whether anybody can convince him of this is a different matter altogether. If he still is insistent that he wants to play in the halves then the Championship is where he will be doing it I think. I would keep him at Cas for his utility value, but not if a fee was involved. Would you consider a player swap for Joel Monaghan?!!

Throw in Denny Solomona and a few bob and you could have a deal for Hampshire.

I wonder, with the right conditioning if he could make a decent centre.

I'm sure he could. He has the skill set to be the ideal utility player. Whether that's what he wants to be long term I doubt it. I suppose it's a bit like the Ratchford situation at Warrington where fans can't make their mind up where he actually fits in the side. Some actually think that Russell is a better fullback, which is certainly not my opinion.

www.wigantoday.net/sport/wigan-w ... -1-8059381 That's a shift away from the "definitely keeping him" that we were hearing earlier this season...

www.wigantoday.net/sport/wigan-w ... -1-8059381 That's a shift away from the "definitely keeping him" that we were hearing earlier this season...

Well, this is it; do we need him? As others have said, only as third or fourth choice wing/utility cover at best.

Rogues> But given a choice between Hampshire and Ratchford, who would you choose? Ratchford, surely.

I wouldn't read to much into that. When a player is out on loan for a season I'm sure it's fairly standard to review it when he gets back.

True. Assuming that we aren't going to sell him, though, he does need to be loaned to a club where he's likely to get a lot more game time than he has at Cas. I don't really see him as having developed his game where he is, which is pretty much the point of the loan system.

I thought he would have been better off at a higher end championship club where he likely would have played every week. That said maybe being stuck on the wing at Cas will help him see sense about being so picky over where he wants to play.

Wane saying he hasn't even thought about it tells me Hampshire won't be here next season.

Wigan would have to pay him off though won't they? He signed a long term deal at Wigan on good money last year and I can't see any club matching that sort of salary after the year he's had at Castleford.

That's possible. I'd guess a journalist asked Wane about Hampshire in a press conference and his answer was that he is concentrating on this year first hence not giving it a thought. The journalist then turns that into a story.

At the moment, he is simply not good enough

I doubt the money was all that good, he was a fair way down the "pecking order", even then. If a club does offer a transfer fee, I suspect we might be tempted, but otherwise we just keep him and loan him.

Quote ="Geoff"I doubt the money was all that good, he was a fair way down the "pecking order", even then. If a club does offer a transfer fee, I suspect we might be tempted, but otherwise we just keep him and loan him.'" You probably need to refresh your memory about what was said at the time of his signing of the contract: www.wiganwarriors.com/news/2015- ... -extension There was also much conjecture about Saints and Warrington trying to sign him. Can't see Warrington having any interest in him now as this year at Castleford has raised considerable questions about what position he could possibly play at super league level. He is definitely going to be on "first team money" next year and no other club will be willing to pay that for what looks like a squad make-weight.

Quote ="Geoff"I doubt the money was all that good, he was a fair way down the "pecking order", even then. If a club does offer a transfer fee, I suspect we might be tempted, but otherwise we just keep him and loan him.'" You probably need to refresh your memory about what was said at the time of his signing of the contract: www.wiganwarriors.com/news/2015- ... -extension There was also much conjecture about Saints and Warrington trying to sign him. Can't see Warrington having any interest in him now as this year at Castleford has raised considerable questions about what position he could possibly play at super league level. He is definitely going to be on "first team money" next year and no other club will be willing to pay that for what looks like a squad make-weight.

Quote ="Paul Youane"You probably need to refresh your memory about what was said at the time of his signing of the contract: www.wiganwarriors.com/news/2015- ... -extension There was also much conjecture about Saints and Warrington trying to sign him. Can't see Warrington having any interest in him now as this year at Castleford has raised considerable questions about what position he could possibly play at super league level. He is definitely going to be on "first team money" next year and no other club will be willing to pay that for what looks like a squad make-weight.'" Nothing in there about him being on good money, just a contract extension, in fact it points out that he was behind Williams, Smith, Powell, Tomkins, Sarginson and Tierney, which is pretty much what I said.

Quote ="Paul Youane"You probably need to refresh your memory about what was said at the time of his signing of the contract: www.wiganwarriors.com/news/2015- ... -extension There was also much conjecture about Saints and Warrington trying to sign him. Can't see Warrington having any interest in him now as this year at Castleford has raised considerable questions about what position he could possibly play at super league level. He is definitely going to be on "first team money" next year and no other club will be willing to pay that for what looks like a squad make-weight.'" Nothing in there about him being on good money, just a contract extension, in fact it points out that he was behind Williams, Smith, Powell, Tomkins, Sarginson and Tierney, which is pretty much what I said.

The club definetly painted themselves into a corner with the contract,a real damned if they do,damned if they don't type deal,i think though they were hoping Cas would get him to a point where they would want him on a long term deal,thats not going to happen so unless someone comes in for him all i can see is another loan deal.

If he does stay hardly a bad player to have in your squad. Can cover full back, half back and now wing apparently.

Ultimately though Id imagine Wigan would release him from his contract for a very small fee if a club was interested.

Yes but we've already given Tierney a new deal and I imagine he'll be out utility in the edges

Being honest I'd rather have Hampshire than Tierney BUT Hampshire isn't a Wigan lad is he...

Brilliant theory explains the team full of Wigan lads every week apparently Sarginson, Gelling, Tuatai, Nuasala, Clubb, Isa are following Smiths lead and looking to get out of Wigan due to lack of opportunity. Somebody needs to have a word with the coach

Looked assured again on the wing tonight. Nice finish under pressure for the match-winning try.

Yeah nice finish. Suspicion of a bounce but I suppose it evens it up from the Manfredi one