Joe Burgess attracting interest from Super League rivals

Salford are in the mix to sign Joe Burgess.
Joe Burgess facing Castleford earlier this yearJoe Burgess facing Castleford earlier this year
Joe Burgess facing Castleford earlier this year

The winger is approaching the end of his contract at Wigan and he could be leaving his hometown club at the end of this season.

Dom Manfredi’s return from injury saw Burgess slip to being Wigan’s third-choice winger before the season was halted, with Liam Marshall on the other flank.

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Burgess, though, is a potent attacking threat on his day and has had no shortage of interest – with the Red Devils among the clubs keeping track of him.

He has previously spoken of his desire to test himself in the NRL again, having spent one season Down Under in 2016 with Sydney Roosters and later Souths.

Burgess, 25, is an academy-graduate who debuted in 2013 and went on to establish himself as Pat Richards’ successor on the left wing the year after.

He scored a hat-trick in the 2017 World Club Challenge win against Cronulla but, by his own admission, his form has been patchy since, and a fresh start may help him rediscover the form which led to him earning two England caps.

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If he left, a year after Tom Davies' move to Catalans, it would leave Wigan short of wing cover. They do have young backs Sam Halsall and Umyla Hanley, both yet to play in the first-team, while centres Jake Bibby and Chris Hankinson have both played on the wing.

Despite the inactivity on the pitch for the last three months, many clubs are already making plans for 2021. They have until this Friday to inform players approaching the end of their deals whether they intend to offer them a new deal or not.

Prop Ben Flower has agreed a deal to join Toronto Wolfpack next year – though there has been no confirmation – and last week Frenchman Morgan Escare was released from the remaining few months of his deal.

Salford is shaping as his likely next destination.

Sean O’Loughlin and Thomas Leuluai are also out of contract and have agreed to take coaching roles when they hang up their boots. The latter may play on for one more year.

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Jackson Hastings has a release clause in his deal allowing him to leave Wigan at the end of this season – he has been linked elsewhere with Harlequins RU and New Zealand Warriors.

And centre Oliver Gildart has signed with Australian agent Sam Ayoub to assess any NRL options. He has a release clause but only if a transfer fee is paid.