Mossop a target of Super League rivals

The Warriors prop has surfaced on their radar as they look to strengthen their squad for 2017.

Salford have been linked with Mossop before, but talk of a move cooled when they got dragged into a battle to avoid relegation.

Now they have preserved their Super League place, they have rekindled their interest in the Cumbrian. Mossop is under contract with Wigan next season.

But with so many props in the first-team squad, they may be prepared to trim that area to free up space under the salary cap.

There have been whispers for some time that Mossop’s future may lie elsewhere, and Salford’s interest in the 27-year-old is now firming.

The academy-product made his debut with Wigan in 2008 and went onto establish himself as a regular in the first-team. He left at the end of the double-winning 2013 campaign to move to the NRL, but played just three games during an injury-disrupted season with Parramatta.

He returned to Wigan, but has struggled to rekindle the form which earned him England honours before his exit.

Mossop is currently sidelined with a shoulder injury.

Another prop, Dom Crosby, is wanted by Super League rivals Warrington.

Crosby featured in Saturday’s Grand Final as one of five props with Ben Flower, Taulima Tautai, Frank-Paul Nuuausala and Ryan Sutton. And with Tony Clubb and Joel Tomkins to return from injury in 2017, Joe Bretherton developing into his first-team role plus the addition of Frenchman Romain Navarrete, that department appears well-stocked.

Josh Charnley (Sale), Dan Sarginson (Gold Coast) and Matty Smith (St Helens) have already left from the 2016 squad.

And Ryan Hampshire, who spent last season on loan at Castleford, is set to move to newly-promoted Leigh.