O'Loughlin '˜hopefully' staying at Wigan

He is out of contract with his hometown club.

They have held talks throughout the year but have not been able to reach a deal – a stand-off which has alerted big-spending Championship outfit Toronto Wolfpack.

The ambitious Canadian outfit want O’Loughlin on board for 2018 to try and help guide them to promotion to Super League.

While, on the surface, it would seem unlikely the England captain would leave the Warriors, he confirmed he has has yet to agree terms over a new contract.

“Not as yet, it’s one of those things which has been ongoing,” said O’Loughlin, who has a deal in place to join the club’s coaching staff when he retires. Asked whether he was still hopeful of staying on, he added: “Hopefully that’s the way it goes.”

O’Loughlin, who turns 35 during the World Cup, missed Wigan’s last two games of the season – which proved disastrous for their title defence.

His form over 26 games, which included the World Club Challenge win, yesterday earned him a place in the Super League Dream Team.

It was the sixth time he has been named in the fictitious line-up, which is picked by a panel of journalists and broadcasters.

“It’s always nice to get the nod, it shows you’ve had a good year,” he said.

“The role is slightly different whether you put a middle there or a loose forward, but there are a lot of players in that position who have played well.”

O’Loughlin was the only Wigan player selected in the Dream Team, which had six players from Castleford.