Could Wigan Warriors star be set for exit ahead of 2024? Assessing his future

[josie andrews]

Wigan Warriors star Ryan ‘Rocky’ Hampshire was born in Wakefield and grew up watching Trinity. He signed for Wigan from Normanton Knights and made his full Wigan debut against Widnes Vikings in June 2013.

Hampshire returned to Wigan in January 2023, 10-years after making his first team debut for the Club. Hampshire is also well known to Head Coach Matt Peet who worked with him in his early career when Matt was Academy Coach. On his re-signing, Peet said ‘Ryan is a versatile back who will add more depth to the squad’.

After leaving Wigan, Hampshire went on to play at numerous Clubs including Castleford Tigers, Leigh Centurions and his hometown Club Wakefield Trinity.

His most successful period in Super League was with his hometown club, Wakefield Trinity between 2018 and 2021. He played 86 games scoring 28 tries and kicking 129 goals and 3 field goals.

Already holding a heritage number with the Club from his first stint (1048), Hampshire will wear number 32 for Wigan in 2023.

He injured his ACL during 2022 playing for Castleford against Catalans and is working hard to regain full fitness, with hopes to be back in the early stages of the season.

Well liked at Wigan, his future at the club is unclear with the versatile halfback only signing a one year deal at the club at the start of the 2023 season. This means he could be available to Super League rivals but Wigan do have options to extend the deal to 2024 and 2025 should they wish to use them which has yet to be confirmed.

Hampshire could very well be keen to stay at the club as shown by his emotion after making his second debut at the club.

Hampshire said: “In November I was having complications with my knee and was really struggling to improve the injury so I had to see the surgeon again – which knocked me back a couple more months.

It flipped the recovery on its head and I started to see progress from there. In January a deal came with Wigan, so I’ve been working hard from there and been patient to get back in the team. There were hard days but it was all worth it.”

Hampshire completed the full 80 minutes at Headingley on his return, and reflecting on his post-match emotions, he said: “Seeing my family at the end who helped me back from injury and a number of staff here who know the road I’ve been on could see I was holding it all back – I was really emotional.

“I was a little nervous before the game, but the closer it got the more it wore off. A few people told me just to take it all in and when I got onto the pitch and put in some work, that was when the anxieties of everything in the past went. It’s a massive relief to be back and there won’t be many more as intense.”

https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/wigan-wa ... 024-85914/

[Mike]

Get him loaned out.

[ancientnloyal]

Star?

[medlocke]

Star?

Wonder if it's the same person that called Matty Ashurst a Legend?

[Charriots Offiah]

Another nothing article.

[Suzieb]

I agree about this topic much ado about nothing