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GARETH Hock today appeared increasingly likely to be staying at Wigan.

Parramatta’s pursuit of the blockbusting forward is thought to have stumbled after they failed to offer the Warriors a satisfactory transfer fee.

Hock has four years remaining on his contract and chairman Ian Lenagan was not prepared to let one of the club’s star players slip from their grasp without suitable compensation.

Parramatta had confirmed they were interested in the 29-year-old.

But sources Down Under say the Eels’ valuation of him is substantially lower than Wigan’s, suggesting Hock is likely to stay at his hometown club next season unless they table a much bigger offer.

Rumours he could be swapped for Eels centre Willie Tonga were understood to be wide of the mark.

Hock is thought to be keen to test himself in the NRL after a strong season in which he reclaimed his England spot and earned selection in the Super League Dream Team.

He would not be drawn on speculation after Test duty on Sunday, saying: “We’ll see what happens.”

Wigan received £250,000 from Saracens when Joel Tomkins departed a year ago. But they have also paid transfer fees themselves for all of their last three recruits, Matty Smith (Salford) and Hull KR pair Scott Taylor and Blake Green.

Well Booby Goulding who first broke the Parramatta rumour on twitter is now saying Hock has played his last game for Wigan regardless of the deal falling through.

It's about time the club got the PR side of this under control. Anyone and everyone it twittering away about what the situation is yet the club seems oblivious to the way new media like twitter drives the news.

It's no good saying the club can't comment on every bit of speculation. The media world has moved on from the odd press conference being enough. They need to get a grip on things like twitter use it to their advantage rather than appear to only ever react late in the day.

If Hock's is staying get the news out. Surely IL is not blind to the potential detrimental effect the speculation is having on season ticket sales?

Further to the above I got Goulding's twitter feed on my phone (can't access it on PC in the office ) and the tweet says in his "personal" opinion he feels Hock has played his last game for Wigan.

So that doesn't sound like the same level of authority that was behind the original rumour.

I still think the club needs to get a grip on the world of twitter. We still have Wilkinson tweeting Hock's staying and now Goulding speculating he is off. The latter wouldn't matter as much if it were not for the fact it was Goulding who broke the story in the first place.

Come on Wigan, put us out of our misery!

The same Bobby Goulding that told you it was a done deal

DaveO wrote:
So that doesn't sound like the same level of authority that was behind the original rumour.

The was no level of authority behind the original rumour. It was an ex-player who no longer knows what is going on within the club getting it wrong.
I won't be paying too much attention to his opinions now given his track record.

The day Wigan start responding to twitter rumours is a sad day and thankfully I can't see us ever getting reeled into something so silly.
Do you think David Cameron should have responded to the pillock on TV last week who passed him a piece of card with 'rumours' on it?

Shaun1967 wrote:

DaveO wrote:
So that doesn't sound like the same level of authority that was behind the original rumour.

The was no level of authority behind the original rumour.

Apart from being 100% correct about a potential move for Hock to Parratta you mean?

It was an ex-player who no longer knows what is going on within the club getting it wrong.
I won't be paying too much attention to his opinions now given his track record.

His track record on this is so far 100% correct. He broke the story of Hock's potential move to Parra. So unless you think that was a complete fabrication after Hock himself said he'd quite fancy going and only at the weekend said he wasn't sure what was happening over this and Parra confirmed that negotiations with Wigan were taking place I don't see how you can take that position.

The day Wigan start responding to twitter rumours is a sad day and thankfully I can't see us ever getting reeled into something so silly.
Do you think David Cameron should have responded to the pillock on TV last week who passed him a piece of card with 'rumours' on it?

There is no anology to the PM responding to rumours here because the negotiations for Hock to move to Parra were fact and not rumour. If he is now not going go the club has no reason not to say so because it would be stating another fact.

Instead it is letting what is a rumour (that Hock has played his last game for Wigan) circulate when it need not. Apparently.

In any case you were mot aware of it you will find most politicians are active on Twitter and Google+. They have moved with the times even if our club has not.

The club hasn't and needs to master the new means of communication better than it has. The clubs PR under IL has been consistently poor and badly managed and this Hock saga is another example of that.

NO Goulding got it wrong from the onset. He stated Hock had signed for Parra. It was never the case. Parra and Wigan had discussions and were still having them LONG after Goulding made his first incorrect claim. We know this because Parra went public thereby invalidating Goulding immediately. So now you want to believe somebody who has already been proven incorrect? Why?

Should Wigan comment on every rumour posted here, there, everywhere?

DaveO wrote:

Shaun1967 wrote:

DaveO wrote:
So that doesn't sound like the same level of authority that was behind the original rumour.

The was no level of authority behind the original rumour.

Apart from being 100% correct about a potential move for Hock to Parratta you mean?.

Dave, you posted that Bobby Goulding had tweeted that Hock had signed for Paramatta on a four year deal.
Now I've just read back through your posts, and nowhere do you you mention Goulding changing it to a 'potential move'.
Which post is wrong Dave, your original one or this one? They can't both be right.

Is Goulding an RL outsider now? Can't believe anyone making a living from the game would engage in such juvenile rumour-mongering!

cpwigan wrote:NO Goulding got it wrong from the onset. He stated Hock had signed for Parra. It was never the case. Parra and Wigan had discussions and were still having them LONG after Goulding made his first incorrect claim. We know this because Parra went public thereby invalidating Goulding immediately. So now you want to believe somebody who has already been proven incorrect? Why?

Goulding was the first to publicly link Hock to Parra. Everyone knows that including yourself.

I was sceptical myself because he mentioned a fee but I am not daft enough to deny he was right to link Hock to a move to Parra so he clearly has some inside knowledge.

What he actually tweeted was "My contacts in aus tell me Gareth hock signed for parramatta eels 4 year contract signed today" which is not the same as Wigan agreeing to release him is it?

It is quite feasible Hock agreed terms but the deal fell through because Wigan and Parra did not. There would be not much point Parra approaching Wigan if Hock were not agreeable to the move.

Should Wigan comment on every rumour posted here, there, everywhere?

No. That is not what I said. I suggested they could use new media like Twitter better than they do and in this case they could use the fact (assuming it is a fact) that Hock will be a Wigan player next year to quash Goulding's latest rumour and that there is good reason to do so. There has been speculation all over media about Hock's future so responding to this now his future is apparently settled is not commenting on every rumour posted here, there and everywhere. It would be reassuring the fans at season ticket purchase time about the strength of the team next season