Warrington Wolves chase Salford Red Devils forward Oli Partington in potential swap deal

[josie andrews]

Warrington are keen on landing a deal for the 25-year-old.

Warrington Wolves are in talks to sign Salford Red Devils forward Oli Partington, Rugby League Live can reveal. The forward, one of Salford's standout players during the 2023 season, could become the latest star player to exit the AJ Bell Stadium amid the Reds' current financial issues.

Talks between the two clubs are thought to be down the track and there's a possibility that an agreement could be reached which will see Warrington prop Joe Bullock head the other way. That part of the deal isn't thought to be a guarantee at this stage but Warrington are keen to do a deal for 25-year-old Partington one way or another.

Partington made the move from Wigan to Salford 12 months ago and quickly became a top performer in Paul Rowley's side. However, the Salford board recently wrote to co-owners outlining financial issues that would result in a review of the playing budget. It now appears that Partington could be one of the causalities.

He could yet be joined by Brodie Croft, who is thought to be locked in talks with Leeds Rhinos about a potential move to the club next year. Salford are understood to have agreed terms with Leeds regarding a sale but there isn't thought to be an agreement in place between the club and the player at this stage.

It will be another blow to Rowley, who saw another of his prize assets, Tyler Dupree, sold to Wigan Warriors mid-season. The Salford boss made it clear he did not want the player to leave at the time. Dupree was replaced at the time by Brad Singleton, who had initially been signed for the 2024 season. If a deal for Bullock is done, it would add an additional prop to the squad, but this time at the expense of losing Partington.

Sam Burgess is thought to be a big admirer of Partington and is keen to get a deal done. He has already made changes to his squad for next year, with the likes of Rodrick Tai and Zane Musgrove brought into the squad. Others, such as Lachlan Fitzgibbon and Brad Dwyer, will also be among the Wire's new additions next season.

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... dium=email

[josie andrews]

We should never have let him go IMO, Wigan lad through & through

[moto748]

Well, he's better than Bullock....

[josie andrews]

Well, he's better than Bullock....

Dead right there!

[Charriots Offiah]

We should never have let him go IMO, Wigan lad through & through

Don’t be surprised if he returns.

[medlocke]

We should never have let him go IMO, Wigan lad through & through

Don’t be surprised if he returns.

Like in a Jobs for the boys type crack ?

[Charriots Offiah]

We should never have let him go IMO, Wigan lad through & through

Don’t be surprised if he returns.

Like in a Jobs for the boys type crack ?

Hook, line and sinker Meds

[medlocke]

Don’t be surprised if he returns.

Like in a Jobs for the boys type crack ?

Hook, line and sinker Meds

[josie andrews]

However, it appears, for now at least, that the proposed swap deal will not take place. The money Salford have received in transfer fees, as well as the removal of their salaries from the playing budget, has covered the current financial hole they outlined in a statement to co-owners earlier this month.

How that plays out moving forward remains to be seen. Naturally, there is scepticism about the state of Salford's finances given their recent decisions and it's unclear how Partington feels about the matter too. The former Wigan Warriors forward is off-contract at the end of next season and will be free to negotiate a deal elsewhere from May 1st, at which point he will leave for free. Warrington are thought to remain keen on signing Partington regardless and they may yet decide to further test Salford's resolve.

But for now, Partington looks set to remain a Salford player, with the focus now on identifying replacements for both Croft and Ackers. Doing so will be difficult largely due to the timing, with most players already securing deals for next season at this stage. The club also only has one quota spot to use in their quest to replace them. In theory, the club also still needs to replace Tyler Dupree. He was moved to Wigan in a deal that saw Brad Singleton head the other way. But Singleton had already agreed a deal with the club for 2024 with a view to playing alongside Dupree, rather than replacing him.

Salford, who confirmed the signing of Leeds centre Nene Macdonald on Monday, have also done deals for Ethan Ryan, Kai Morgan and Matty Foster, but further signings will now be required.

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... s-27929665

[nathan_rugby]

We should never have let him go IMO, Wigan lad through & through

Whose place in the squad would he have taken though?