You might as well have Hampshire back. Getting no games at Cas.
Tonight Powell has selected a hooker (McShane) at stand-off and a winger (Solomona/Flynn) at full-back. If Hampshire can't get in the team in front of players selected out of position, there is no point in him remaining at Cas.

I'm sure it'll be Shaun Wane's fault somehow.

Probably.
Either that or Hampshire just isn't actually that good? For all his reputation as a junior, he didn't make the first team at Wigan and now isn't even second-choice at Cas at stand-off or full-back.

Said it before and I'll say it again ... the people who advised Hampshire to DEMAND that he be allowed to play first team stand-off did that kid no favours at all.

He's got a lot of talent but there seems to be either a) an attitude problem or b)he's being badly advised.

To not get a game for Cas tonight when they're missing their first choice full back and stand off isn't good at all.

Or c) he hasn't got as much talent as some think.

From what I've seen so far I think this may be the closest to the truth.

There are plenty of players who excel at junior level only to fail to live up to the hype once they reach Super League. Academy level is an entirely different environment. Just look at how good Shaun Ainscough was in the academy. He ripped it up for England against the Aussies yet soon learned that he had huge deficiencies in his game which prevented him from making it in Super League.

Hampshire has excellent speed and very good ball playing ability, two things that can get you a long way in Super League. He's far too young to write off, especially for a halfback. To be honest I think this year he would have benefited more from playing in the Championship. The standard at that level is improving and he'd have had a much better chance of becoming a consistent first choice player. Something he seems to lack is the desire to go to the line and draw players before passing and he's also a bit weak in defence. The Championship would have been a good test for him to establish himself and give him time to work on his game.

Or if we had a proper reserves competition he could have played in that while Wigan keep a proper eye on him.

Great post. He's got a big decision coming up about where he'll play his rugby over the next few years; time is still on his side but perhaps another season like this and he'll be left on the scrap heap which would be a massive shame.

It doesn't look like the season long loan deal to Cas was a smart idea either for him or our club. It would have been far better had he gone to a championship club where he could have been assured of playing every week. At his age he would benefit from game time rather than being stuck in the stands.

It's been a while since we got postings from Wakefield fans (assume family/friends of Hampshire), maybe they have started to realise he actually ain't all that good after all.

Bang on
Young players trying to find their way in the game certainly need a pathway between academy footy and SL as that gap is absolutely massive
How hard must it be for a young player leaving academy level to be worthy of securing a first team squad place, especially at the top clubs?

Lots of talented kids are thrown onto the scrap heap as a result, but had they been given a chance to progress at a level in between academy and SL level then they could be given far more time to progress to the desired level and without the added pressure of doing it over night
How can our sport be allowed to make such vital calls on players aged 19/20?

Reserve team footy should be a must for all SL sides as part of the criteria set out and funding should be allocated from the SKY deal of which can only be used to fund that level each season

It is an interesting one, I highly doubt he has a future at Wigan under the current coaches, I do know he is not getting game time in the halves at Cas as the coaches there have been concerned that he has become too structured/robotic in his plays. They play a much more fluid structure and the coaches at Cas think he is struggling with that. This is a shame as anyone who saw him play as a kid would see he is a very natural rugby player.

Assuming his next move will be away from Wigan the club he goes to will be of massive importance to his career. He seems to be not structured enough for Wigan but has become too structured for an off the cuff team like Cas.

Hull would be a great move for him IF he is to go or potentially Giants.

I think those taking pleasure in writing him off will be proven wrong in the fullness of time, he just needs to find a home that suits and I am sure he will develop into a very good SL player.

I wouldn't write Hampshire off yet. He has that thing that you can't coach, pace. I do think he was ill advised to leave Wigan this year, especially with the reserve league starting. With Sam and George Williams being out for so long he would have had a decent run again to show his capabilities, however that ship has sailed. IF he comes back then he may have to play himself back in through the reserves and that will take "bottle"
What worries me about him at Cas is that now he is not getting in at#6 or #1, so his confidence may be shot, so it's big ask of his mental strength. There is no doubt he has ability, I just want to see a bit more "mongrel" in him. All the top class players have that.

As most know on here I'm a big fan of him and really want him to succeed. I hope it's at Wigan, if not good luck to him wherever he ends up.