I agree with everything here with one added point...

Salford, Blease, and Watson were also a massive part of maturing Hastings. Something he'll openly admit. Salford's turnaround isn't just down to one guy, as important as he is. Behind the scenes at Salford has changed massively over the last few years. Offering a successful place to rejuvenate careers rather than being a retirement home as we were in the past. Barring last year where we were very inconsistent, 2017 we finished 4th, the year before we would have been in the play-offs but for Koukash's cap breaking and subsequent points deduction. The signs have been there if you looked hard enough that we are going in the right direction. Hastings will be hard to replace, but players come and go, and I have full faith that Watson will rebuild the team and do well again next year. After all, this team was rebuilt in pre-season and we're in the GF.

I hope you treat him with the same love and respect that we do. Even if it doesn't go according to plan.

A mate of mine asked me today if I’d seen any messages of congratulations to Hastings from any Salford players on Twitter etc. I had to be honest and I hadn’t so I asked him what he was getting at. He said he’s seen as a bit of a loner who trains on his own in the gym and his teammates don’t like him very much which doesn’t seem right to me. Strange that none of the current Salford squad publicly congratulated him.
Watching him take us apart on Friday did get me excited for next season and hopefully all talk will stop after Saturday. I’ve got nothing but admiration for the lad.

There is. Just have to look a little harder.

Who has tweeted mate? I’m struggling!

Well i get that but he either wants to come here or he doesnt and from everything he is saying he is making it sound like the only reason he is coming is because of the money we have offered him and he has no real desire to play for Wigan and wants to stay at Salford. He can be complimentary and say how much he has loved his time at Salford without sounding so down hearted about coming here.

I did think it strange when we went after him again when he was less than complimentary about our club when he turned us down the first time.

Moley reporting that Brisbane are sniffing around Hastings for 2020. He mentions ‘glamour club Wigan won’t let us go for 2020.

But...

You never do know with Wigan...

And rightly so, it would leave us right in the bilge.
I hate when these type of mumblings start, normally means there's something in it.

'IF' Wigan do allow him to go I couldn't see how this club would recover.

There is some interesting rumours going about at the moment in Salford. The same things keep popping-up from multiple people. Whether they come from wishful thinking or reality is another matter. Will be interesting if any of them have legs...

I'll believe he's a Wigan player when I see him run out in a Wigan shirt. I agree, no smoke without fire

Main one being he’d like to stay at Salford and back up this seasons efforts before returning to Aus in 2020 rather than starting fresh. It’s direct from him, he’s not shying away from telling those close to him. The NRL offers are coming in and are far more attractive now than back when he signed with us.

Maybe the rumblings about Lachlan Lam coming over weren’t to partner Jackson

I'd put good money on both Jackson and Hardaker both being Wigan players in 2020.

Hardaker has turned his life around at Wigan. Just watching him play and following his social media suggests he's very much integrated into the team. All that opposes that is merely rumour and comments on forums; hardly solid reports.

Hastings stayed on at Salford to repay them, he's an honest bloke; would suddenly turn his back on a club he's recently signed for? I don't think so. This wasn't a knee jerk decision from Hastings, he toured Leeds' facilities and was in regular communication with Lam and Wigan; this has all been documented.
On the flip side, after the Edwards mess; would Wigan really walk into the same trap of advertising and promoting a new signing to not have him play? There's so much which goes into a signing, agents fees; contract negs legal fees etc, it's not cut and dried.

Moley is the only 1 who I'd take onboard, as he's often right. But even he said it's unlikely to see him anywhere but Wigan in 2020.

You don’t account for a change of heart, there is nothing disloyal about changing your mind and wanting to remain at a club that has done so much for you. Regards Zak, you also don’t account for any personal issues that may not be publicised on “social media” and rightly so. I don’t have a problem with either case of the above turning out negatively for the club as long as it’s done promptly and Wigan have enough chance to rectify things. Last thing we want is to spend 2020 building for 2021.

I would also agree that in the case of Hastings, Moley is the person to follow...the management company looking after JH and several other high profile RL players give him all his info.

Things can happen in professional sport; but for now as it stands we have complete rumour versus contracts and what we actually see with our own eyes. Even though things can happen; I know which I'll side with.

"he is making it sound like the only reason he is coming is because of the money we have offered him ": I asked someone who is friendly with him about the time of the signing. From the conversation, the increased publicity was a big factor.
I never complain if someone moves work for a better pay. Salford has lost loads of players for that reason.