Personally gutted but life goes on. One thing we have lost that I do not believe can be replaced from within the squad is toughness and intensity.

If it was backs to the wall defending a 3 point lead on our line for a final set I can think of no other player I would want in my team. For me that cannot be replaced.

I still believe we need to add to the squad. 1 quality back or if non are available an overseas experienced forward with that toughness, Prop or backrow. Does not have to be a superstar but a real tough nut. If we do not I think there is huge pressure on Faz next season to up his physical side if the game. Whilst Faz is a 100% player, H is a hurtful player who can physically breakdown oppositions. Don't see where that comes from now at the moment.

I've watched Hansen week in week out for a decade now. He's slowly declined since '08. Probably due to all the knocks catching up with him. I generally agree that forwards tend to peak in their late 20s but it depends on the player, and claiming we could expect a player with Hansen's injury record to play on for 8 years, i.e until he's 36, is just daft when most still retire from the top level at 33 even with just the usual wear and tear

The problem is he is an experienced big game player. You do not need to play all year to be an important part of a Champion side given the make up if the league structure.

We have not added to our squad with a big game player to replace him and that is my concern.

He's slowly declined since 08? Are you being serious? (Or winding Salford fans up)

He's been exceptional these past few seasons and has really come in to his own. He is a top class player and at the minute we're struggling to keep lads that fall in to that category.

I've said before, we'll probably cope but this can't be dressed up as a good bit of business for the team. It's good business for the club off the field but certainly not on it.

Sounds like hes getting a good payday, good luck to him



Yep the team decisions in the last 5 years have been shocking, only 2 grand final wins, challenge cups and league leaders

In other words we are people on an forum ill leave decisions to the people who know what they are doing

It's just the predictable "Paniclikefu*k" posts we have become accustomed too. Remember last season!? People like stability, but a sporting team rarely is especially if it want to progress.

Lets get rid of IL and Wane, and get back to where some posters would be happy, 2006. They would have heaps to moan about then

At the end of the day IL and SW had a decision to make whether to make an offer to H that was as good as the 4 year deal that Salford were offering. H wanted to secure his future for the long term so Wigan needed to offer a long term deal, SW would have sat down with Rads, Deacs, Bitcon & IL and between them looked at all options and made an informed decision. They obviously felt that a long term deal was not the best option as they have young players coming through the system they may have to let go in the next 4 years if they tie up SC ang playing time with H. So they decided to let H go now instead of at the end of the season and have received a transfer fee...

We all wish H the best and if he rips it up for the next 4 years and is still one of the best 2nd rowers in the league then perhaps the club got it wrong......we will only know this over the next 4 years...

PS ( who has the crystal ball that was used when they let Fielden go...)

Ok weve lost a reliable big hitter, but wel be ok, i just cant believe people are moaning about the prospects of the team YET AGAIN before the season has even started. Remember what happened last year it was all negative remarks about letting finch and lima leave. Ok weve lost superleagues best player but weve replaced him with a class act we have support in numbers in the back row and weve still got all the young lads who proved themself to be more than up to the mark last season. Don't get me wrong im under no illusions its going to take a lot of hard work and effort to pull it off again but that's what were all about, weve got history weve got a production line second to none, nothing to worry about just look forward to more great achievements from the Warriors.

And a big thanks to Hansen for your efforts over the years a great role model for the club and a true professional.

A common belief last year was that Wigan man for man aren't as strong as say Warrington or Leeds. Another common belief amonst fans of those clubs by the end of the season is that "Wigan are greater than the sum of the parts". This was down to the coaching and back up staff instilling a wonderful team ethic into the squad.

Will Wigan be as strong without Hansen? Well on paper maybe not. But time isn't static. Players improve. Burke/Hughes/Lloyd will be better than last year and who knows what Bateman/Hopkins/Clubb will bring - they haven't even played yet.

Some posters reckon that Hansen's big game play will be missed. Well most of our squad now has big game experience from the last two seasons - the highs and lows.

Another thing that is worth mentioning. In his 23 appearances last season Hansen made one try and scored one try. Now obviously attacking isn't his strong suit. But other so-called big game players with similar defence (eg Jamie Peacock) manage to contribute in attack.

Hansen only became a regular when Joel was moved out to the centres, before that he was always behind Hock/Hoffman/Joel/Bailey. He has certainly given his all for Wigan. No disputing that.

But the club have decided that they wouldn't want to match a 4 year deal on (vastly-if the rumours are true) increased money. Things move on in sport.

And to those who think that makes Wigan a selling club. Well practically every sporting club in the world sells - once someone makes an offer that is considered to be far greater than their true worth (e.g. Man Utd - weathiest club in world sells Ronaldo).

I wish HH well. And I hope for the sake of Super League that Salford do well, because competition is good for sport. I just think that the Salford way of doing things has car-crash written all over it.

Wigan will make top four and get to OT again. Leeds are weaker than last season & Warrington are a lot weaker. Who are people worried about competing against without HH?

I agree 100%. Hansen is an 80 minute player who offers a level of intensity and physicality I do not see elsewhere in the squad other than those such as MM and Lockers who would be on the pitch beside him anyway.

He has been underrated all the time he has been here and I really don't think some people realise what we will miss with him gone.

It is IMO crucial Lockers remains fit because if he doesn't Faz alone isn't going to be able to steer the younger players through tough games IMO.

At 28 I'd say he easily has four years left in him. I also don't believe he had any burning desire to leave based on comments from Josie over on Mike's board who actually knows H. He was even on Wigan TV earlier in the season saying he'd be here as log as Wigan wanted him. All those comments about IL seeing it in his eye that he wanted to leave is PR spin. We should be used to it by now. There is always an excuse when a good player is sold.

The club got an offer and decided to sell. If they didn't offer H as a good a deal as Salford to extend his contract you can't blame H for accepting the chance to move but you do have to question the clubs logic. SL is hardly awash with players of H's quality so IMO if the club has a chance to keep such a player (and it certainly did) then it should.

The old cliché that any player is replaceable is true - if you find a suitable replacement not just by sticking the no 11 on someone else's back andt H leaves a big hole in the side with no obvious replacement.

Don't forget that the younger players like Taylor and Crosby for example are winners now. Who knows how good these guys can be. Added to the double winning youngsters are a load who have already tasted life in super League. Over on the Leeds boards there is a lot of criticism of how they haven't even begun to replace an ageing pack and are heavily reliant on over 30s like Peacock/Leuluia/JJB/Bailey. They have some good youngsters in Ward & Singleton but have manged to lose the England Academy captain to NZ Warriors, mainly because he wasn't given much chance or doesn't see much game time happening this season. That's not something you can accuse Wigan of is it?

Personally I prefer the Wigan way. I think that the talent pool is staggering and we have the coach who gives the youngsters a chance. He doesn't always get it right (Jack Murphy) but more often does (Crosby/Taylor/Hampshire/Thornley/Hughes etc). I can't wait to see Sarginson/Bateman/Hughes/Hopkins/Hampshire/Powell/Williams/Lever/Burke/Manfredi/Burgess etc etc this season.This really is a golden age for Wigan. Try to lose the glass half-full mentality and enjoy what no other club in super league can boast.

Wigan used to pension players off pretty ruthlessly under Mo (first time round certainly) but they did qualify as ready to go and were often in their 30's such as Ian Potter, another similar and underrated player. H isn't of the pensionable age so I question what the current Wigan way is in that regard. I don't think the same thing is going on here. Later on we even signed Denis Betts back at the same age we are selling H.

We certainly do have a lot of good young players and Burke in particular made a great début and was one I was disappointed not to see more of last season when Lockers was out injured but that doesn't mean there isn't an obvious hole left by H that none f them can easily fill.

I think this is a poor decision and I also don't think the PR put out about his burning desire to play for Salford is anything other than that especially given his comments about staying here earlier in the season. I reckon he would still be here had Wigan offered enough and I don't see why we couldn't as we aren't competing against the NRL here, must have the cap space and players of H's quality are few and far between in our game. If you aren't going to pay players like H a top wage just who are you going to spend that money on?

While I agree with you in spirit, the bit I've underlined is really no more than an assumption designed to suit your argument.

In other words, the club is lying.

How do we know that?

Also, remember that players do PR as well. Hansen told Wigan fans he wanted to stay. Of course he'd say that. But he'd likely say exactly the opposite to the Salford lot ... especially if he learned their valuation of his services was higher than Wigan's.

At the end of the day, his burning desire will be to go where he can earn most money, which would appear to be Salford. I'm not at all happy about that - I consider this a bad loss and I'm disappointed, but we can't just assume - as people on the other site have - that Hansen was the personification of loyalty and desperately wanted to stay.