Toby King in 2023 https://wiganwarriors.com/

Toby King in 2023 https://wiganwarriors.com/

Very random that it's a loan signing. What if he has a superb season, we just hand him back to Warrington?

So many questions on this one...

A loan deal? Not sure if I've seen a deal like this in a while and certainly not between two rivals? Are we going to rehabilitate him and send him back? His current deal runs until 2024.

How does this sit with Wardle? A few seem to say it's a 'done deal', but nothing has been said. If it is, then why this King & why hasn't it been announced (yes I know how that sounds)?

I'll give him a chance, but he's gonna have to massively improve. We targeted him earlier in the year and Thornley ran all over him that night.

I don't see us signing Wardle as well which is pretty underwhelming if true. You would have to think Wardle will stay at Wire

In not “in the know” but I predict it’ll be a loan as wire will be contributing a lot to his wage.

Expect for Wire to confirm Wardle now which is annoying as I rate him higher.

I would answer your 2 statements as :-

Yes

No

Think it was more that Wire couldn't cope with the pace + threat of Field + French + Thornley prospered from that really but we've improved players before

Why would Wire sign King up with a four year deal, then loan him off to Huddersfield in the first year of that deal, then loan him to Wigan in the second year of that deal.

I can only imagine it's due to a disagreement with Powell. Not the only one by the looks of it (Cooper and Charnley shipped out sharpish too).

Not many decent quality English centres out there. King and Wardle are good options to replace Bibby and Hardaker if there is no quota spot to use.

Disaster for Warrington - sign King up on an expensive 4 year contract, they decide they don't want him for whatever reason and can only loan him out to partly offset his wages.

I'm not sure if it is a disaster? They are almost paying us to straighten him out and then could, in theory, have a better player back at the end of it. Throw it they could have a new coach by that time too and it's a good gamble imo.

I just don't understand it from our POV? Would it not have been better to leave him at Wire and let him soak up 100% of his wages?

Very odd signing IMO unless Wire are paying most of his wage and we aren't getting Wardle

The very same crossed my mind. A one year loan deal is very strange.

Very strange signing. I was made up when we pulled out of trying to sign him when he wanted silly wages.

He’s been really poor this season and shown up a few times.

As a Saints fan I’m happy he’s playing at Wigan next year. Even more so if this means you aren’t signing Wardle.

King has been a massive twice this year, proper lack of professionalism stuff. He and Powell definitely have fallen out, and management as well

Really pleased with this. Wire will be contributing to his wages and he is a quality English centre that went off the boil on a system that really has disagreed with a few players.

I’d say it is a loan deal for 2 reasons. 1 being Wire pay some of his wages, but 2 if Powell has a stinker again next year and gets binned Wire can take him back if an incoming coach wants him.

Wardle was a done deal a number of weeks ago. Unless things have changed in the last 10 days when I was told by someone very close to him it was a done deal then we will be running with Wardle and King in the centres in 23.

My thoughts are though that this may be confirmation that Bevan is returning to the NRL simply due to cap reasons or maybe KPP goes early.

As a player King is I big strong offloading centre who is probably the best threat in the league under the cross field kick.

He offers something different in attack to anyone else on the team on that regard.

Great bit of business.