WARRINGTON Wolves chief executive Karl Fitzpatrick has left the door open for former Hull FC loanee Ellis Longstaff to return to the club once his season-long loan at Salford Red Devils has ended.
Longstaff impressed in the short time he was at the MKM Stadium under Brett Hodgson, with Warrington fans hoping that the second-rower would be given a chance to shine under Daryl Powell in Super League 2023.
However, Longstaff will now go on loan to Salford for the season after the two clubs struck up a deal, but Fitzpatrick hasn’t called time on the forward’s career at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Speaking at a fans’ forum event earlier in the week, Fitzpatrick said via the Official Warrington Wolves podcast: “Ellis is a great kid with lots of potential, but he wants to play in the first team.
“He probably needs to go elsewhere and experience that at a different club.
“We are happy with what we’ve got in the back-row, he was keen to play somewhere else next season so it was best for both parties.
“Could he come back here in 12 months? Yes he could, but he felt it was better for his development that he plays somewhere else in 2023.”
Powell has recruited heavily for next season with Gil Dudson, Sam Kasiano, Josh Drinkwater (all Catalans Dragons), Paul Vaughan and Matt Dufty (both Canterbury Bulldogs), Thomas Mikaele (Wests Tigers), Josh McGuire (St George Illawarra Dragons), Matty Nicholson (Wigan Warriors) and Matty Russell (Toulouse Olympique) all signing on the dotted line for 2023 and beyond.
