Shaun Wane will be considering his recruitment strategy this morning following Justin Carney’s commitment to Salford on a permanent basis.
The Wigan chief had publicly expressed his admiration for the prolific winger, who was originally at the Red Devils on a loan deal from Castleford.
But with Carney now tied down at Salford, Wane must focus his attentions on players who may be available as he looks to replace the outgoing Josh Charnley for the 2017 season.
TotalRL understands that Wane has a number of targets in mind, but at the top of his wishlist is Super League’s joint leading try-scorer, Denny Solomona.
The Castleford winger has been in magnificent form this year and has scored 13 tries already this season, including one against Wigan earlier this month.
One stumbling block in that potential move is Solomona’s current contract at Castleford, which doesn’t expire until the end of the 2018 season. But with Charnley and Dan Sarginson both heading out, Wane will have some space to work with under the salary cap and could tempt Castleford into cashing in.
Wigan, of course, have options out wide already; Dom Manfredi is quickly becoming one of the league’s best speedsters while Lewis Tierney’s form has improved since moving out wide. But with Joe Burgess leaving the club for the NRL last year and Charnley on his way out, Wane is keen on strengthening his backline, and Solomona falls into that category.
Another name mentioned has been Wakefield’s Tom Johnstone, who has also grabbed the headlines this year for his impressive performances. But, like Solomona, the 20-year-old is under contract, with his contact at Wakefield set until the end of 2019, and chairman Michael Carter has already stated his intentions to keep Johnstone at the Wildcats.
