DARYL Powell insists “everything is on the table” in terms of the Jake Wardle-Toby King loan swap deal becoming more permanent.
In a swiftly-arranged deal that emerged at the end of last week, Warrington Wolves and Huddersfield Giants swapped players until the end of the season, with Wardle joining The Wire and King heading to his hometown club.
Both players remain under contract with their parent clubs – King is tied to Warrington until the end of 2025 while Wardle’s Huddersfield deal runs out at the end of next season.
Jake Wardle - seen here scoring for England against the Combined Nations All-Stars at The Halliwell Jones Stadium - will be a Warrington Wolves player for the rest of the year at least. Picture by SWPix.com
When asked about the prospect of a permanent switch, however, Powell ruled nothing out.
“Everything is on the table at the moment. It all depends on how both players go at their new clubs,” he told the Guardian.
“Toby’s still contracted to us and Jake is to Huddersfield – it’s only a loan deal as it stands but we’re pretty flexible with it.
“We’ll see how things materialise for the remainder of the season and both players are pretty desperate to play in the World Cup.
“There will be a desire for both players to play well at both clubs.”
Toby King is heading to hometown club Huddersfield Giants. Picture by SWPix.com
Wardle joined his new teammates for training this week with a view to making his debut against Salford Red Devils on Sunday.
Powell said the 23-year-old will be given as much time as possible to get himself ready, with plenty to learn in terms of fitting into the team’s systems.
“We had a pretty steady day on Monday so Wednesday was his first proper training session with us,” he said.
“We’ll carry on having a good look at him through the week.
“He’s got a fair bit to pick up in terms of calls, but he’s a natural rugby league player. I wouldn’t think it would take him that long but we’ll have a look over the next few days and see where we’re at.
“He’s very athletic, nimble on his feet and beats people really well with good speed.
“He’s pretty skilful and I’ve always thought he was a really solid defender as well. He’s got plenty going for him as a naturally athletic centre.
“Obviously, Toby is a pretty good player in his own right as well – it’s been a tough one but I think it could work out well for everybody.
“From our point of view, we get a player who is pretty desperate to play in the World Cup. He’ll be striving hard in this fresh challenge with us.”
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