HUDDERSFIELD Giants head coach Ian Watson has poured cold water on the prospect of Jake Wardle’s move to Warrington Wolves being made permanent.

In June, a loan swap deal was agreed to send England international centre Wardle to The Halliwell Jones Stadium for the remainder of 2022 in exchange for Toby King, who moved in the opposite direction.

Both scored in yesterday’s game between the two sides, which finished 38-36 in favour of the Giants, and Wardle’s try took his tally to five in seven appearances since joining The Wire.

Warrington Guardian:

Jake Wardle scores. Picture by SWpix.com

As such, the club are keen to tie him down longer-term and last week, head coach Daryl Powell said talks around Wardle between the clubs are “ongoing.”

However, it was also confirmed last week that King would spend 2023 on loan at Wigan Warriors, contrary to the understanding between Warrington and Huddersfield that the longer-term aspect of the King-Wardle deal would be reviewed at the end of the year.

Powell affirmed last week that Huddersfield’s attempts to re-sign King were “not moving along,” but Watson responded by saying his side had been keen to keep him.

As such, he currently says any deal to that would see Wardle join Warrington permanently is off the table.

“We wanted to keep him,” Watson said of King.

“I saw some comments about it and I don’t know whether there’s been some miscommunication there between Warrington and Daryl, but we wanted Toby King.

“We wanted to keep him permanently as opposed to on loan. Warrington didn’t want to do that deal – they wanted to basically loan him out for another year and then probably take him back.

“We told them it was pointless us having a player for a year when we’re working with them before sending him back a better player.

“We wanted him with us permanently if they wanted Jake. They didn’t want to do that so for us, Jake comes back.

“Jake won’t be at Warrington next year – he’ll be a Huddersfield player next year unless something happens on the back end of that.

“There was no crossed wires from us – it was either we got Toby King permanently or Jake Wardle came back. They knew that situation and we won’t be changing from it.

“Jake went out to get game time as he wasn’t cracking the starting spot at the time, but we all still like him and he’s a great part of our squad.

“My stance at the moment is I want Jake back. There’s nothing else I’d be looking at from Warrington at the moment.

“They’ve signed the majority of their players up for next year and Jake Wardle will be an important part of our squad next year.

“If something else becomes available and they try and throw it there, its something we might look at but that’s only if Jake’s not happy and he wants to see it a different way.

“I’ve had a phonecall with Jake and I’ve told him I expect him back with us in pre-season.”