Wigan Warriors man speaks out on transfer speculation after Hull FC links

Wigan Warriors forward Liam Byrne has described talk of a move to Hull FC as ‘just rumours’.

The Black and Whites are known to be on the lookout for a middle man as they approach the 2025 Super League season and Byrne had been mentioned online as a potential option. It was a link that FC’s director of rugby refused to comment on when asked at a fans’ forum last month.

The speculation saw Wigan boss Matt Peet speak out and make it clear that Byrne would not be leaving the Brick Community Stadium over the off-season, too.

Ultimately, then, it’s a link that seemingly failed to get off the ground and Byrne has now confirmed that such talk caught him off guard.

“It was quite a surprise to be fair, because I hadn’t heard anything directly,” the Wigan Warriors man told Wigan Today, Serious About Rugby League’s sister site, when asked about the speculation and the talk online.

“It was just rumours, but it’s not too surprising with the amount of stuff that gets put out there.”

FC still haven’t added to their front row unit at the time of writing, but it has been reported that they are pursuing a move for Hugo Salabio, who was released from his Huddersfield Giants contract on Tuesday evening.

Hull Live claim the west Hull outfit have held talks with the Frenchman’s representatives ahead of a potential move, and while Salabio isn’t the most experienced player, he seems to be one that fits the bill for John Cartwright’s side. Salabio has made just 17 senior appearances during his time in the game having had spells with Toulouse Olympique, Catalans Dragons and Wakefield Trinity before joining Huddersfield for 2024.

The Black and Whites have Ligi Sao, Herman Ese’ese, Jack Ashworth, Brad Fash and Yusuf Aydin as senior middle options, with a handful of youngsters pushing to emerge beneath them. However, after finding themselves having to rely on loans last season, with the likes of Sam Eseh Jr and King Vuniyayawa joining temporarily, the club know they could do with added depth up front.