Every Super League club is determined to keep hold of their best players.
For Wigan Warriors, it’s been a case of trying to keep Bevan French at the DW Stadium after the Australian livewire has been linked to a move to NRL side Newcastle Knights.
However, despite claims in the past few weeks that a deal had been struck with the Knights, that is reportedly now not the case, according to the Newcastle Herald.
That paper has stated that “the Warriors are refusing to concede defeat, upping the ante over the past few weeks with an offer that apparently blows the Knights’ deal out of the water financially.
“As it stands, there has been no definitive decision either way on his future but at the very least, French is now no certainty to be in Knights colours next season.”
Wigan are therefore desperate to nail down French’s future and are willing to pay for it, too.
The Australian livewire has formed a perfect partnership with fellow pace merchant Jai Field to strike fear into the hearts of Super League defenders.
It is unsurprising, therefore, that French broke the record for the most amount of tries scored in one game with seven earlier on in the season in a drubbing of Hull FC at the DW Stadium.
Since then, French has continued to get his head down and put every ounce of effort in to helping Wigan get that second place in the Super League table as well as get ready for the play-offs as best as possible.
Newcastle Herald journalist Barry Toohey had stated previously that French had signed a deal with the Knights, but even on his own podcast Toohey’s News, Toohey was asked by a listener when a deal for French was going to be announced with which the respected journalist responded: “Bevan French is an interesting one, it had been touted that he had agreed to terms going back two or three weeks ago,” Toohey said.
“However, I now suspect that Wigan are trying very hard to keep French in England and has offered him a substantial amount more than the Knights to come home.
“He hasn’t signed anything and whether he changes his mind to stay over then that is a possibility.
“If you asked me three weeks ago if Bevan French was coming I would have said yes, now I’m not so sure.”
The Warriors almost look destined to usurp that Newcastle deal, but of course there is more to a playing career than money and French has previously spoken about his desire to be with family.
Watch this space!
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