Wigan to Make Play for Lockyer

Wigan finally admitted yesterday that their stand-off Trent Barrett is almost certain to return to Australia at the end of this season but they are thought to be close to confirming the signing of his former St George Illawarra team-mate Mark Riddell.

Riddell, a goal kicking hooker who now plays for Parramatta, said in Sydney that he is "95% certain" to accept an offer to join Wigan next year, suggesting in turn that the Warriors are planning to release their current hooker Mickey Higham when his contract expires this autumn.

Riddell's arrival will only slightly soften the blow of losing Barrett, whose pregnant wife Kylie is homesick. But Wigan's chairman, Ian Lenagan, will now step up his attempt to sign a suitable replacement for the 30-year-old play maker with the Brisbane and Australia captain, Darren Lockyer, likely to be at the top of his list if he could be persuaded to bring forward his plans to come to England in 2010 by 12 months.

Lenagan also discounted speculation that Barrett wanted to leave Wigan immediately, and the Warriors hope that, with his future settled, he can regain the standards he set last season to sign off with a bang, either in the Challenge Cup final at Wembley or in the Super League grand final at Old Trafford. "Trent will definitely complete this season with Wigan, which was never at issue with Trent, but will almost certainly leave then and not complete his third contracted year," Lenagan said yesterday.

Barrett is expected to make his first starting appearance since suffering a knee injury on Easter Monday when Wigan face St Helens in the last match of the Millennium Magic program on Sunday night.