Hodgson to leave Warrington

Warrington's former Man of Steel Brett Hodgson is to leave the club at the end of the season, the club have announced.

The veteran Australian full-back, who will be 36 in February, had another year left on his contract but the Wolves say they have decided to release him so that he can pursue other options.

Hodgson has recently been linked with a move to Salford, who have already acquired the services of Warrington captain Adrian Morley for 2014.

A statement said: "Warrington Wolves have agreed to release Brett Hodgson from his current contract at the end of this season, granting him the opportunity to consider a number of options open to him.

"All at the club would like to thank him for his service to the Wolves and wish him well for his future."

Warrington have a ready-made replacement in the versatile Stefan Ratchford, who has deputised at full-back seven times this season.

Hodgson has missed two of Warrington's last three matches through injury but has been named in coach Tony Smith's 19-man squad for Thursday's play-off semi-final against Huddersfield at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Hodgson, who represented New South Wales in State of Origin, was 32 when he arrived in Super League in 2009 after a long and distinguished career in the NRL with Wests Tigers and Parramatta.

But he had a superb spell as captain of Huddersfield, where he won the Man of Steel in the first of his two seasons in West Yorkshire, and has since given the Wolves three years' valuable service.

Hodgson has so far made 75 appearances for Warrington, scoring 788 points and kicking 315 goals, and won the Lance Todd trophy as man of the match in their Challenge Cup final win over Leeds at Wembley in 2012.

Warrington are asking fans to stay behind at the end of Thursday's final home game of the season to pay tribute to Hodgson and Morley, as well as Garreth Carvell, Tyrone McCarthy and Rhys Williams, who are also leaving the club.