WOLVES boss Tony Smith admits the timing of Chris Sandow’s departure is more of a concern to him than the Australian’s decision.

The club announced on Monday that the mercurial scrum-half would not be returning to honour his contract, which was due to expire at the end of the 2017 season.

Sandow’s decision came just as the Wolves players were returning for pre-season training and Smith says he is not surprised by how the situation has played out.

“When we entered into an agreement with Chrissy, we knew he could be erratic in his decision-making,” he said.

“Who knows what to expect with Chris Sandow? It certainly didn’t come as a shock.

“I’m not disappointed about it either. The only thing I’m disappointed about is the timing of it.

“It’s not helpful just when we’re coming back for pre-season but the guys will find a way to get around it.”

After arriving from Parramatta Eels in the summer of 2015, Sandow enjoyed an explosive start to the 2016 season.

He was instrumental in a Wolves side that won its first seven games of the season and became the first player to win back-to-back Super League Player of the Month awards.

He was dogged by injuries for periods of the season, with a hamstring injury putting him out of action for two months before he picked up a knee injury in the Challenge Cup Final defeat to Hull FC at Wembley.

Sandow did not return until coming off the bench in the Grand Final defeat to Wigan on October 8 – his final game for the club.

Overall, Sandow made 32 appearances in primrose and blue. During that time, he crossed for 12 tries, kicked 26 goals and one drop goal.

Smith says he was happy with how the Australian contributed during his time at the club.

“We had a reasonably good year from him last season,” Smith said.

“He showed some good form in certain stages, particularly at the start of the year.

“With all the injuries he had after Easter it was difficult for him to put a run of games together but we’re happy with how he played on the whole.”

While Sandow was sidelined with his medial knee ligament injury, academy product Dec Patton stepped into the breach with aplomb as Wolves negotiated some tricky fixtures at the business end of the season.

He had surgery on a wrist injury when the season finished and it is unclear whether he’ll be fit for the start of the 2017 campaign.

Stefan Ratchford, who spent most of last year playing at full-back, is a candidate to partner Kurt Gidley in the halves but will be sidelined until March after having surgery on a knee injury.

“Stefan picked up a really innocuous injury when training with England and that’s a real blow for us,” he said.

“It’s a four-month injury. That probably sets us back more than Chrissy leaving. I certainly feel more disappointed about it that’s for sure.”