Club legend Sean O’Loughlin has plans in place as new contract will see assistant into 30 years with Warriors

The assistant coach, who enjoyed a decorated 19-year playing career before retiring in 2020, put pen to paper on a deal until the end of 2030 alongside Thomas Leuluai and head coach Matt Peet.

And the 41-year-old says he’s still enjoying every day in the Warriors environment as he explains: “It’s a massive part of my life that I have spent here.

“But I still feel like I’m at a place where I’m being tested, I’m learning and most importantly, I’m enjoying it.

“That transition from playing to coaching, and almost starting the process again from the bottom and working your way up; I’m ultimately still enjoying it and I think if I wasn’t, that’s where you start looking for different challenges or different roles but I don’t feel like I’m in that position.

“I’m privileged to be in the position where you’re wanted, but also a position where I’m getting challenged and getting better.”

O’Loughlin joined Wigan’s coaching staff upon his retirement in 2020 initially under Adrian Lam, but his post-playing plans were in the making long before then.

“I feel like I got a good taste for coaching while I was still playing,” O’Loughlin said.

“Matty Peet was head of youth and probably the last five years I played at the club, I was heavily involved in that and he was keen to get me down there for a night or two and learn the trade.

“I like the kind of way Matty challenges us. It’s a good place to be from top to bottom, it’s a good environment.”

Having won every trophy as a player and now as a coach, O’Loughlin says his biggest concern was experiencing life away from the sport - but conversations with chief executive Kris Radlinski made sure a plan was in place for the next seven years to ensure he can develop his skills in and out of rugby league.

O’Loughlin continued: “A big part of it was that I enjoy being here. It’s the team I support and I enjoy being a part of this organisation.

“But conversations with Matty, Kris Radlinski and the other staff was not just about my coaching here, but it was about stuff away from here that I can go and learn and it’ll improve me. It’s the bigger picture of becoming the whole package of a coach.

“There was a little bit of doubt from my point of view that I’ve been here for so long and I need to experience things away from here as well.

“But Kris was very keen on putting things in practice there and setting things up going forward where I can go away and experience different organisations and hopefully bring some of that back with me.

“I want to be tested, I want to be open minded to learn things. And not just necessarily in sport, but away from it too.

"The running of businesses, anything that can help me come back here and be a more well-rounded coach and benefit the club with what I can deliver.”