Adrian Lam signs new one-year deal as Wigan Warriors coach

He has signed a new one-year extension to his deal for 2021.

The move won't come as a surprise - Lam has made no secret of the fact he wanted to stay, and on Friday night said he was "confident" a deal would be reached.

Warriors chairman Ian Lenagan said: “Adrian has done well in the very difficult circumstances of season 2020.

“To win the Coach of the Year award and the League Leaders’ Shield and to come so close to winning a great Grand Final is a good effort. But he knows we want more, and we think him well capable of that.

“He has a strong desire to take Wigan to a higher level, his ethos fits well with our ambitions and he is clearly enjoying his work and relishing the squad available to him in 2021.

“Every season presents different challenges and next year will be no different. The challenge for Adrian and his coaching team is to be better each year and I can't wait for that and for a superb year for Super League and for rugby league generally. We all deserve it.”

Former halfback Lam succeeded Shaun Wane at the end of 2018, initially to warm the seat until Shaun Edwards' arrival 12 months later.

But his deal was extended after Edwards decided to stay in union, and this year Lam guided Wigan to the top of the table and into the Grand Final, where they lost 8-4 to St Helens.

Lam said: “I’m really excited. It’s a massive honour for me to re-sign at this great club.

“It’s been a fantastic year overall. I’ve seen the team grow as a unit and winning the League Leaders’ Shield was a highlight, but we must go one better in 2021.

“The squad has been strengthened each year since my arrival and, with the new players coming in and another year’s experience behind our hardened young players, we’re in a great position to take trophy-winning advantage of that.

“We have the opportunity to create a team environment for 2021 that’s steeled for action with speed to burn, making us a very difficult team to play against. We want teams to need to be at their very best to have a chance of beating us.

“In the Grand Final you could see how close knit our team was. That’s who we are now but we must, and can, get better to win those trophies. We’re looking forward to 2021 and to the excitement that a new Super League season promises.”