Wigan Warriors: Five things we learned from the victory over Huddersfield Giants (H)

Amos Wynn reflects on the key talking points from Wigan Warriors’ victory over Huddersfield Giants.
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1. Tommy Leuluai looks as good as ever:

Tommy Leuluai put in an excellent performance on Thursday night and certainly didn’t look like a 36-year-old.

His high level of performance is just breathtaking.

Wigan Warriors beat Huddersfield GiantsWigan Warriors beat Huddersfield Giants
Wigan Warriors beat Huddersfield Giants

He probably still has one of the best fitness levels in the squad, and certainly leads by example.

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Before the start of the season, Matty Peet said they would look after him by rotating him in and out, but that hasn’t been required so far.

Of course, a time will come this season when he will need a rest, and that’s fine because Harry Smith is waiting in the wings, but for now, Leuluai appears to have no problems with back to back games.

Peet described him as being “absolutely outstanding,” and I doubt anyone will disagree.

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2. Farrell is in great try-scoring form:

Liam Farrell has been one of Wigan’s best players throughout the last decade and that won’t be changing anytime soon.

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Opposing teams sometimes appear to forget the threat he possesses, until it is too late.

His quick turn of pace for the first try was great to see.

It’s fantastic for Wigan to have scorers across the line, with Farrell now on three in three games this season following his brace.

He is part of a really strong leadership group currently at the club.

3. Wigan invited too much pressure at times:

Out of the three games, Thursday’s probably had the most worrying moments.

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For the first 15 minutes after the break Peet’s side just kept inviting constant pressure onto themselves.

At times they seemed to be trying too hard to play their style, and it could’ve proved more costly.

The number of penalties conceded in the early weeks has been one negative in an otherwise strong start.

A positive from that is still the fact they are winning games and are defensively solid enough to recover.

4. Adaptability is key:

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A good thing about this current squad is their adaptability and willingness to play in multiple positions.

When Cade Cust departed the field for a concussion assessment in the early moments of the game, the rest of the players shifted around seamlessly.

Zak Hardaker, who made his 300th career appearance, epitomises this, as he’s willing to play whatever role is asked of him.

Jake Bibby is another who falls into this category, which has made him an extremely important asset since he joined from Salford.

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So many players in the squad can play several roles, and that’ll prove to be a huge benefit.

5. Bevan is back:

Following his return to the UK, Bevan French watched on from the stands on Thursday night.

He came onto the pitch briefly at half time, and received a warm reception from the fans.

With Jai Field’s strong start to the season there is certainly a debate over who should be Wigan’s fullback.

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French is probably a few weeks away from being ready, so it’s not currently an immediate thought for Peet, but that time will slowly creep up.

It’s a very hard decision to make, Field has started so well, but Bevan was probably the best in the comp prior to his injury.

French’s reception was one of two touching moments from Thursday night, with the other being an impeccable minute’s silence for Va'aiga Tuigamala, following the death of the club legend.

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