Grand Final winner Sam Powell ‘wants to stay’ at Wigan as he lifts lid on uncertain future

Love Rugby League claimed back in August that the 31-year-old had attracted interest from Super League rivals following added competition for places in Matt Peet’s squad for 2024.

Kruise Leeming will join the DW Stadium on a four-year deal after a stint in the NRL with the Gold Coast Titans, with the ex-Huddersfield man having left Leeds just weeks into the 2023 campaign.

Rising star Brad O’Neill has also enjoyed a breakthrough campaign, having been nominated for Super League’s young player of the year.

Powell featured from the interchange bench in Saturday’s 10-2 Grand Final victory over Catalans - his third Super League title for the club, having started in both the 2016 and 2018 successes.

“It kind of played out how we thought it would,” Powell said following the Old Trafford win.

“We travelled over there and did a job on them but they did a job on us at Magic Weekend earlier on in the year.

“We were confident that if we could execute what we said we would, that we’d be in with a chance and it played out how we thought it would.

“We sat down 10 months ago as a playing group, not coaches, just us players and put two things down on a piece of paper what we wanted to achieve and tonight we’ve ticked off the second one.”

Powell is contracted at the DW Stadium through until the end of 2024, with Love Rugby League stating that the Warriors have not actively offered the player’s services out to clubs.

And the England Knights representative admits his preferred option would be to remain at the club where he has played all his career, having made his debut in 2012.

On his future, Powell commented; “I don’t know. I’ve been here a long time, 15 years if you include my academy days. It’s a fantastic club. We’ll see.

“I do want to stay, I’ve told Matty I don’t want to leave. I think Brad has had an excellent year and they’ve obviously recruited Kruise Leeming. I don’t know.

“I want to carry on playing. I’m 31, I feel healthy.”