Jarrod Sammut discusses his time with Wigan Warriors as he admits he would've liked to have seen out his contract with the club

The Barrow Raiders scrum-half spent one full season at the DW Stadium in 2019, making 14 appearances.

Sammut admits he was disappointed when his stay with the Warriors came to an end, but understands that it is just a part of professional sport.

He said: “I enjoyed my time at Wigan, I would’ve loved to have seen out my contract there, but it’s a funny old game and players move on, that’s how it unfolds.

“I was proud to be part of the cherry and whites, but sad that my time there had come to an end, and more so how it had happened. I’ve been around the game for a long time, and you like to think it’s not personal.

“I tend to get about a bit and see the country, so it’s not all bad, but for what I want to get out of my career, I would’ve liked to have stayed a lot longer.

“It’s a great place to be, and it would’ve been great to play my hand a bit more, but they’re not short on players and never will be.

“I can only assume the set up there has grown leaps and bounds further. They really do leave no stone unturned for the players and the fans. Ultimately that’s the main reason they’ve been so successful.

“It’s a professional sport, but it’s also a business, so if you want people to do well, then you need to look after them, and in all sense that’s exactly what Wigan do.

“You treasure every club you go to, with the memories and the people you meet. I played my 250th at Wigan at the DW Stadium, so that was something special. I’ve got fond memories of the place, and I’ve still got some friends there. I get to games when I can.

“I wasn’t ready to be at such a big club (earlier in my career), I had a lot of learning to do as a player and a person, so I probably wouldn’t have fitted into the pool they had.

“In terms of the standards, professionalism and what the club brings, I think anyone would love to start their career there. Everything is player driven and you are all held accountable.”

Sammut says there are positives and negatives in the way rugby league has progressed, but states this hasn’t impacted his passion for it.

“The game is forever changing and forever evolving,” he added.

“The way things are unfolding now is making it difficult for certain clubs to survive and compete with the bigger ones. It’s sad but at the same time there are still a lot of people who love rugby league.

“I still love it as much as the first time I laced up a pair of boots. For me, my body is holding up and feeling great, so while everything is intact, I don’t see the need to hang them up just yet, because you are a long time retired.

“As long as I can stay injury free, I want to go out on my terms. At the moment I feel like I’ve got life left and a lot to offer rugby.”