Matty Peet confirms Abbas Miski will make his Wigan Warriors debut on Saturday but Bevan French will not feature in either of the overseas games

The winger joined the club from London Broncos during the off-season, and went over for a hat-trick in the first reserves game of the season.

Peet says Miski has earned this opportunity and has praised the re-introduction of reserve grade rugby this season.

He said: “We are really excited about it, he deserves it. He’s been flawless since he came into the club, very professional, and is one of those players we are looking forward to giving their debut to.

“It’s well deserved, he’s only missed out because the lads in front of him had credit in the bank and this is the shot he has earned.

“It’s a bit of rotation, but the kind he has forced us into. He was the best player on the field in the reserves and that’s what we demand.

“Abbas has gone through the proper process. He’s trained hard, trained well and killed it in the reserves, so he plays. There’s other lads we had a look at who didn’t quite do enough.

“You won’t get a bigger advocate of the reserve grade than me. The fact that we have done without it for so many years is criminal and I think the game can only survive with a proper reserve grade, it has to take priority over everything else in the pathway.

“The team below the first team is the most important one. We need to keep as many opportunities for as many players as we can. Late developers like Liam Marshall wouldn’t be in the England squad if it wasn’t for the reserve grade.

“The game has to continue to invest in it. To think the 34 players, officials and coaches who were there on Saturday would’ve had nothing to do and not developing, proves it’s a must.

“The players need evidence to tell us we should be picking them, and we need evidence to help develop them. It’s just quality players, playing in a match with their own club’s colours.”

Bevan French will join the squad on the trip to France, but will not feature in either of the games against Toulouse of Catalans Dragons.

“It’s not even close,” added Peet

“We have time frames. It’s looking like one of the Challenge Cup games potentially, around that period, but there’s constant markers he would need to tick off.

“He’s not at the point where he’s training with the team yet, he’s building up his running volume and his strength, doing tiny bits of skill, but he’s in all of our meetings now, and I’m delighted we can take him to France.”

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