The Liam Farrell Column: We can fly the flag

We need to for the credibility of our competition.

I know some fans may find it hard to support the other clubs – and that’s their choice – but I can hand on heart say I’m 100 per cent behind St Helens and Leeds this weekend.

I want the English teams to win.

If we don’t do well, it will allow the Aussies to gloat even more. They won last year’s series 3-0 and if that is stretched to 6-0 after two years, they may ask, ‘What’s the point of playing it?’

None of our teams covered themselves in glory last weekend – we were the only one of the three to get a win – but I think you’ll see three completely different teams this weekend. A lot of people will be disappointed with how they performed but there are players at all three clubs who have played at the top level and in finals, and they will be pumped.

Everyone at Wigan is excited about our game against Brisbane.

We also recognise we need to improve on our performance at Huddersfield last Friday night.

The best way of looking at it is it was two points.

We’re all aware we didn’t play well whatsoever, but we weren’t playing well and we still found a way to win.

There were times last year when we probably wouldn’t have won in that position.

The effort was there but things just didn’t work our way, we got a couple of 50-50s against us – which I’m not blaming the ref for – and Huddersfield played well.

I suppose when you look at the fact St Helens and Leeds lost their games, it turned out to be quite a good win for us.

It’s too big a coincidence that all three of us haven’t performed to our best on the same weekend – I think the World Club Series must have had an impact.

As a player you don’t intentionally think about it, but it is there in your mind. It’s happened to teams the week before Challenge Cup Finals too.

You try and take a blinkered approach into a game, but it’s hard.

Which is why I think all three teams will turn up this weekend.

I expect Saints to be strong and Leeds, even though they are without a win, they have so many good players.

Of their injuries, it’s the absence of Danny McGuire which seems to be hurting them. Brisbane have kept a lot of the same players from last year, and with a new pitch, I think it will be a different game to last year.

It’s got the feeling of a final for us. I can’t wait.

I WENT to Widnes last Sunday to watch their big win against Leeds.

My brother Connor is on loan at the Vikings this season and I was pleased to see him play well.

He’s enjoying the extra game-time he’s getting there.

He even managed to get on the score-sheet with a try from 30 metres out – when I spoke to him afterwards, it had somehow stretched to 60 metres! – but it was a good effort nonetheless.