Tyler Dupree relishing ‘best pre-season yet’ as Warriors forward vows there's more to come from him

Having made the switch last July from Salford, Dupree went on to enjoy a 10-game winning streak all the way to the Grand Final triumph, before earning a call-up to Shaun Wane’s England squad for the three-match series against Tonga.

He reported back to Robin Park Arena last November, his first pre-season under head coach Matt Peet.

Dupree explained: “I felt like when I finished with England and had the break, I could have made one of two choices - I could have taken the foot off the gas or I could have trained while I was away.

“I trained and came back in pretty decent shape and at a good fitness level.”

He continued: “It’s been the best pre-seasons I’ve had and my first here.

“I’ve learned a lot and I think I’m still a developing player in a sense.

“This environment is as good as you’re going to get with any club - it’s like being in an international camp with the facilities, the coaching and the care that they take.”

Having established himself as one of the most sought-after British forwards in Super League, Dupree believes there’s still more to come from his game as he aims for an even bigger campaign in 2024.

The 23-year-old has also welcomed the extra squad competition, believing that there’s no room for error with a stacked forward pack including new recruits Luke Thompson, Sam Eseh and Tiaki Chan.

“I feel like I was finding myself last year and that I was good enough to play at this level,” he said.

“A lot of it comes from self belief and I’m sort of getting that now and that I deserve to be in this position that I’m in.

“I don’t think I’ve gotten the best out of myself yet and hopefully pre-season will up that a little bit more and hopefully next season I’ll be an even better player.

“The competition will also push me as there’s no room for error.

“I think as soon as you mess up, you could be replaced.

“There’s also new people that I can learn from as well. Luke Thompson has done it, he’s been to the NRL and he’s played internationally.

“Then there’s the young lads as well like Tiaki Chan and Sam Eseh, who, even though they’re not as experienced, they still bring a little bit of something and I like to take every day as a lesson.”

Dupree has moved to Wigan from Halifax and lives with new team-mate Chan, who joined the Super League champions ahead of 2024 on a three-year contract from Catalans Dragons.

“He’s a good bloke and it’s like we’re getting held accountable at home as well as at training,” Dupree admits.

“On our off days, we make sure that we’re doing the right things and eating right, for example.

“He’s a bit of a nerd; he loves his playstation. I don’t normally play it, but I’ve had to just so I can talk to him!

“On the field and in training, we’ve both got the same goals and ambitions. We both want to get the best out of our game.”