Wigan Warriors ace Sam Walters reflects on best season yet on personal level - 'Enjoying my rugby'
Although tasting defeat in the Super League Grand Final is not how we wanted his season to conclude, Wigan Warriors forward Sam Walters described the 2025 campaign as his best season yet on a personal level.
The 6ft 7in forward was one of Wigan’s standout performers throughout the season, establishing himself as a key figure in Matt Peet’s forward pack.
Walters was on the periphery of the matchday 17-man squads at the start of the year, but he forced his way into the side, and outstanding displays saw him regularly churn out 70-minute displays and keep his place.
Whilst the Warriors fell short of retaining their Super League crown for a third year in a row with defeat to Hull KR in the Grand Final at Old Trafford, Walters’ consistency and performances haven’t gone unnoticed.
Reflecting on the year as a whole, Walters admitted it has likely been his best season to date on a personal level, but believes there is still more to come.
"Probably yeah,” Walters said when asked if this had been his best year individually.
"I still feel I can get more in my game that I’m not sure about and more bits to add, but ultimately I’m playing every week and building on performances, and the coaches trust me as well, so that helps.
"It’s just about building on performances, and I’m enjoying my rugby, I think that helps, and we’ve got some quality players alongside me, so that helps as well.”
Walters’ versatility has proven to be invaluable for the Warriors this year, with the 24-year-old being comfortable playing on the edge in the back-row or in the middle in the front-row.
Walters spent three months on the sidelines midway through the season with a broken leg, but came back strong with some big displays.
And despite the sting of the Old Trafford loss – his second Grand Final defeat after playing for Leeds Rhinos in 2022 – Walters’ hunger to continue developing remains undiminished.
“I still feel like I’ve got more to add to my game and areas that I still want to improve, so I’m always looking to get better,” Walters added.
Walters and his Wigan teammates are currently enjoying some well-earned downtime in the off-season, but will regroup when pre-season training commences later this year.