Wigan Warriors fans share their views on the club's pre-season preparations

Robert Kenyon

This season we seem to be going in with a fully fit and balanced squad, albeit without Ryan Hampshire who is still injured.

Last season we sorted out our props which we’d been lacking for years, this season we have sorted out our centres finally.

We do have the best squad for a very long time.

The only area I’d strengthen would be maybe another back rower.

I watched the Whitehaven and Barrow games and what stood out for me was the strength in depth in our back line.

We have Jacob Douglas, Zach Eckersley, Reagan Sumner, Alex Sutton and Logan Astley ready to step up and the likes of Harvie Hill, Tom Forber and Junior Nsemba in the pack.

All more than capable of slotting in with the first team when required.

From the Salford game I thought we looked a dangerous side, even more so than last year as we won’t be relying too much on Field and French as we have other attacking options with King, Wardle, Marshall, Cust and Smith.

This season is the one I’ve most looked forward to probably since 2010 when Ian Lenagan said we had our last great squad.

Ben Reid

It’s been a wild off season across the board in Super League.

I’ve never known as many players making the switch between clubs. Top players too.

There’s a lot of hype, and rightly so, for a lot of clubs going into the new campaign and none more so than Wigan, who many think will be the team to stop St Helens becoming five-peat Champions.

I think most will agree that Wigan and Saints are clear of the rest when it comes to squad quality and expectations for finishing in the top two and adding more silverware to their illustrious history.

The rest of the league can be anyone’s game. You’ll do well to correctly predict how the league table will finish, and I think that’s what’s making 2023 so exciting.

As for Wigan, apart from the departure of Bateman, which was done all too late in the year and left us with little or no time to bring in a top quality replacement, our pre-season couldn’t have gone much better.

We go into the new season, as of today, with only a couple of injuries (Thornley & Hampshire being the main two), which leaves us pretty strong from the get go as our season gets underway on Saturday February 18 at Craven Park.

The youngsters had two good run outs against Whitehaven and Barrow, impressively beating the former, while the first team put Salford to the sword in Sam Powell’s testimonial.

We ran out clear winners with some really exciting rugby played and a few good tries to boot. I was at the game, and thought both King and Wardle settled in right away, with the latter getting man of the match. It felt great to have two strong centres in the side.

If Wigan are to be strong this season and compete for trophies, I think we’ll be lauding the signings of two new centres who’ll have changed and added to the quality we have out wide.

Two very clever signings and while you can’t get too carried away after one pre-season game, they both look settled and ready to prove a point in 2023.

Both Field and French continued their form from last year, clicking and combining well for one of the tries of the game in the first half.

It was exciting rugby, expansive rugby and something that will hopefully put more bums in seats. It’s refreshing to go into a new season with no black clouds hanging over us.

It’s a clean slate, a new season and a chance to finally put a stop to the ever impressive Saints side.

Stephen Ford

I’ve enjoyed all three pre-season matches.

We have a clutch of young guys who look almost ready for first team duties.

Tom Forber, Harvie Hill, Zach Eckersley and Jacob Douglas could do a job for the first team now if injuries or form gave them opportunities.

Forber in particular looks an excellent prospect.

Good fast play the ball, bags of energy in attack and defence plus an explosive scoot from dummy half.

Sam Powell and Brad O’Neill are very deliberate at playing the ball so the unpredictability of Forber could give us some new momentum particularly in tight games.

Personally I would have Forber ahead of O’Neill for a place in the starting 17.

Harvie Hill is a really hard working young prop and if Patrick Mago and Kaide Ellis do not improve their work rate, I’m pretty sure that he will leapfrog over these two guys for a potential place on the bench.

An exciting prospect who I think will excel in the first team environment.

Eckersley and Douglas have both looked pacey and confident.

Eckersley’s ability to play centre, wing or full back I think will ensure a few first team appearances this season.

I was very happy with Toby King and Jake Wardle on Sunday against Salford.

Wardle looked very impressive in defence and showed some glimpses of his pace and good footwork.

He reminds me of Martin Gleeson. If he is half as good as Gleeson then we have signed a very decent centre.

King showed several times that he can and will off load where possible and this will give us even more attacking threats when he links up with French and Field.

I was a little worried at times with his defence but hopefully this is something that can be worked on over the next week or so.

The main thing that stood out for me in pre-season was Cust. He looked a lot sharper than last season and he looks to have shed a pound or two in weight.

I thought he had a so-so season last year but with lots of potential for improvement. Hopefully he has returned this season determined to kick on his career with us.

An improved Cust together with two new recognised centres could just give us the edge we will need if we are to improve in 2022.

My only reservation is lack of depth in the back row and the inability to replace the departing Bateman.

Really looking forward to the 2023 season.

Darren Wrudd

It seems a little strange to be writing about pre season when most of the squad have been at pre season for the best part of three months, but at the same time it has flown by and I feel ready for the new years rugby again.

There seems to be a slightly different feel around the club at the moment, not exactly a relaxed approach, more a quiet determination that everyone knows their job and what is required of them.

A quietness perhaps born of the quiet man himself Matty Peet, a chap I really do take to.

His calm, assured approach and demeanour must rub off on the staff at all levels to promote a professional atmosphere and the sense of being on the brink of great things.

Of course, many fans from all over the country will be feeling positive with a clean sheet in front of them and buoyed by the possibilities so it is important to see what’s what in the squads with a couple of meaningful friendlies.

The game against Whitehaven saw some young lads stand up and play against a tough mature squad, they did not let us down either.

Slipping behind by eight points they found the grit they needed to grind out a win with some great determination.

Following that on against Barrow, and with a sprinkle of first teamers against a much improved side, we struggled a little on our finishing moves showing a bit of naivety but nevertheless ran them much closer than the final scoreline suggested.

A couple of players' names keep shining out in these youthful games and regular first teamers will need to perform or feel the pressure from these talented youngsters.

Keep your eyes peeled for Harvie Hill, Jacob Douglas and Logan Astley amongst a flock of others chomping at the bit.

Last weekend we saw the first team have a proper run at Super League hopefuls Salford.

Although it's difficult to see much in the way of form when the substitutions are so frequent and players combinations changed so regularly, I can’t remember a squad as good as this as a whole since 2010.

The biggest smile on my face came not from the champagne rugby on display by Bevan French and Jai Field, but the committed defence and slick ball handling from our two new centres Toby King and Jake Wardle.

To have two quality centres could just be the difference we needed and it showed throughout the game.

A fitting victory crowned Sam Powell’s testimonial game and the crowd showed up in numbers to show how much they think of him which was brilliant.

I can’t wait to get involved in his other events this year.

All in all a really good start to the year and I do think we have the weapons in the arsenal to end the recent dominance from over Billinge Hill.

It would be nice to be the club to finally shut them up. Bring it on eh.