Wigan Warriors have two extra players in leadership team

Zak Hardaker and Sam Powell have joined the senior group to support Sean O’Loughlin.

They join Liam Farrell, Thomas Leuluai and Tony Clubb who had the responsibility in 2019. Lam once again asked players to vote for the leadership group.

“It’s always nice, as a player, to get the support of your peers,” said Lam.

Hardaker, set to start the season at centre, was the club’s player of the year in 2019 while the Warriors boss says Powell is a real leader in the group.

“When I first came here, he was a bit late back to pre-season because he’d been with the England Knights and so I didn’t realise at first just how valued he is,” says the former Queensland and PNG captain.

“He plays a big role for us, he’s smart, he’s grown as a player in the last 12 months – and I’m not surprised about that because of how dedicated he is.”

Wigan open their season tomorrow night against Warrington and prop George Burgess is set to make his debut, despite missing pre-season matches with a slight hip injury.

The former Souths prop served a nine game ban for eye gouging late last year and played only a bit-part role when he returned, meaning he has had only limited game-time since the end of June.

And Lam said: “He’s going to be a big player for us but I think it may take him six weeks to get back to his best, to be honest.

“He missed a lot of the back end of last season, he had that suspension and then he came back and I think he played a game and a half, and then hasn’t played for four months.”

Kick-off tomorrow night is 7.45pm.