Wigan Warriors: Jake Bibby wants to show his best form against Salford as a mark of respect

The centre made his professional debut for the Red Devils in 2015, and was part of the side that reached the Super League Grand Final four years later.

Ahead of Sunday’s game between Wigan and Salford at the DW Stadium, Bibby states he always wants to do his best against his former club as a mark of respect.

He said: “They were the first team to ever come in for me, and I developed as a really good player there. Wigan were my boyhood club, but Salford were the ones who gave me that chance to make myself the player I am now.

“I learnt a lot there. We were at the bottom for a bit, then went to the top and played in a Grand Final, which we never thought we would’ve done.

“I made some really good friends so it’s one of those special places.

“It’s all about respect when I play against them. I don’t want to put in a bad performance against a team who helped me get to where I am, because I want to show them that they made me into a top player. I know what kind of attitude they come with.

“They’ve got quite a good few individuals, so you can never knock them off. When I was in the team there, they always turned up against teams like Wigan. They will hurt you and expose you.

“They will come to the DW on the back of some good performances here before, and they’ve got nothing to lose. They chuck the kitchen cabinet at us and will play some good rugby, throwing the ball about.”

Bibby is happy with how Wigan have started the season so far, and says they are learning all the time.

“I feel like the team is in a good place,” he added.

“We are building a strong environment with a really good culture. If one person goes down, then the next person will come in and do a job. We just need to keep improving and being consistent, knocking those wins off.

“We learn about ourselves all the time, even after wins. We are always thinking ‘what’s the next job?’

“We’ve all got to be on it, especially against the big teams. No one can be off against them in any department, because that’s what top tier rugby league is all about.

“I feel like personally, I started off well in the first two games, and I’ve been quite steady since then really. It’s a marathon not a sprint, I just want to keep building on my performances. There’s always room to improve.

“I’ve not done anything particularly too bad or too good, it has just been steady.”