Wigan Warriors: Matty Peet says he's been determined to sign Jake Wardle for nearly 10 years

The 23-year-old recently made the move from Huddersfield Giants to the DW Stadium on a three-year deal.

Peet states he’s pleased his persistence has paid off and is delighted Wardle has finally signed for the club.

He said: “It’s an exciting signing, he’s got what we are looking for in terms of his creativity and skill set.

“He’s also the right age for us and has his best years ahead of him.

“We’ve known about him for a while. I brought him over to the club when he was 15 to try and sign him then, but he decided to stay with Huddersfield.

“Hopefully we left a good enough impression on him back then to make Wigan an option for him.

“We’ve kept in touch over the years, and were always hopeful that he would come over.

“There’s been persistence and a bit of fate I guess.

“British centres are a pretty rare commodity, particularly with his ability to create something out of nothing. He’s got the makings of a classic centre.

“He’s got traits that stand out to me that are quite hard to find and hard to coach.”

The Warriors have also added Toby King to their ranks on loan from Warrington Wolves for the 2023 season.

“There’s no promise for any player that they will get the shirt but it’s clear that we’ve gone out to recruit two proven centres,” he added.

“They’re proven they can be at the top in Super League when they play their best.

“Hopefully they can cement their spots and find their career best form.

“That’s the expectation we have of them, and it’s up to us to provide support.

“It’s been an area we have highlighted. It’s fortunate for me as a coach that Ian (Lenagan) and Kris (Radlinski) have got the deals done.

“We’ve got good options through the back line and you can see where we could play some good rugby, but defensively we’ve got to make sure we’re strong as well.”