Wigan Warriors' Noah Hodkinson wing switch pays off as Matt Peet airs 'confidence' compliment
Matt Peet says everything he has seen from Noah Hodkinson this season has given him confidence after the youngster scored a hat-trick in Wigan Warriors’ 38-14 win against Bradford Bulls.
The 20-year-old delivered an impressive display on the wing at the Brick Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon as Wigan returned to winning ways following four straight league defeats.
Hodkinson, who made his first-team debut earlier this season for his boyhood club, was playing out wide in place of injured winger Liam Marshall.
Marshall is expected to miss around three months with a hamstring injury, but Peet believes Hodkinson has shown he is ready to step up to Super League level.
“To be honest, everything I’ve seen Noah do this year has given me confidence,” Peet said.
“He’s been good when he’s had his first-team games, he’s been excellent in the reserves and in training, and he looks like someone who is just ready for this level at the moment, so he is doing really well.”
Primarily a fullback, Hodkinson offered a different style to regular winger Marshall but caused Bradford problems throughout with his movement and footwork.
Peet admits the role is still relatively new to the youngster, though he believes his natural instincts are helping him settle into the position quickly.
“He’s very naturally elusive, confident, strong,” Peet added. “It’s a new role for him, and he will probably be better for that.
“We put him on the wing in the reserves last week, but he just kept bobbing around like a fullback, to be honest, but it’s important he keeps some of that in his game – his natural instinct and his support play.
“It’s just a case of trying to get a good player on the field, I think.”
Hodkinson has now featured four times for the Warriors’ first-team this season and continues to build his reputation as one of the club’s promising young talents.
With Marshall facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, the former Hindley and Leigh Miners Rangers junior could now have a big opportunity to establish himself further in the coming weeks, starting with Saturday’s Challenge Cup semi-final clash against rivals St Helens at the Halliwell Jones Stadium in Warrington.