Noah Hodkinson reacts after four-try Wigan Warriors haul as Jake Wardle praise shared
Wigan Today caught up with Noah Hodkinson following his four-try haul in Wigan Warriors’ win over Wakefield Trinity
Noah Hodkinson credited his Wigan Warriors teammates after scoring four tries in Friday night’s impressive 48-10 victory over Wakefield Trinity.
The 20-year-old continued his remarkable start to life in the first-team by crossing four times at the DIY Kitchens Stadium, taking his tally to nine tries in as many appearances since making his debut in March.
Despite the personal milestone, Hodkinson was quick to praise the work of those around him, particularly Wigan’s forwards.
“It was good,” he said. “We started off a bit slow, but we picked up the pace towards the end of the game. I was lucky enough to get four tries, big raps to the middles for working hard, and I just get to jump on the back of it.”
Hodkinson, a natural fullback, has excelled on the wing in recent weeks as he continues to deputise for the injured Liam Marshall.
A key factor behind his success has been playing outside England international Jake Wardle, with Hodkinson full of praise for his centre partner.
“He makes life so much easier!” Hodkinson smiled.
“He’s solid in defence and in attack, he’s just a threat, and everyone is scared (of defending against him), so it makes me have a lot more time.”
Asked what makes Wardle such a difficult player to defend against, he added: “His footwork, really, and he has slick hands.”
Wigan’s latest victory was one of their most impressive performances of the season, with the Warriors becoming one of the few teams to leave Wakefield with a win, let alone score 48 points.
Hodkinson believes the performance was built on a strong all-round display from Matt Peet’s side.
“The whole team had a good performance,” he said. “The middles worked hard, and then all the edges defended well, and in attack, we were just flowing.”
The evening was made even more memorable by the presence of several family members in the crowd, who were able to watch Hodkinson’s four-try haul first-hand.
“My mum, dad, brothers, uncles and grandads were here,” he said. “I saw them after the game. My mum was over the moon!”
Next up for the Warriors is a trip to the LNER Community Stadium to face York Knights on Saturday afternoon, 3pm kick-off.