'We've got two or three gears to go yet,' insists Wigan Warriors coach

The 20-6 victory over Warrington at the weekend was Wigan’s ninth in their last 10 matches.

It also sent them level with second-placed Warrington on the league ladder with three rounds of the regular season to go.

And with young guns Morgan Smithies, Oli Partington and Liam Byrne coming to the fore in recent weeks, Lam insists the side is still nowhere near reaching its potential.

“I reckon we’ve still got two or three gears to go yet,” he said.

“And that comes with having a lot of young players who have played a lot this year.

“They’ve matured so much, but it’s these big games that will allow them to learn even more lessons.

“If they can keep going through this period, that will stand them in good stead for the future.

“And that’s definitely been the highlight of the year for me, so far.

“There’s a lot more to be achieved, but watching them improve has been very rewarding.

“I’m all about that, and this club has one of the best academy set-up in world sport.

“I guess my job’s the easy bit, just selecting them when they’re ready.

“And there’s one or two more who might get a chance before the end of the year.”

Lam and his players have a blank weekend coming up because of the Challenge Cup final, and he says it’s a perfect time to take stock ahead of the run-in.

“The players will have three days off, and then they’ll get back into the regular routine for the game against Wakefield, which is on the Sunday of that weekend,” added Lam.

“That’s a fair break, and sometimes you do want to keep going and keep playing when you’re on a roll.

“But the players are in a good place at the moment, we’re happy with our new base at Robin Park, and it’s going great.”