Wigan Warriors: The 18th Man - 'We can use this to stamp further authority on the remainder of the season...'

Our panel of Warriors experts run the rule over last weekend’s win over Catalans Dragons in Paris and look ahead to Friday’s trip over the Pennines to face Wakefield Trinity...

David Bailey:

Ooh la la! The Warriors rolled into the 'City of Love' and left the Wigan fans enamoured with yet another dominant performance.

I was speaking to a good friend who, beforehand, thought that Wigan would struggle to back up Wembley. It was a fair point, and he thought that Wigan had targeted the final (they had) and would see this as just another regular season game (they didn't). I argued that in the two games post Matt Peet’s Cup final wins, they had won. Granted, these were against Castleford and didn't involve another lengthy journey, but still.

I remember the old Good Friday/Easter Monday fixtures under Shaun Wane. Whilst most clubs would suffer a hangover after a derby on Good Friday, the Warriors thrived on proving they could back up and regularly would win both fixtures handsomely.

I also argued that Peet got the team up for the showpiece games. I would say the only one the Warriors have failed in under his tenure was the Grand Final last year, and even that could have been a different story had Bevan French and Liam Farrell iced their early chances. He said that this was more Catalans’ showpiece than Wigan's and therefore more important for them than Wigan. I understood the reasoning, but whenever extra eyeballs are on a Wigan game, Peet will want a performance.

Another interesting fact that I am sure isn't even anywhere near Peet’s radar is that he has coached Wigan to a win at EVERY stadium he has coached them in. From his first one at Sewell Group Craven Park, right through to Stade Jean-Bouin. He has ticked them all off. It's an impressive record. Willie Peters has done it at every UK and French venue, but obviously failed at Las Vegas. Peet has three more stadiums to tick off this season, the first one being York’s LNER Community Stadium in a couple of weeks’ time.

However, before we get there, we have another tough game at Wakefield this week. They put in an impressive performance against Hull KR last week on an emotional day as they paid their respects to John Kear. I am not sure how much that will have taken out of the tank, but the Warriors once again will need to show up defensively.

Ignoring the reserves team at Hull KR, the Warriors have conceded two tries or fewer in the last four games. With the strike threat available, I am confident Wigan will get more than two tries in each game, and these are the characteristics of a champion team.

League form shows Wigan struggle at Wakefield, though. If we discount Cup games, Wigan have lost four of the last five Super League games played at Wakefield, their sole win coming in July 2022 with a 46-22 victory. They are the definition of a bogey team at home, and after the contentious Cup quarter-final win, they will be out for blood again.

French is back in the squad after his Wembley cameo, but will he feature? I am not sure he is needed until fully fit. Jack Farrimond is really performing and even led the side with young George Marsden (who also excelled) last week.

Of course, the general, Harry Smith, is back this week and will slot back in. The pack are relatively healthy, Junior Nsemba has rediscovered his form. Ollie Partington has been a revelation at 13, and Brad O’Neill, well, what more can you say about him?

I was surprised to see Sam Eseh is joining Bradford for next season. I wasn't surprised to see him leave, as he hasn't really fulfilled his promise at Wigan. However, he has bags of potential, is still only 22, and the Bulls will elevate him to a starting prop role and no doubt he will get a few extra pounds in his pay. I am not worried, though, when Oliver Wilson gets fit, surely he would be in the 17 anyway, and we still have the likes of Harvey Makin, Kian McDermott and Shea O'Connor to develop too.

There is a real buzz around the club and the team, and I'd argue no one will fancy taking Wigan on in their current vein of form. If Wigan win this weekend, they will be hot on the heels of the top two and in good shape for a serious tilt in the second half of the season.

Darren Wrudd:

But for a couple of lapses in concentration, we never looked like losing that game against Catalans. The big occasion in Paris, following the emotion of a Challenge Cup final win, with a couple of our star players missing, could have been a real banana skin, and before the kick-off, I was not overly confident. Not that I don’t believe in this squad, but we have been so hot and cold this season that I almost watched from behind the sofa until I knew which attitude had turned up.

No need to worry, though, as it looks like a balance has been found between the energy expenditure during the game, recovery and training week and then leaving enough in the players to feel energised and not flogged on game days.

As the game has progressed over the last decade or so, it has just got faster and faster, so training must evolve to reflect this, and with this coaching and conditioning team we have at Wigan, the players must feel blessed to have such support.

The result of this work, of course, is a performance like Paris - dominant, measured and consistent with the standards we have set over the last few weeks.

I’m not really sure where this will take us this year, as even though we are just four points off the top spot, we lie in sixth place on the table, and many teams have also evolved this year, so there are no easy games.

Take Friday’s trip to Wakefield as a prime example. Often a bogey side for Wigan, even in seasons where they have been bang average overall, they currently sit in third on the ladder, and it is totally on merit.

Our last trip over there in April was a close game, and just four points separated the teams. However, we are gaining form at the moment and can use this to stamp further authority on the remainder of the season. With Smith back and rested, it will add some direction, although I was mightily impressed again with Farrimond and Marsden last week.

It’s an exciting time at Wigan, of course it often is, but we have such riches and depth at the moment that it’s difficult not to get carried away. With Eseh leaving the club at the end of the year, it will free up some of the salary cap, which needs raising somewhat in my opinion, so we may be able to enhance some of the younger stars’ contracts before they are seconded elsewhere for bigger salaries.

Finally, a well done to our wheelchair teams as both the reserves and first-team dominated Bradford last weekend. Blowout scores showed class from the Wigan sides as they showed just how much of a force they are.

Next week is a break for me, I shall be fishing on the edge of Dartmoor, so there is not much in regards to Wi-Fi, but I’ll be back soon and hope it’s still on a winning streak.