Wigan Warriors early team news for Paris trip as Bevan French call made

Wigan Warriors coach Matt Peet has confirmed that Bevan French will not feature in Paris against Catalans Dragons this weekend.

The Australian superstar returned to action in Saturday’s Challenge Cup final triumph at Wembley, coming off the bench to score a try in Wigan’s 40-10 win over Hull KR under the famous arch.

French played around the final 20 minutes at Wembley after replacing highly-rated youngster Jack Farrimond, who picked up the Lance Todd Trophy following a stunning man of the match performance.

French has undergone a meticulous recovery programme over the last 12 weeks after sustaining a significant hamstring injury in Wigan’s win over Toulouse Olympique on March 7 - but he will now be given a little more time to hone in on his sharpness.

“Although Bevan is fully fit, he does need to build up his running load,” said Peet in his pre-match press conference ahead of Wigan’s clash with Catalans in Paris on Saturday.

“We’ll take him out of the squad this week – at least one week, maybe more - but it’s important we give him the best possible chance to have a robust end to the season and find his best form, so there is a long-term view there with Bevan.”

With Peet confirming French’s absence this week and playmaker general Harry Smith set to serve a one-match ban, the aforementioned Farrimond is likely to line up in the halves alongside 17-year-old George Marsden or Australian centre Adam Keighran.

“We’ve got options,” said Peet. “We’ve played George there in the past, Adam Keighran has played in the halves, so there is a decision to make there. We’ve not done a great deal on the field yet this week, so we’ll take a look at it moving forward.”

Wigan produced a scintillating team performance at Wembley, scoring seven tries through Farrimond (2), Junior Nsemba, Keighran (2), French and Luke Thompson to secure their first piece of silverware since 2024.

“It was a tough game – I don’t think the score reflects the game,” Peet reflected.

“The intensity of it, particularly in the first half and probably the conditions, meant that once we got ahead, the scoreboard got away from Hull KR a bit, but it certainly doesn’t reflect how competitive that game was, how intense it was, and I thought the players just did the basics really well.”

With the Challenge Cup back in the club’s trophy cabinet, the Warriors will now turn their attention to Super League matters, starting with a historic trip to the Stade Jean-Bouin in Paris to face Catalans on Saturday night.

The emotional and physical toll of the Challenge Cup will pose a challenge - but Peet says it is one his side will relish.

“We like it,” he continued. “I’m sure it is perceived as a challenge, but we’ve had a couple of experiences in the past, and we embrace it.

“I suppose physically and emotionally, you could perceive it as a challenge, but also, the lads are buzzing at the moment, the energy in the club is great, there is a lot of good feeling - it is more about tapping into that and riding that wave. We’ll turn it into a positive.”