Wigan Warriors boss delivers Sam Walters verdict after long-awaited return - ‘A real threat’
Sam Walters returned to action in Wigan Warriors’ win over St Helens after serving a seven-match suspension
Sam Walters wasted little time making his mark on his Wigan Warriors return, earning praise from coach Matt Peet after Friday night’s derby victory.
The 25-year-old made his comeback from the bench in Friday’s 38-16 derby win over St Helens after serving a seven-match suspension following his Grade F dangerous throw/lift charge in the Challenge Cup final win over Hull KR in May.
Peet was pleased to see the towering forward back in action and felt his physicality made a difference after entering the contest.
“You know it’s tough for players to be out when they’re injured, but when they’re not injured, it’s probably even more frustrating,” Peet said.
“Fair play to Sam, he’s worked hard, and he’s certainly had a big influence on the game tonight.
“When he plays direct and physical like he can do, whether that’s on an edge or through the middle, he’s a real threat.”
While Walters was unavailable for selection, Peet admitted a suspension can be easier to manage than an injury because players are still able to train fully with the squad.
“You see more of him as a coach because he’s in all your training sessions and you can keep working with him,” he explained.
“A lot of the time he’s in the same drills as the players or he’s opposing us in the 13 on 13 outside in practice, so it’s probably in some ways easier to deal with as a coach because when the lads can’t come on the field (through injury), you lose that bit of time to work with them.
“So I’d expect him to hit the ground running and to perform at a level, probably more so than if he’d been out injured, because he’s been getting the reps in training.
“I think when the lads struggle is when they’re disconnected from the team (because of injury), and can’t do all the same training, so it probably has been frustrating for him on gameday, but in the week, it’s probably been better for him.”
Next up for Walters and the Warriors is a trip to neighbours Leigh Leopards on Friday evening.