Wigan Warriors star set to hit milestone as Denis Betts makes 'pleased' recruitment admission

Coleman has been one of Wigan’s standout players for a couple of seasons now, recently surpassing the 100-point milestone for the club following a hat-trick of tries in their 96-0 win over Cardiff Demons in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals a fortnight ago.

And she will pull on the cherry and white jersey for the 50th time when she lines up for Wigan against Leeds in the Cup semi-finals at the LNER Community Stadium in York on Saturday.

“I’ve been really impressed with Mary,” said Betts. “I’d say she wasn’t far off an international call-up last year, I believe.

“Her energy and effort levels, and development have aligned with the talent she’s got. This year, we’ve been really specific in her role; she understands what her role is within the team, and it fits her game really well, so she has been great.”

The Warriors enjoyed an impressive recruitment drive ahead of this year, signing Megan Williams from rivals St Helens and Australian hooker Remi Wilton from York Valkyrie, whilst bringing in Papua New Guinea international Emily Veivers, former State of Origin powerhouse Shaniah Power and Australian speedster Tiana Power from overseas.

“I’m very pleased with the recruitment,” Betts added. “Bigger players and we needed athletic players as well because the way we want to play and how we approach the game, it’s not just about signing big girls, but it’s signing girls who are athletic, powerful and know their role, and can contribute in the way the team want to play. I have been pretty pleased with the quality of the girls who have come into the group as well.

“It was a big change this year, we brought five or six girls in, we had to go down to 25 from 30, so there were a number of girls who moved onto different clubs and did something different, but there is a core group that drives us. The girls we identified pretty early, two or three of them, that would really make us stronger.

“I’ll hold my hands up here, I chased Meg (Williams) all of last year and finally caught up with her in the off-season, and she’s been everything I thought she would be. She’s developed into an outstanding part of this group. She’s always been a good player, I could always see that, but I think she has really enhanced us as a group and given us an edge.

“On the back of that, I think Remi Wilton has done an exceptional job coming up. I think when you look at the way Shaniah has gone about her business and then our outside-backs, one of the outside-backs at the moment who has really stood out is Molly Jones; she’s just on fire. She has come out of pre-season with no injuries. Last year, she broke her collarbone and tried to find her way back. This year, she is really excited about being part of this group and proving what a good player she is.”

Wigan’s Challenge Cup semi-final against Leeds takes place at York’s LNER Community Stadium on Saturday, midday kick-off. For those not attending, the match will be broadcast live on BBC Red Button and BBC iPlayer.