Marc Bazeley
New Wigan recruit Jake Wardle was in a position to put months of uncertainty behind him after signing a three-year contract with the membership; the 2023 Betfred Super League season kicks-off in February dwell on Sky Sports
Last Updated: 31/12/22 11:23am
Jake Wardle has joined Wigan on a three-year contract
Back in May, Jake Wardle was a spectator as Huddersfield Giants suffered an agonising last-gasp defeat to Wigan Warriors within the Betfred Challenge Cup closing.
A rollercoaster seven months later, nevertheless, the centre finds himself making ready to don the Cherry and White shirt of the Cup holders and this yr’s Betfred Super League play-off semi-finalists for the 2023 marketing campaign.
An ankle harm and the type of Ricky Leutele and Leroy Cudjoe contributed to Wardle being restricted to simply six appearances for the Giants in 2022, together with not making the matchday 17 for the membership’s first Challenge Cup closing look in 12 years. The signings of Kevin Naiqama and Esan Marsters for the yr forward additional underlined his place down the pecking order too.
Wardle was subsequently loaned out to struggling Warrington Wolves in July for the rest of the Super League season, but the lingering uncertainty the 24-year-old was dealing with about his future dissipated when Wigan got here in for him.
“The back end of the year when I went on loan, my future was a bit up in the air,” Wardle, who was confirmed as having signed a three-year contract with the Warriors in October, informed Sky Sports.
“To finally get a three-year deal over the line was massive for me. It settled everything down and I can look forward to playing rugby again next year.
“It was unbelievable. The membership speaks for itself with the success it has had, so to need me as a participant and as an individual, it is one thing I’m very grateful for.”
Jake Wardle capitalised on a mistake from Arthur Romano to give Warrington Wolves the lead over Catalan Dragons at the 2022 Magic Weekend
In an odd twist, Wardle will likely form a centre partnership at Wigan in 2023 with Toby King – the man Huddersfield brought in from Warrington for those final months of last season as part of a loan-swap deal.
As much as can be read into anything like squad numbers, the fact the duo have been given Nos 3 and 4 for the coming season would seem to indicate they are Warriors head coach Matt Peet’s first-choice combination in the three-quarters, with the experienced Iain Thornley an option too, and second-row duo Kai Pearce-Paul and Willie Isa able to slot in at centre if needed.
For his part, Wardle has settled quickly into life under Peet’s regime and has found out some preconceived ideas about how the Wigan team acquit themselves formed from coming up against them in the past have proven to be correct.
“Every membership and each group need to construct a tradition, however I really feel like since I’ve been right here it has taken it up one other degree,” Wardle stated.
The club speaks for itself with the success it has had, so to want me as a player and as a person, it’s something I’m very grateful for.
Jake Wardle on signing for Wigan
“Everything is about that tradition and I’m actually trying ahead to being a part of it.
“You can just see the togetherness of the squad when they play and to go back to that Challenge Cup final, winning at the end showed their togetherness they had as a group and the belief they had in each other.”
Seeing the Challenge Cup within the trophy cupboard on the DW Stadium and when taking it out to colleges within the space as a part of the membership’s ‘Warriors Together’ neighborhood programme in December serves as additional motivation for Wardle to be a part of a trophy-winning group.
It goes with out saying Wigan are keen to retain the Cup in 2023 for what can be a record-extending twenty first triumph in rugby league’s most prestigious knock-out competitors, not to point out break the stranglehold rivals St Helens have had on Super League for the previous 4 seasons.
Wigan triumphed over Huddersfield within the 2022 Challenge Cup closing
Wardle is assured the flexibility he has seen within the squad, which incorporates final season’s main try-scorer Bevan French and Man of Steel nominee Jai Field, will make sure the Warriors are preventing it out for honours once more in 2023.
“My goal is to win it [the Cup] again this year and we’re capable of doing that,” Wardle stated.
“The culture we’ve got and the squad we’ve got, I want to be a part of it and do what we can and bring my best to the team.
“That’s my purpose within the three years I’m right here – I need to win as much silverware as I can. We’ve obtained the squad to do it, so hopefully we are able to get some extra silverware this yr.”
The 2023 Betfred Super League season kicks-off in February with two fixtures from Round 1 dwell on Sky Sports. Grand Final runners-up Leeds Rhinos journey to Warrington Wolves on Thursday February 16, adopted by promoted Leigh Leopards internet hosting Salford Red Devils on Friday February 17.
Discussion about this post