So much at stake: O'Loughlin

[josie andrews]

Sean O’Loughlin looks ahead to Friday’s Play-Off Semi-Final against St Helens at the Totally Wicked Stadium.

Skipper set to make his 450th appearance for the Warriors and 50th appearance against St Helens.

O’Loughlin: “A Grand Final is the prize at the end of it, so everything is on the line.”

As he prepares to play his 450th game for Wigan Warriors, Sean O’Loughlin says there is ‘motivation to get the job done’ as his side are just 80 minutes away from Old Trafford.

Wigan’s will make the short trip to the Totally Wicked Stadium to face St Helens on Friday night in the Betfred Super League Play-Off Semi-Final, with a place at the Grand Final at stake.

And the Club Captain says the ‘intensity’ will be high, not only because of it being a Wigan - Saints derby, but the prize at the end of it.

“Both sides will be desperate,” he said. “A Grand Final is the prize at the end of it, so everything is on the line. It’s the top two in the competition on show and they are always exciting games, but when you get to this point of the season when there’s so much a stake it just adds to the intensity.

“It’s a motivation more than anything else to be 80 minutes away from Old Trafford. It’s what you start the season off to do, your goals are to win trophies, there’s motivation to get the job done.”

On the eve of his 450th game for his hometown Club, O’Loughlin has, today (Thursday), had the video room at Wigan’s new Robin Park Arena training facility named after him.

“I’m buzzing with it – it’s a good milestone to hit. I’m excited about the game more than anything but to play such a big game on that landmark is a big thing.

“I felt very privileged when I debuted as a kid and still just as privileged now to put the jersey on.

“As a kid I wanted to play here, and I got the opportunity to do that 20 years ago. It’s been an honour and privilege to do it. I’m always proud to put the jersey on.”

The 36-year-old holds the Wigan record for most derby appearance and Friday will mark his 50th game against St Helens.

But, the skipper says his side are aware of what they are coming up against, with Justin Holbrook’s men beating the Warriors on all three previous occasions in 2019.

“Obviously, we know we have come up short against them all the way through the season, but we also know we are in a better position because we’ve played well in the back-end of the season. It is a different game and now it’s about the 80 minutes. We don’t mind going in as underdogs, it’s just who gets the job done.

“We have improved in a lot of areas. There were glimpses when we had that poor start to the season of us being good, but we never put it together and we still don’t feel like the finished product. We have though come on leaps and bounds in these last 10 weeks.

“They’re a class team. They’ve done an awesome job and secured top spot over six weeks ago, which shows how dominant they have been. We’re well aware of how good they are but our focus is on ourselves and trying to get to the Grand Final.”

O’Loughlin and his team are currently on an eight-match winning run and have won 13 of their last 14 league games - something which he believes is vital in the Play-Offs.

The loose forward stated: “Form is important going into Play-Offs and it got us into second spot, but it gives you confidence and it’s probably the most confident we’ve been going into a Saints game this season. That form won’t win us the game, but it’ll go a long way.”

Wigan Warriors face St Helens in Semi-Final 1 of the Betfred Super League Play-Offs on Friday 27th September. After beating Salford Red Devils in the Qualifying Round on Friday night, Adrian Lam’s men will travel to the Totally Wicked Stadium for a place in the Betfred Super League Grand Final. Tickets are on sale NOW! Get yours by clicking HERE.


https://www.wiganwarriors.com/news/2019 ... iXh133j.99

[josie andrews]

Sean O'Loughlin hailed 'best ever' ahead of special Wigan Warriors milestone

Thomas Leuluai has saluted Sean O’Loughlin as the greatest player he’s ever seen ahead of his 450th game for Wigan tonight.

Captain O’Loughlin will reach the milestone if he features in the play-offs showdown at St Helens, with a place in the Grand Final up for grabs.

“What do you say? He’s literally the best I’ve seen,” said Leuluai, who has played with and against some of the game’s modern masters.

“Everyone knows he’s got the skill and the toughness, but people maybe under-estimate the vision he has.

“When you need the ball in the right spot, he’s generally the guy who sees it and delivers it. He can do it all.

“I remember when I was in the New Zealand squad, and because I played over here, players would ask me about the England players.

“I always told them about Lockers and after the game they give me the nod to say, ‘Yeah, you were right’, and I smiled because I knew I was right!

“And this isn’t just me, speak to anyone who has played with or against him. You find me a player who doesn’t rate him highly – I honestly don’t think you could.”

O’Loughlin, who debuted in 2002, is out of contract at the end of this season but has made no secret of his desire to play on.

He has spent his club career with his hometown club and is seventh on the all-time appearance list.

“I said after his debut he was the real deal,” said Adrian Lam, who was a team-mate.

“He was only a kid but he had that temperament, you look at the great players and they have composure, and Lockers had that then.”

Wigan were ninth at the end of May but have lost just one game since then, and a victory tonight would book them a place in the Grand Final.

Lose, and they will get a second shot next Friday.

“I knew even then we had a crack at the five and once we got there we’d give it a go,” said Lam. “But to be here now... I’ve got to pinch myself really.

“It’s exciting because it’s surreal. But the players believe in each other, and in the last six weeks you can see the belief. It’s a case of ‘here we go’, let’s finish on our terms.”

St Helens are favourites to win but their failure to reach either final last year – and their loss to Wembley in August this season – has put their big-game credentials under sharper focus.

Asked whether they will be under pressure to shake their ‘nearly men’ tag, Lam replied: “Everyone is under pressure. I don’t think anyone goes into any game without nerves and pressure... we’ve had pressure for 12 weeks.”

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/sean-o ... 1-10018822