O’Loughlin on The Derby

[josie andrews]

Assistant coach Sean O’Loughlin offers his experiences from Wigan v St Helens games during his career.

O’Loughlin: “It definitely bears more weight than your normal game.”

Wigan Warriors v St Helens, Friday 20th August, DW Stadium, 7:45pm K.O. Get your tickets NOW!

Sean O’Loughlin says the crowd is a massive boost when it comes to the Wigan and St Helens rivalry and can encourage the players to work that ‘little bit harder’.

The Warriors host local rivals Saints on Friday as the biggest Derby in Rugby League takes centre stage at the DW Stadium.

Over 15,000 tickets have now been sold for the game and O’Loughlin says having a packed crowd will lift the intensity in Wigan’s performance.

“For us being back at home this week is huge,” he said. The fans will be back, they want to see a big game, we want to be part of a big game and it’s been a while since we’ve been able to experience that Wigan v Saints fixture at home, so it’s going to be a good one.”

Talking more about the impact of the crowd, the assistant coach hailed the fans’ importance: “The help of the crowd is massive. When you’re away you get that bit of stick from the home fans, but you can always hear those Wigan fans. The noise of the crowd makes you work that little bit harder, run faster and you just get that additional bit of energy from the crowd.

“There’s no better game to be involved in than in a packed stadium in a Derby. With us being at home this time, the crowd can give us that little bit of intensity and it definitely transfers to you as a player.”

O’Loughlin made his debut for the Warriors in 2002, but his father Keiron was experiencing the Wigan-St Helens Derby before Sean was born.

Speaking on his realisation of the history of the fixture, the former Warriors captain said: “I wasn’t able to see my dad play for Wigan, but when I was old enough to start going to watch Wigan games, I got a sense straight away from then how big the rivalry was between Wigan and St Helens.

“Even at Academy level and being involved against the St Helens based sides like Thatto Heath – those games were quite fierce and they were the teams you always wanted to beat. As a fan you take a lot from these kinds of games, just as much from a playing perspective.”

With ten major honours, O’Loughlin has played in some of the biggest games Rugby League has to offer. He offered his view on how the Derby compares to other games: “The league games are obviously worth a valuable two points in the season. You know that if you don’t come away with the result its not the end of your season but the intensity is definitely a step up on a normal league game.

“There’s that little bit more at stake in terms of honour or bragging rights. It definitely bears more weight than your normal game.”

O’Loughlin boasts the record for the most appearances in a Wigan-Saints Derby, having featured in 51 of the battles. Picking out his favourite games, he said: “The Good Friday derby in 2014, I put the pass across to Sarg (Dan Sarginson) that one always springs to mind. The one where Faz (Liam Farrell) wins it on the buzzer when Madge (Michael Maguire) and Waney (Shaun Wane) were here is a huge one and probably the one at Knowsley Road actually. Feka Paleaaesina scored and just with it being the last Derby at their place – it felt like a good one to win.

They all hold something a little bit special and have something that comes to mind, but some a little bit more than others.”

Now working as an assistant coach following his retirement last year, O’Loughlin gave his view on how the Derby experience differs from being a player.

“As a player there’s the emotional side of it come kick-off time. From a coaching side of things, you get a sense of the feeling around the game but once that hooter goes you can’t do anything to influence the game or to help out other than watch the work you’ve done in the week prior to it.

“We try and prepare well; give them all the information they need and not push them too hard as it is a big game and they need that energy in the bank. By game day we should have given them all they need for that game and then it’s over to them to deliver. So, there is a different side of it now being assistant coach – if there is a game that I do miss being involved in as a player it would be this one.”

O’Loughlin summarised with a message to the fans: “We’ve just got to look back over the last 18 months, the times we weren’t able to play, the times we were but couldn’t have the support of the fans. We missed it and we know how much the fans missed being able to come and watch.

“Now, we’ve got that bit of normality back – being able to have the fans in again. I just urge everyone to get down if they can, enjoy the atmosphere, give us that buzz and give the players that bit of extra enthusiasm to try and get us over the line and come away with the points.”

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2021/08/ ... the-derby/