Liam Farrell admits brutal talks with team-mates helped instigate Wigan Warriors rejuvenation

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josie andrews
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Liam Farrell admits brutal talks with team-mates helped instigate Wigan Warriors rejuvenation

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The back-rower admitted how honest discussions were held earlier in the season.

Wigan Warriors’ season has flitted from the sublime to the ridiculous at times but as they prepare to host old adversaries Leeds Rhinos in Thursday’s play-off eliminator, Liam Farrell is in a quietly confident mood.

The long-serving second-rower is a veteran of four Grand Final victories for his hometown club and believes they could yet give departing head coach Adrian Lam a glorious send-off at Old Trafford next month.

The Warriors opened their 2021 campaign with seven straight wins – their best-ever start to a Super League season – but were dumped out of the Challenge Cup by Hull FC in early May and hit the buffers later that month as injuries began to bite.

The 48-0 pasting at Catalans Dragons on May 29 threatened to derail their campaign altogether as it kickstarted a run of five successive defeats and prompted calls from some fans for Lam’s head.

Yet Wigan have since steadied the ship and secured fourth place – and a home clash with Leeds this week – after winning three of their last four regular-season games.

Recalling their horrendous mid-season slump, Farrell said: “We played Catalans away and got blown apart by them, which was really disappointing.

There were some honest talks after that game about how we weren’t really playing as a team because we weren’t.

“We were playing like a lot of individuals and slowly over the last few months that has changed a lot.

We’re looking better than we have done. I’m not saying we’re perfect, but the lads are trying hard and training really well to try and give ourselves a shot.”

Farrell is a born and bred Wiganer and knows better than anyone the demands of a fanbase who expect the club to be winning trophies every year.

A section of the club’s support appeared to have given up on their hopes of being crowned champions a few weeks ago.

Yet timing is all and Wigan appeared to have rediscovered their form when they need it most.

Farrell added: “The Wigan fans expect silverware and for us to be winning week in and week out.

“They’re going to have opinions and I think they are always massive supporters of us – but they also want to see us win.

“I’m the worst supporter you’ll know when we lose games.

“I have terrible weekends so the fans are always going to express their opinions.

“At the same time, they’re always going to behind us. They just want to make sure that we are kept on our toes and keep performing.”

Farrell has enjoyed an outstanding career for club and country and starred for England by scoring twice in their mid-season against the Combined Nations All Stars.

Cut him apart and he bleeds cherry and white and, given the challenges Wigan have faced this season, Farrell admits winning the Super League title would perhaps be the greatest achievement of his career.

“Yes, it would be up there with one of the best,” said the 31-year-old.

“Obviously there are quite a few in the past which would rank as some of my favourite moments.

“I just think a lot of clubs have got stories this season about why it’s a big year for them.

“But we will speak about ourselves and we’ve had ups and we’ve had our downs.

“It’s been a mixed year, but we have put ourselves in a position where we’ve got a chance to get to Old Trafford.

“We’re a long way away at the moment but I’ve got confidence in this team because we’re playing well at the moment – probably the best we have played all year.

“Yes, we’re not attacking great, I’ll admit that, but the things that we’re trying to put into a game, we’re doing really well at the moment.

“If we stick to that and our processes then we will give ourselves a shot of going all the way.”

With a number of senior players sidelined for lengthy periods this season, several youngsters have stepped up and proved they can perform at Super League level.

Farrell said: “We’ve had a lot of young lads around the 19, 20 and 21-year-old mark who have played, so there have probably more youngsters in the team this year more than any other since I’ve been here.

“I’ve got to give them a lot of credit because it’s not easy playing 15 Super League games and doing 80 minutes.

“At times it has cost us, but the majority of the time they have won us games.

“I think Harry Smith, in particular, has been great and won us games.

“Kai Pearce-Paul has been another great find and given us something different, which has helped a lot, plus you have the likes of Morgan (Smithies), Ethan (Havard), Oliver Partington, Liam Byrne, Joe Shorrocks; I think they have all been great.

“To play in the middle week in and week out so consistently shows their maturity.

“It’s going to be difficult to keep hold of them all, but I think in the next couple of years they will really start to shine.

“Leeds will probably say themselves that, like us, they have been a bit up and down in the league this year.

“But you know with Leeds that they’re a big-game team and they know how to handle the pressure.

“They will be fighting to the death. Defensively, they have been scrambling for each other really well so we know what to expect from them.”

Wigan are not short of motivation as they bid to give Lam and their departing players a fairytale send-off – and also erase the pain of last year’s dramatic Grand Final loss to St Helens in Hull.

“That probably still haunts me a little bit because it was a tough one to take,” said Farrell.


“Don’t get me wrong, it would be great to get back there this year and right those wrongs.

“That sits at the back of our minds, but I’ve not been as confident of getting to the Grand Final as I am now and we’ve love to do it for Lammy because I think he’s done an outstanding job as head coach

We won the League Leaders’ Shield last season and got to the Grand Final.

“He’s brought a hell of a lot of young lads through at the club and helped myself as an older player in some areas where I’ve always wanted and needed to improve.

“I think across the board he’s been really good. Yes, we just fell short last year but we still have a chance to go out on a high for him this season.”

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk ... d-21630147
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But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
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KR15
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Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:39 am

Re: Liam Farrell admits brutal talks with team-mates helped instigate Wigan Warriors rejuvenation

Post by KR15 »

What rejuvination? :?
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