Patrick Mago discusses Jason Demetriou advice and how Wayne Bennett brought out his best

[josie andrews]

Mago has penned a two-year deal with Wigan Warriors

Patrick Mago has revealed how Jason Demetriou advised him to make the move to Super League and join Wigan Warriors.

Imposing prop Mago, 27, has joined Matty Peet’s side from NRL outfit South Sydney Rabbitohs, where former Wakefield Trinity favourite Demetriou served as Wayne Bennett’s assistant.

Demetriou has now succeeded ex-England boss Bennett as Souths’ head coach and Mago spoke to him before deciding to swap Sydney for Wigan in search of regular first-team action.

Mago’s pedigree is impressive and he played for North Queensland Cowboys and Brisbane Broncos before joining the Rabbitohs.

“Coming to Wigan Warriors is a great opportunity for me to get more game-time,” Mago told Rugby League Live.

“I have played at some pretty big clubs in the NRL but I was coming off the bench, so I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and really test myself over here.

I played under Wayne Bennett at Souths and Broncos, so did he make me a better player? One hundred per cent.

“He’s always honest as a coach and tells you how it is, so we had some really good chats.

He may seem like he doesn’t talk much in front of all the media but with the boys he actually loves a joke and I felt I learnt a lot under him. He got the best out of me, I’d say.”

Yet when it came to deciding his future and leaving Souths, Mago turned not to Bennett but to Demetriou, who had been groomed to be the master coach's successor for the past three years.

Mago explained: “It’s a funny one because I didn’t ask Wayne for advice about coming to Wigan.

“I spoke to Jason Demetriou about it and he said it would be a great challenge for me and that he enjoyed his time here in England.

He said he hopes I enjoy my time here too. A couple of days after I had signed for Wigan, Wayne came up to me and he said ‘why didn’t you come and speak to me?’

“I just told him that I was trying to get it done without trying to put any pressure on him.

After that, he ended up telling me that I will love it over here.

“He’s coached England, of course, and know a lot of the players here so Wayne said he hopes I will do well in Super League.

“So while I didn’t get advice from him at the start, I got it at the end.”

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