If we look at building a dynasty like baking a cake, Wigan Warriors have put the cherry on top of their Victoria Sponge and then some.
Stay with me on this analogy, but with any great cake you have the solid base foundation of the sponge, the cream and jam that hold it together, the icing to decorate it and then the final crown of the cherry on top.
Wigan, with the League Leaders’ Shield, Challenge Cup, World Club Challenge, and Super League Grand Final in their trophy cabinet, have figured out how to bake the absolutely perfect Super League cake.
They are the first team in the Super League era to do the quadruple, they have gone back-to-back for the first time in the club’s history after their 9-2 victory over Hull KR in the Grand Final, and head coach Matt Peet insists there is still more to come.
So, just how exactly do the Warriors keep churning out wins as a perfectly oiled machine? Or keep their baking at Mary Berry standard, if you will?
There are four main elements…
Wigan’s sponge: The youth system
The youth system that Wigan have in place at their club is pretty much unrivalled, St Helens the only other team to have an academy system that is renowned for the talent it produces.
There is a clear pathway set out and all players in the club know exactly what they have to do if they one day want to play at the top level.
They ensure their young players have ample game time under their belt while also taking chances when they spy a star, Junior Nsemba, Jack Farrimond, and Tom Forber the latest academy products they have taken a chance on.
Their conveyor belt of talent is so solid that they don’t need to rely on outside markets to make stars and win the big prizes, and the likes of Peet and Shaun Wane are involved at all levels to ensure they know exactly who might be the next youngster to rise to the top.
Now, some more on that coaching team…
The cream and jam? The coaching outfit
The coaching outfit that Wigan currently have in place is truly what holds the side together, a blend of Super League experience, up-and-coming coaching talent, and love for the club making them the team in charge of the most dominant force in the sport.
They have former head coach Shaun Wane as Leadership and Management Director, bringing his wealth of experience to the fore.
They have Peet as head coach, a mastermind who has turned Super League in his favour in just three seasons in charge, his analytical eye and learnings from a long career in the Wigan system making him the perfect front man.
They have Sean O’Loughlin and Tommy Leuluai as assistant coaches, two Wigan legends who have won it all, love the club, and are keen to bring their big-game knowledge in and mix it with their growing coaching portfolios.
The four work as a solid unit that bridges all facets of the club together.
The icing: The hunger for more
Obviously rugby league is a physical sport, but the other side of the game is the mental aspect: Do you have what it takes to keep going when things are tough? Do you have what it takes to keep motivated when you have won it all?
This Wigan side’s drive to keep the trophies coming is not something that can be replicated. They all are proud of the club’s achievements and want that list to keep growing.
After winning the Grand Final, one of Peet’s first messages was that there is more to come from this team, epitomising that victory for this side only fills part of the whole – they want to keep winning until they can’t anymore.
That insatiable hunger to be the best cannot be taught, it cannot be willed, it is natural and every single player in the current side seems to have it.
The cherry on top: Unearthing French’s talent
Every once in a while, players come along who just light up a competition. They do things that other players can only dream of being able to do.
That is what Wigan have in Bevan French.
His ability to change a game with a piece of individual skill is something that has to be seen to be believed, his 2024 Grand Final try up there with one of the best that has every been scored at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’.
Indeed, post-match his team-mates spent their time waxing lyrical about him and one thing is for sure, they are very happy they get to play with him and not against him.
“Bevan has done some crazy things all year and it showed again tonight,” said Liam Marshall.
“We’re just expecting the unexpected, even when there’s not space in front of him or where it doesn’t look like there’s an opportunity.
“We know he’s that guy who can make something out of nothing.
“His try was outstanding. And like I said before, I’m just glad he’s on my team.”
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