Hastings: Thank you to the fans
- Jackson Hastings says thank you to the fans after his first season with the Club.
- Half back also reflects on the 2020 Grand Final loss and the additions of Jai Field and John Bateman.
- Hastings: “I’m really glad that I’ve signed on for next year to be able to give the fans another full year.”
Jackson Hastings has expressed his gratitude to the Wigan Warriors fans after his first year with the Club.
Admitting it took him while to settle in at the Club, the half back says he is thankful for all the support he has received in person and on social media.
After making 21 appearances, scoring nine tries and creating 19 assists in the 2020 campaign, Hastings signed a new one-year deal with the Warriors.
He said: “I’d like to say thank you to all the fans. Thanks for taking the time to actually understand me and realise I’m a kid not from here, with no family around in one of the weirdest times the world has ever seen.
“I was struggling to find my way a little bit away from the field, never mind on the field, so I appreciate all the support, all the love and the understanding that I go out there and bust my backside for any club I play for.
“I’m really glad that I’ve signed on for next year to be able to give the fans another full year, and they’re in the ground to witness that too.”
After featuring in Wigan’s gut-wrenching Betfred Super League Grand Final defeat to St Helens last month, the scrum half says he and his team have had time to reflect and can learn a great deal from it.
“It was obviously heart-breaking. The way you envisage yourself in a Grand Final win or lose, it isn’t like that.
“I’ve had time to reflect with my teammates; as a group I really felt like we’ve really bonded this year, we had our chances to win and we just didn’t quite execute.
“I think we gave them one of the greatest Grand Finals of all time. Playing at the time I didn’t really stop to take in how good a game it was. It was only when I watched it back, but that’s probably the best game I’ve ever played in.
“Although we lost, I’m extremely proud to be a part of it. It was a pretty courageous performance from everyone out there. The way the game was played, it was tough and fair and both sides had genuine respect and understanding of how good each other are. We can learn that we are a great team.
“We left it all out there. It’ll be one of those games that looking back on in 15 years sat in the pub, you’ll think ‘jeez we lost’, but it was some game.
“I had people from Australia ringing saying they hadn’t seen an NRL game like that this year.”
The new year will see two new recruits, with the additions of Jai Field and John Bateman, and Hastings is excited of what the pair will bring to the Wigan squad.
“It’s great because one brings raw speed and excitement, and the other brings strength and competitiveness. That would be great for any side so I’m glad they’re on my team. They will fit straight into what we already do here, and they are both great blokes too.
“I think if you’re a fan, looking at what we’ve got moving forward, adding those two is like adding a cherry on top. It should be a great year and hopefully we can go one better than we did this year.”
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