Lam: We’re well prepared
- We catch up with Adrian Lam after the Warriors return to full team training at Robin Park Arena.
- The boss talks return-to-training preparation, his personal experience during lockdown and the importance of the Cherry and White fans.
- Lam: “We’ve had a brainstorm with all the staff, and we feel we have come up with a philosophy and a right direction in the way we feel is best to return to training.”
After seeking advice from clubs in the NRL, Adrian Lam says Wigan Warriors’ return-to-training programme is paying dividends after three days back at Robin Park Arena this week.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Friday 13th March was the last time the Warriors were in Super League action and now 19 weeks later, Lam’s side have returned to full team contact training.
For the past four months players have been training individually at home and with just 17 days to go until the Cherry and Whites return to the field, Lam is confident his team will be ready.
Speaking at Robin Park Arena on Thursday, he said: “It’s been a difficult process; preparing the players to come back, but we feel we’ve got the best-case scenario.
“We’ve done a lot of research, contacted a lot of different sporting groups in the UK and certain clubs in the NRL – there are some key people that we have been able to ask what we can learn from their experiences and what they’ve done.
“We’ve had a brainstorm with all the staff, and we feel we have come up with a philosophy and a right direction in the way we feel is best to return to training.
“It seems to be doing well at the moment, the players are excited to be back and we’re pushing on hard with our programme. It’s a difficult thing to get right and it’s a tough scenario to be in, but everyone in Super League is on the same level.”
Lam shared his personal delight of being back in the Wigan camp after some difficult first few weeks during lockdown.
“Getting back into the routine, seeing all the staff and players and that camaraderie makes you realise how much you’ve missed the place and how good it is to work in rugby league.
“The back half of lockdown has been ok for me. I’ve handled it pretty well, but the first half was tough at times.
“I did a lot of outdoor work to keep me busy and I moved property at the same time. I forgot how important the little things are – just to go out for a coffee – it was certainly one of the hardest experiences I’ve had whilst being a coach.”
The boss also alluded to the Warriors fans – stressing their importance for this season and for campaigns to come, as well as stating the main aim to bring success for them this year.
“I know our fans will be missing out but it’s great that they can watch our opening three games on Sky. We want to thank them for their continued support.
“We’re probably going to need them more this season and in the next couple of seasons than we have ever needed them before. They underpin our club through their support. We’re sorry they can’t be there, and we appreciate their support they’ve given us.
“We’re looking forward to seeing them watch us play again – hopefully this year – and in the meantime we’ll give our best out on the field. We’re sitting top of the table at the moment and we’ve worked really hard to get to where we are now, but there’s a lot of work to go so we’ll keep our heads down and keep working hard.”
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