Partington: Shaping up well
- Ollie Partington reflects on Wigan’s 4-36 victory over Hull FC which saw the Warriors book their place in the Semi Finals of the Coral Challenge Cup.
- The prop talks about the win over the Black and Whites, getting back out on the pitch and the strength within the Wigan squad.
- Partington: “It was a big performance which we needed in order to get through to the next round, and we have been building up to it.”
Ollie Partington says a ‘big performance’ was needed from the Warriors to get past Hull FC in the Coral Challenge Cup Quarter Final on Saturday.
Adrian Lam’s Wigan booked their place in the final four of the competition after beating Hull 4-36 at the AJ Bell Stadium.
Partington believes having senior members in the squad was a major factor in the way Wigan played.
He said: “It was a big performance which we needed in order to get through to the next round, and we have been building up to it, so credit to our leaders who took us through the game. We owed Hull one (in the Challenge Cup), so we’re buzzing to get the win.”
The Warriors will now face Leeds Rhinos in the Semi Finals on the Saturday 3rd October and the prop only has sights on going all the way in the competition.
“It is good to be so close to the Final – it is looking realistic that we can get there and hopefully we can win it.”
Prior to the tie with Hull FC, the 22-year-old admitted there was a lot of discussion around how special the Challenge Cup is to Wigan.
“We spoke about the heritage of the Cup and the number of times that we have won it. It is a big achievement for the town, so we are focused on bringing it back to Wigan – where it belongs.”
After missing the first few games of the restart due to a suspension, Partington is delighted to be back in match action.
“It was hard seeing the lads playing whilst I was sat on the sidelines, it wasn’t very enjoyable, so I’m buzzing to be out there again and getting the wins.
“It did mean I could get in the gym for a bit longer than the other lads and I did quite a lot of fitness, so it stood me in good stead when I came back.”
After reaching the Semi Finals in the Coral Challenge Cup and four wins from five in the Betfred Super League since the restart, Partington has been impressed by the way his team are performing and talent they have within the squad.
“It is shaping up really well – when everyone is fit it is probably the strongest team we’ve had for a couple of years. We’ve got some good players like Bevan (French), who can score from anywhere.
“We are improving each week. We had the blip against Hull KR and a few scrappy wins before, that if we’re harsh on ourselves, we didn’t deserve to win, so we are staying grounded to get better each week.”
With plenty of games in a short amount of time ahead of them, the Partington says the squad must give their all.
“It’s like Easter, we have to have a good attitude going into every game. We might need to rest a few players, but whoever is out there has to play for the badge and get the wins that we need.”
Next up for the Warriors is Wakefield Trinity in Round 13 of Super League at the Halliwell Jones Stadium on Friday night.
“They have a few good players who will do things, so we will have to neutralise them. We have a focus on their back-field players, and we are expecting a tough game.”
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