Lam: Got the job done
- Adrian Lam reacts to Wigan’s Round 1 win over Leigh Centurions.
- Lam: “That was the highlight for me, that through the difficult part we got the job done.”
- FT | Leigh Centurions 18-20 Wigan Warriors.
Head coach Adrian Lam praised his side’s resilience following their comeback win over Leigh Centurions on Friday night.
The Cherry and Whites overturned a 18-0 deficit to win 20-18 thanks to tries from Zak Hardaker, Joe Bullock and two from Jake Bibby.
Speaking to the media via Zoom link following the final whistle, the Papua New Guinean admitted that they didn’t get off to their planned start.
“I was frustrated. In Round 1 all coaches want their team to play well, but reality is it doesn’t always work like that.
“We started people out of position, then we had the injury and ended up even more out of position.”
Despite the three early tries for the Centurions, Lam’s men found a way to win.
“To win by two points and to get two points is a massive reward for the start that we had.
“I know we weren’t great, but we will keep working hard and manage our side over the next couple of weeks.”
The head coach highlighted the drive of his players in overturning the scoreline was something to admire.
“We found a way to win, and that’s the hardest thing about coaching, developing that instinct in the group.
“It’s something we pride ourselves on, that resilience and trust in each other, that was the highlight for me, that through the difficult part we got the job done.”
Among a number of good second half performances, he highlighted the roles of the interchanges as being pivotal.
“I thought our bench was great tonight. When [Ethan] Havard, [Liam] Byrne, [Morgan] Smithies and then [Joe] Shorrocks came on, they were all outstanding.”
Lam also provided an update on the injury of Jai Field, who left early in the first half with a hamstring issue.
“He’s torn his hamstring, which is up to six weeks depending on the severity of the tear. I feel for him because I asked him at the start of the week to play out of position and he accepted that in order to get his debut.”
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