Powell: Set our standards

• Sam Powell speaks on Wigan Warriors pre-season.
• Powell: “There’s been some changes, it’s been enjoyable, challenging, but the boys are really ripping in and we’re taking shape.“
• Watch the full interview on Wigan TV, HERE.

Sam Powell spoke to Wigan TV to give an insight on how pre-season has been so far, the new additions to the squad and his ambitions.

“It’s going really well,” he said. “I’ve been back a few weeks now. I don’t want to say it’s tough because all pre-seasons are tough – I’m sure if you went to any Club and asked any player they’d say the same kinds of things. There’s been some changes, it’s been enjoyable, challenging, but the boys are really ripping in and we’re taking shape.

“We’ve got a few new things running this year which Matt (Peet) has put a lot of emphasis on and the lads are really knuckling down and trying to improve, not just physically but also mentally, so that can only hold us in good stead.”

Powell explained that the new Coaching team have made an instant impact on the squad: “Matt knows the Club inside and out, he’s been here a long time so he’s working hard on the culture side of things, bringing us together as a team, making sure standards are high and I think that is the first bit we’ve got to get right. Get those standards as a team, make sure things are going the way that they should do at the start.”

The Warriors Hooker also gave an insight into some of the sessions away from Robin Park Arena: “There’s been challenging 6:45 starts at Haigh Hall, nobody likes them but it’s something where you’ve got to dig in, rip in and do your best.

“Going back to the cultures stuff, we spoke as a leadership team on how do we get the best out of ourselves and we’ve gone for the approach of ‘rep one, you know you’re going to rip in and try your hardest here – not save yourself’. I can only say what I’ve seen so far but the lads are doing really well.”

💪 @SammPowell 💪#WWRL pic.twitter.com/frhvaDyvyb

— Wigan Warriors 🍒⚪️ (@WiganWarriorsRL) November 20, 2021

The Warriors will have their International representatives back next week, something which Powell was looking forward to: “We’re hoping the lads that are left to rejoin will really lift us, I know they’re quality players, some have been on International duty so it’s been their chance to have a rest but we’ve set our standards for the last few weeks on making sure that they have to catch up to us.

“There are a few senior voices to come back and it should raise our standards again, but I can’t wait for them to come back.”

Powell was keen to update fans on his contract situation amid some speculation that he may be out of contract: “I think that might have been a misprint, someone said that I was coming to the end last year but I wasn’t – I’m contracted until the end of 2022 and I’ll be doing the best and working my hardest to hopefully get a new contract for the future.”

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