French: More of the Same

• Bevan French spoke to Wigan TV last week about pre-season, partnership with Jai Field and relationship with the fans.
• French: “We get a lot of hard work done, but there’s a lot of enjoyment in it.”
• See the full interview on Wigan TV HERE.

Bevan French says he hopes he can keep up his good partnership with Jai Field this season.

The dynamic duo chipped in with a combined 51 tries and 40 assists last season, with French finishing top scorer with 31, in a combination that helped the Warriors to Challenge Cup glory against Huddersfield.

“It’s a weird thing that partnership” he said, “I speak about it quite a bit with people, it’s not anything that we go into a game planning. It’s basically more of a reaction thing, I’ve got to be ready to go whenever I see him [Jai Field].

“We’ve just got to keep our bodies in shape and ready to do that.”

Returning to camp in January after a home visit to Australlia, French has undergone his most full-on pre-season schedule in recent memory and says though it’s been tough, it’s been a lot of fun.

French said: “The people we have, it’s always a good energy around training. With Matty and the coaching staff, we get a lot of hard work done, but there’s a lot of enjoyment in it.

“Conditioning games and what we would be doing in the games, it’s game related and it beats running around the track for however long.”

He added: “It’s tough on the body and it does take some getting used to but at the same time, I’m very happy I’m able to do it this time and get a bit of a base in before the season starts.”

French scored twice in Warriors’ final pre-season game against Salford, in a match which saw him feature next to Toby King for the first time, with Jake Wardle also making his first appearance in cherry and white and winning Man of the Match.

“Those two (Wardle and King) were the best players on the field” he said, “They showcased why they were here and I’m sure they’re looking forward to that success as well.

“I’m sure if they play like that week-in, week-out and everyone else gels together and we work on our combinations we’ll be an exciting team to watch.”

The Warriors number 2 added: “I’m beside Toby [King] and I was really impressed with his performance throughout the game. The amount of work he got through, the tough carries which helped me out a lot, the defensive decision making and his communication throughout the whole game was really good”.

The Warriors kick off their 2023 Super League campaign with a trip to Hull KR on Saturday, before a homecoming for Round 2 as they host Wakefield at the DW Stadium, with French excited to get back in front of the Warriors faithful.

“The boys can’t wait to play again, especially home at the DW. They’re very passionate and we love going out to perform for the community of Wigan. Hopefully we keep that relationship strong and more people turn up.”

You can purchase tickets for our Round 2 home fixture against Wakefield by visiting HERE, with final Hull KR tickets currently only available to purchase from the in-store ticket office BEFORE 4PM on Thursday 16th February.

Watch the full interview exclusively on Wigan TV HERE. Not a subscriber? Join today from £5.99 per month!