Ellis: Expecting a Response

• Kaide Ellis spoke with the press ahead of Friday’s Super League game against Huddersfield Giants.
• Ellis: “I think if we tighten the screws on our execution, I think we’ll win a lot more games than we’ll lose.”
• Watch the full interview with Kaide Ellis on Wigan TV HERE.

Kaide Ellis says he expects Wigan to respond against Huddersfield, following defeat to Catalans on Thursday.

Ellis featured as an interchange in a 10-18 home loss against the French outfit and says areas that let them down have been addressed: “It was disappointing, especially when you’re playing at home, you want your home games to be where you look strong and don’t get beaten. It was frustrating, but on Monday we went through it but the main thing that stood out was the execution.”

The prop forward added: “We made16 errors which, against a side like Catalans, with what they have across the park you can’t do that and they made us pay the price for it. It’s a long week in Rugby League, whether you win or lose, so its important after a loss not to get too low.”

Ellis says that the tough start endured will help the Warriors going forward in what he sees as a highly competitive league this year: “I think we’re still a top team, no doubt. I think we’d like to be 4-0, but the biggest thing is the games we’ve lost, it’s been handled really well. We’ve been honest with it and held each other accountable, I think we definitely could have won both the games we lost.

“There’s no obvious winner this week, Huddersfield are a smart team who have a very good coach in Ian Watson, so they’ll be just as ready as us and keen to get into it on Friday.

“You don’t want to peak too early, but you do want to be better than what we have been. I think that’s the week-in, week-out goal; you want to build, you want to see what you’ve been doing in training and see more of it in the games. I think if we tighten the screws on our execution, I think we’ll win a lot more games than we’ll lose.”

On heading to West Yorkshire on Friday, Ellis sees a tough game on the horizon with training preparations looking strong: “They’re in a similar position to us and they’re a top team,” he said, “Going there away on a Friday night, they’re going to be up for it. If there’s one thing we’ve learnt from the weekend is that it’s going to be a close game, I expect us to respond.”

Ellis enters his second year with Wigan following a move from Australia in the off-season last year which saw him feature 23 times in his debut Super League campaign, which he says he’s looking to improve on: “I’m feeling a lot fitter than I did earlier in the year last year. That long suspension I had hurt me a little bit, because I felt like I was playing catchup but these opening rounds I’m happy, I’m building and it’s been a week-in week-out thing and it’s something I’m looking to keep doing.”