Hill: Enjoyed it

Harvie Hill said he ‘really enjoyed’ making his first Super League appearance at the DW Stadium in Warriors win over Trinity.

Hill: “I really enjoyed it, and I’ve got loads out of it that I can look back on.”

FT | Wigan Warriors 22-6 Wakefield Trinity.

Harvie Hill said he ‘really enjoyed’ making his first Super League appearance at the DW Stadium as Wigan Warriors moved to the top of the Super League table with a 22-6 win over Wakefield Trinity.

“I really enjoyed it and I have got loads out of it that I can look back on,” Hill said.

The prop forward, who came off the bench in the first half, described the occasion of playing in the first team: “It was good to be out there with the older lads in the middle who looked after me, helped guide me around the field and kept me tight in defence.”

Speaking on his pre-match emotions, the 19-year-old said: “As I was on the bench I was just trying to keep myself calm and not think about it too much. When I was told I was going on I just tried to psych myself up, went for a run and from there I couldn’t wait to get into it.”

Hill celebrates the win with Junior Nsemba and Kai Pearce-Paul. Picture: Bernard Platt

The Warriors extended their winning run to six matches to move top of the table heading into the international break, and Hill said the team is still improving: “Everyone is enjoying being in each other’s company, but we are still building and getting better with each other which will continue through the season.”

Hill, who recently spent time on loan at Championship side Toulouse Olympique XIII, revealed how beneficial his spell in France was: “The loan helped massively as it got me used to tackling men with bigger bodies as oppose to playing in the Reserves where everyone is smaller and similar sizes.

“It was a shock to the system at first as I was having to do my own shopping and cook my own tea. Toulouse are a good club who looked after me, and I enjoyed the time I spent with them.”

On the step up to playing Super League rugby, Hill added: “It was a massive step up and I could tell the difference – I was blowing a bit towards the end.

“The aim is to keep improving in training, learn more from the other lads and get as many Super League appearances in as I can. There is a lot I still need to work on to get to the standard of the other middles, but I can use today to look back on and see the areas I need to.”