Keighran: Together as one
- Wigan Warriors centre Adam Keighran spoke of his excitement for the new season, looking ahead to Saturday’s Round One trip to Castleford Tigers.
- Keighran: “It’s a real privilege to wear the jersey.”
- The Australian arrived from Catalans following the end of the 2023 season, discussing how well he has settled in so far and his pride to play for the club.
Adam Keighran has spoken of his excitement for the new campaign ahead of the Warriors’ trip to Castleford Tigers in Round 1 of the super league season.
“I think everyone is pumped for the new season, we’ve done the hard stuff and the fun begins now. You can feel that vibe at training when you know you get to play for points at the end of the week,” said Keighran.
“They’ll [Castleford Tigers] be at full strength, they’ll be fit and they’ll be ready to go so it’s going to be difficult and the stadium itself makes it a bit tougher with their home crowd.
Reflecting on pre-season, he said: “We played against Hull a couple of weeks back at their home ground, so we’ve got a bit of a taste of what it’s like to go away. Castleford is definitely a tough place to go but we’re up to the challenge.”
Since arriving from Catalans Dragons upon the conclusion of the 2023 season, Keighran and his family have been adapting to their new surroundings in England. The Australian joined the squad for their pre-season training camp in Portugal, which he cited as the perfect way to get to know his new teammates.
“I’ve found that I’ve settled in really quickly and really well,” Keighran said. “I was only here for seven days before we went to Portugal but there I was living with Abbas (Miski), Kaide (Ellis), Jai (Field) and Bevan (French), so straight away I built that connection with those boys in particular.
“When you spend so much time together as a team and you’re eating meals together, there’s no small groups within this group – we’re all together as one. That has made it a lot easier to build those connections with every player, not just specific ones.”
Keighran has also sparked a friendship with half-back Harry Smith, who along with the rest of the squad, has supported the centre in his move from the south of France: “I have built a good connection with Harry who I’ve spent a lot of time with him outside of footy as well already, so that’s been pretty good.
“My wife has met his partner which has obviously helped me – if you’re a player and you’re happy off the field, it makes your life a lot easier when you come into footy as well.
He added: “A lot of players and partners have reached out to myself and my family – checking in, asking to go for a coffee and just offering any help in general to help with settling in. That is something me and my partner are very grateful for.
“It’s a credit to the Club as a whole and the way they push the players to be as people. Matt [Peet] has driven that within the players and that’s one of the things that has stuck with me the most since coming here – everyone’s so tight and close.
The 26-year-old finished as the Dragons’ top scorer last season after scoring 12 tries and kicking 68 goals, and now he is hoping to bring the same form to the Wigan fold this year.
Keighran said: “I’ve had my first full season at the top grade last year, so I know what my body needs away from footy to be able to do that week in week out.
“I had a couple of rounds last year where I probably wasn’t at my best because of the recovery side of things so I want to learn from that. I want to fix that up and put my best foot forward for the team to perform each week.”
The former New Zealand Warriors and Sydney Roosters player will wear the number three shirt for the Warriors this season, which is an honour Keighran is looking forward to achieving: “I’ve gained an understanding of the privilege to wear the jersey,” he said. “To get that number in the history books and be able to claim that as your own is pretty special with the history that it has. I’m very proud to be able to do it.”
Hear more from Adam Keighran on Wigan TV HERE.
Adam Keighran is sponsored by ASAP Scaffolding Ltd.
By Harvey Orgill.
