Miski: It’s on us

• Abbas Miski states the Warriors are ready for a ‘tough battle’ in the Betfred Challenge Cup semi-final against Hull KR.
• Miski: “It’s going to be a tough battle but it’s one we are certainly up for.”
• Watch more match previews ahead of the semi-final on Wigan TV HERE.

Abbas Miski states the warriors are prepared to face a ‘tough battle’ in their betfred challenge cup semi-final clash against Hull KR.

The Warriors prepare to face the Robins in the knockout tie at Docaster’s Eco-Power Stadium on Saturday afternoon as they aim to reach a first Wembley final since 2017.

Miski, who scored twice in the quarter-final win over Castleford Tigers, has revealed his emotions ahead of the fixture: “I’m calm at the moment but emotions will rise as the week goes on and the match gets closer.

“You always get nervous regardless of how long you’ve played, but the recent Grand Final and World Club Challenge have helped regulate those emotions. We’ll have more talks in the build up about the game and how much it means to us and the Club.”

Miski was named in Wigan’s 21-player squad for their 2022 Betfred Challenge Cup final success over Huddersfield Giants at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and despite missing out on being selected on matchday, the winger holds fond memories from the occasion.

He said: “The whole week was great. From travelling down and staying over in London to seeing all the fans and the work from the Club that went into it. Then you have all the bits in between such as the stadium, the game, the win, the celebrations, the parade in Wigan – it was a week everyone wanted to be a part of.”

Despite falling short in golden point to Hull KR at this stage of the competition last year, Miski believes the Warriors took motivation from the loss for the remainder of the season.

“Obviously we would have liked to be part of the final at Wembley Stadium, however, we learnt a lot from that loss,” Miski said. “You learn how to regulate your emotions, what to focus on, and even though losing wasn’t pleasant, I do believe it massively set us up for the rest of the year.”

Looking ahead to Saturday’s tie against the Robins, Miski said: “We know Hull KR are a very good team with a lot of quality players who will be wanting to reach Wembley again but to win it this time around. It’s going to be a tough battle but it’s one that we are certainly up for.”

On the Warriors’ preparation ahead of the meeting in West Yorkshire, Miski added: “Our preparation has been the same as most weeks albeit with a bit more intensity. Emotions can be higher but we’re going through the same process we did with the Grand Final and the World Club Challenge. Our coaching team will give us everything we need to win a game but it’s on us to show up and give our all to Hull KR.”

The Warriors head into the clash top of the Betfred Super League table following a 48-6 win over Huddersfield Giants last time out, a victory in which Miski scored twice to take his try total to eight for the campaign.

Reflecting on Wigan’s start to the season, Miski said: “Personally I’ve still got a lot of work to do off the back of the injury in pre-season, but the team’s been great. As players and coaches we’ve done quite well to put ourselves in the best position to keep winning and being in these big games.”

Tickets remain on general sale from The Brick Community Stadium Ticket Office and online HERE. Please note that tickets will be taken off sale from the Ticket Office at 12pm on Friday 17 May.

Abbas Miski is sponsored by RZ-Clean-Seal