Wigan Warriors coach Matt Peet admits new-boy Christian Wade has been ‘outstandingly good’ in training before revealing ‘he isn’t a million miles away’ from making his debut.
Wade, a former British and Irish Lions international, has been practicing with the Warriors for the past few weeks after signing a short-term contract for the duration of the 2025 Super League season.
Wade has two rugby league games under his belt, playing for the Reserves in victories over Castleford Tigers and St Helens, scoring two tries against the latter.
The 34-year-old winger has yet to make his Super League debut, but Peet conceded Wade is not far from making the first squad, having demonstrated a willingness to learn and adapt in the 13-a-side code, although he will most likely stay in the Reserves for another week or two.
“He’s been outstandingly good in practice, but more so around the environment,” Wade’s coach remarked.
“He appears to be very popular within the gang, since all of the lads talk well of him. He performed well for the Reserves over the weekend, and despite his inexperience, he appears to be a natural.
“We’ll probably keep monitoring him in training and the Reserves over the next week or two, but he could feature in the squad; he isn’t a million miles away.”
Peet admits to being impressed with Wade’s adaptation and management of his move from rugby union to rugby league, and he praises the seasoned winger’s approach to his new code.
“He is yet to play a Super League game, but some of the fundamentals of rugby league that I thought would take him more time to pick up, he’s got a decent grasp of, and that’s because he has been so diligent and so hard working,” Peet told the crowd.
“He is one of those guys who is the first in and last out, and he accepts that he has got a lot to learn, but he has committed himself to it wholeheartedly.”
Wade does not count against Wigan’s pay cap due to the New Talent Rule, which states that players who transfer from other sports count as £0 on the salary cap in the first year and just 50% of their salary in the second year.
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