Wigan Warriors star Sam Walters speaks out on unusual Grand Final situation

Towering second-row, 23, got an unexpected call-up for semi-final and scored 2 tries successful 38-0 rout of Leigh Leopards yet afloat expects to miss Old Trafford rubric decider against Hull KR

IF you’ve scored 2 tries successful a Super League semi-final, astir radical would beryllium excitedly looking guardant to Old Trafford.

But things are a small antithetic for Wigan’s Sam Walters. He was a precocious call-up for Saturday’s 38-0 demolition of Leigh aft skipper Liam Farrell pulled retired with a virus. He made his people with that double. However, the towering second-row knows helium astir apt won’t play successful Saturday’s Grand Final against Hull KR.

Walters conceded: “I’d expect Faz to spell backmost in. He’s a person and is simply a fable of the club, but hopefully I person fixed Matty [Peet] a bully headache. To beryllium honorable with you, though, it doesn’t substance who plays due to the fact that we’ve got specified a bully squad mentality.”

Walters, successful his archetypal play with Wigan aft joining from Leeds, had been 18th antheral for the erstwhile 3 games. On getting that precocious call, helium revealed: “It was astir fractional five, six o’clock connected Friday night. At 18th man, you ever expect the worst oregon adjacent the best, truthful I conscionable prepared the aforesaid mode I would.

“I was conscionable excited; I rang my family, and the squad looked aft maine connected that edge, truthful thing truly changed successful however the squad ran. Obviously I enjoyed it and sometimes it tin beryllium a blessing due to the fact that you’ve not had the build-up of the week and stuff. You tin spell successful caller and conscionable excited to play. It was a large show but nary show is cleanable and adjacent week Hull KR are going to travel retired firing. That carnal and intelligence conflict is going to marque it a large occasion.”

Walters, 23, had lone scored erstwhile earlier for the nine and gave a beaming absorption to his archetypal effort arsenic Wigan ran riot. He explained: “It was specified a monolithic 1 with precocious pressures, truthful it’s what you imagination of arsenic a kid: moving retired successful a derby successful beforehand of 20,000 tin beryllium truly daunting but it tin besides bring retired the champion successful you. Scoring the tries relieved a spot of unit and we enactment successful a bully 80-minute performance. But I inactive deliberation we’ve got a fewer much gears successful america arsenic well.”

Defending champions Wigan present bid to triumph back-to-back Grand Finals for the archetypal clip but besides go the archetypal nine successful the summertime epoch to execute a quadruple successful 1 season. Walters didn’t marque his Wigan debut until May aft suffering a breached collar bony successful pre-season. Rookie Junior Nsemba, instead, made the astir of his changeable successful the second-row and the Dream Team prima - tipped to triumph Super League's Young Player of the Year and gain an England debut against Samoa - was again superb erstwhile rattling Leigh.

Does Walters ever deliberation astir a Sliding Doors infinitesimal reasoning it could person been him successful the limelight present alternatively than antheral of the infinitesimal Nsemba? He replied: "Not astatine all. I’ve got assurance that, if you enactment hard, you’ll get your rewards successful the end. Junior is having an astonishing twelvemonth and has deserved each accolade he’s got.

"That gives maine that information arsenic good – hopefully we tin person a fewer years unneurotic and person a bully operation connected some edges."

Walters was near retired of Wigan’s Challenge Cup final-winning broadside and missed February’s World Club Challenge occurrence against Penrith with that wounded but helium insists helium volition judge immoderate Peet decides.

A Grand Final loser with Leeds successful 2022, helium maintained: “It is what it is. Obviously I privation to play and beryllium progressive - but if I don’t past I’m inactive portion of the team. It takes a squad to triumph the Grand Final and we’ve got specified bully extent this twelvemonth with Jack Farrimond, Dougy, Zach Eckersley and Harvie Hill. They’re each knocking connected the doorway to play each week and it’s bully to person that extent successful the squad.

"You can’t truly sulk due to the fact that the civilization present everyone has to beryllium arrogant and blessed for each other’s success. For example, Brad O’Neill is retired injured but I’m definite if you asked him past helium would accidental however he’s delighted with however Tom Forber is playing. Everyone has got that cognition passim the team, which is wherefore we are wherever we are close now."