WIGAN hooker Brad O’Neill says adding to the club’s rich history of success is a driving force as the current side strive to put further trophies in the cabinet.
Matt Peet’s Warriors, of course, picked up four from four last season – the World Club Challenge, Challenge Cup, League Leaders’ Shield and Super League title.
The WCC – which along with Sydney Roosters, Wigan have won a joint-highest five times, might be off the schedule.
But the other three are available, with Wigan beginning their defence of the Challenge Cup, won for a record-extending 21 times in 2024, with a 48-12 round-three win over Sheffield at the Olympic Legacy Park on Friday.
Now the attention is on the league opener at home to Leigh on Thursday as Wigan gear up for their bid to win another title, with October’s Grand Final triumph over Hull KR securing the club’s 24th – seven more than St Helens, who are next on the list.
However O’Neill is as aware as anyone that it’s not that long since Saints were dominant – and says that among Peet’s mantras are that nothing comes without hard work day in, day out, and that nothing can ever be taken for granted.
The year he joined the club’s Scholarship system – 2017 – Wigan didn’t even make the then four-team play-offs.
And the 22-year-old, who is working his way back to full fitness following an anterior cruciate ligament injury, said: “The staff make us well aware of the history and heritage here.
“They emphasise what the club means to the town and the record of success, but that it hasn’t been achieved easily.
“There have been spells where things haven’t gone as well, but there has always been pride and fight to get back to where we feel Wigan belong.
“It means an awful lot to all of us to get back to the top of the game, but we know the next challenge is to stay there.
“The culture has been set by (chief executive) Kris Radlinski, Matt, Sean O’Loughlin and Tommy Leuluai, and the values of Wigan are ingrained in all of them.
“They have created an environment where there are no egos and where we are all aware of the standard expected, and I think we enjoy coming to work.”
