WIGAN chief executive Kris Radlinski MBE sees his club’s Grand Final loss as a small bump in the road and not a gaping sink hole.

The 49-year-old former England and Great Britain fullback was part of the inaugural Grand Final winning Warriors side in 1998, but he also tasted defeat in the season’s finale on three occasions in subsequent years.

Having played over 300 games, scoring 183 tries, for the cherry and whites before turning to coaching and administration, Radlinski was hugely magnanimous in Saturday’s defeat.

“We’ve had an unbelievable few years, so I don’t see this as a low, more of a learning experience, which we will grow from.

“You have to take your hat off to Hull KR – not just as a team but as a club. They should be applauded for the job that they have done, led by their owner Neil Hudgell – he deserves so much credit – and Paul Lakin (Rovers CEO), who is a very good friend of mine and has been something of a mentor.

“Willie Peters is creating an outstanding reputation as a coach.

“We certainly don’t like losing, but the other side of it is that we need to congratulate our opponents.

“We all try and learn from each other and it’s important that we win with humility and when we lose it’s equally important how we conduct ourselves.

“Wigan are built on values and that will never change.

“I spoke to the players in the changing rooms afterwards and they were naturally disappointed, but we will stick together as we are strong and look after each other.

“We have had an unbelievable run and got to a final again, so what is success defined by?

“Is it winning trophies or people attending or work in the community and the club is in a nice place in all of these areas.

“We are smarting at the moment – it will hurt and it should hurt, but we will get better.”