Abbas Miski made a “last minute” decision to come to the UK less than 12 months ago.
But he is not regretting it one bit now that he is playing for the most decorated club in the country.
The Lebanon international winger had an offer to remain with Manly Sea Eagles, where he had been a bit-part player in the NRL over two seasons. But he chose to take a leap into the unknown by signing for Championship side London Broncos in 2020.
Miski did enough there to convince Wigan to offer an initial two-year deal; and he’s now gearing up for a first campaign in Super League.
“I was not playing consistently in the NRL; it was hard the couple of years I was at Manly,” Miski told League Express.
“I got a couple of games but I wasn’t tied up and before I signed with London there was an option to stay there.
“It really happened at the last minute; it wasn’t ‘I’m adamant I’m coming to London’. I had all these options in front of me and I didn’t really know which one I wanted to pick.
“It was pretty much two weeks before (moving) that I ended up making the decision. I thought I could stay and battle it out in the NRL or come here and have a fresh start and prove myself in England.
“The experience of being in another country helped my decision to come over here.
“I enjoyed last year, even though at London it didn’t go as well as we thought it would. Despite that, I enjoyed it; it’s been great.
“I’ve definitely learned a lot and done all I came here to do, which was sign a contract at a good Super League team. I’m happy with how it’s panned out so far.
“I look back and I did what I told myself I wanted to do when I first set foot in the UK.”
Miski, who scored an impressive 18 tries in 19 Championship appearances for the Broncos last term, is confident his game will suit Super League and that under new head coach Matt Peet, Wigan’s style will suit him.
“Especially the way this club is going and where we’re heading this year, I definitely think I can bring something to this team,” he said. “I’ll try and do my best to stand out.
“It was a tough year (for Wigan) but they had their fair share of difficulties with injuries and whatnot. But there is a big emphasis on not going back down that path again.
“If there are injuries, players coming on should be capable enough to give good performances.
“There’s a big emphasis on playing attacking footy and scoring points, along with having a strong defence that will stop other teams from scoring.
“I’m getting the feeling that there is a bit of a shift in mindset and I guess it’s a good thing.”
A more attacking team is naturally good news for a winger – as Miski puts it: “The more tries I get, the happier I am!”
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