After a historic clean sweep of trophies, Wigan Warriors head into 2026 with a target firmly on their backs – and a determination to prove it was no fluke.

A YEAR is a long time in rugby league — and one team who probably know that more than most is Wigan Warriors.

This time 12 months ago, all eyes were on York Valkyrie and whether they could make it three titles in a row, and if St Helens could continue their dominance in the Challenge Cup. Questions were also being asked about how Leeds Rhinos would cope after a raft of players departed.

There is no denying that Wigan were expected to mount a serious challenge to the previous monopoly of the top three, but very few expected them to achieve what they actually did — a clean sweep of trophies, and quickly earning the favourites tag in just about every game they played.

Now, in a complete turnaround, all eyes will be on Denis Betts’ Warriors side as they look to prove last season was no fluke and reinforce their standing as the country’s leading women’s outfit.

Of course, going into a season as holders of all the major titles is going to put a different sort of pressure on the Cherry and Whites, as all around them look to knock them off their perch. But far from being daunted by this, it is something star full-back Grace Banks is relishing.

“Last season was so surreal,” Banks admitted.

“Obviously, I’d wanted to win everything, and dreamt about doing it, but I didn’t really expect it to happen. But we worked so hard for it, and it paid off.

“Now I just really want it to happen again, and hopefully the excitement of winning it all last season continues into this year.

“But it’s going to be a different challenge for us this year, and I think that added pressure is something we need as a team.

“There was no pressure on us last year because we hadn’t won any trophies in a long time, and we just thought, let’s just play as well as we can and see if we can win it.

“But this year, we might need to learn how to play under that pressure of things being expected of us, and other teams wanting to stop us.

“That is something we’ve already spoken about in training, and we know that the only way we can get used to that and learn how to manage it is by playing in those games where we are under a lot of pressure.

“With the way the season is this year, and the split, we will get more games like that, and the more competitive games we get will hopefully push us a bit further and harder every week.

“Part of the message coming from Denis this season is about getting better individually to help the team, but it’s also about finding that consistency throughout the season and playing at our best every week.

“This season will be hard physically and mentally for us, so that is something that we’ll have to get used to.”

That aim for consistency could be positively impacted by Wigan going into 2026 with a relatively settled squad, with only a few high-profile changes.

Captain Vicky Molyneux has retired, while Australian pack duo Shaniah Power and Emily Veivers have returned home. But in their place have come the vastly experienced former England international and York Valkyrie star Kelsey Gentles, who finished last season at Huddersfield Giants after recovering from a knee injury, and Wales captain Bethan Dainton from Leeds Rhinos.

Banks has retained the number one shirt but will face serious competition for that full-back spot from Beri Salihi, who has returned to the club after two seasons at St Helens.

But for Banks, who scored 22 tries in 18 appearances last season and was named player of the match in both the Challenge Cup semi-final against Leeds and the final against St Helens, that competition is another factor that will bring the best out of Wigan in 2026.

“Kelsey and Bethan have been amazing,” added Banks, who missed the opening Challenge Cup games as the club worked on managing her asthma effectively.

“It’s like they’ve been playing in the team for years; they’ve blended in really well. They’re talkative, they’re training really well, and they’ve just merged into the team.

“We’ve got a very strong and competitive squad this year, with a lot of competition for places, and that is what you need at this level.

“Everyone knows that the best players are going to be picked each week, and that will push everyone a bit harder, make us train harder and play better.

“I fully believe that any coach should pick their best players. So if Beri is training better than me, or playing better than me, then she deserves that spot, and I’ll do whatever I need to do to then try and get it back.”

This season will also see Wigan playing their home matches at the bespoke Edge Hall Road Community Stadium in Orrell, which re-opened last summer especially for the women’s team.

Gone are the days of sharing facilities with other teams at the club, giving the squad a place to call their own and allowing them to train whenever they like.

Although they have been using it as a training base for the past year, the Challenge Cup group game against Cardiff Demons was the first time the team played on that pitch, and Banks cannot wait to experience it for herself once the league campaign gets underway.

“It’s a lovely wide pitch, so it will suit me really well, and I’m really looking forward to getting out there,” added Banks.

“It’s a great facility, and because it’s ours, it gives us a real sense of identity. We’ve got our own space — we’re not having to worry if we can get out onto the pitch at Robin Park or if someone else is already on it or not.

“It means we can just go to training, knuckle down, not worry about other people and just focus on the job that we have to do.”

First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 520 (May 2026)