Huddersfield Giants Head Coach Chris Thorman has heaped praise on debutant Jake Wardle after the 19-year-old centre scored two tries in a 28-18 victory over Widnes Vikings.
Wardle was on hand twice to take high kicks at the start of both halves to ensure the Giants earned the victory and Thorman has seen it all before.
“I’ve watched him since he was 15. He can do what he wants,” said Thorman
“He’s had some major setbacks as a kid that teenagers shouldn’t have to go through. He’s mentally resilient and mentally strong. He’s one of the best teenagers I’ve ever seen.
“We’ve seen Jake Connor come and go and he’s as good as his namesake.
It wasn’t just Wardle with which Thorman was impressed but fellow debutant Oliver Russell and the rest of the Giants team.
“I thought Olly Russell was as composed and astute as an academy halfback could have been. There were some significant contributions from senior players.
“I thought we deserved the win. I honestly didn’t feel like that we were ever really under pressure.”