
WIGAN won it all in 2024, including not only the World Club Challenge, Challenge Cup, League Leaders’ Shield and Grand Final, but a few sporting awards that rugby league rarely gets a look-in for.
So how can they possibly go better?
Now it’s about sustained success over an even longer period, winning titles every year and perhaps starting to push the achievements of the club in the 1990s, the sport’s greatest ever side.
Their squad is packed with class from front to back, with most stars either at their peak – Bevan French, Jai Field, Luke Thompson – or a long way from it – Harry Smith, Junior Nsemba, Brad O’Neill.
Not a single one has been poached, making the off-season a simple affair with their only signing a young prospect, George Hirst, who will return on loan to Oldham this year.
His time may come, but for now it’s the same remarkable group looking to add more silverware and accolades while the rest scramble to keep up.
Watch out for… Being the target. With two straight titles and last season’s four-trophy haul, they will be seen as a major scalp by all other eleven sides, who will all be eager to knock them off their perch. Every opposition player will up their game when facing Wigan, and Matt Peet’s side will need to match that if they are to have more success to celebrate in 2025.
Fan’s eye view… Our squad depth, strong academy pipeline, and attacking flair give Wigan a consistent edge. Players like Bevan French and Jai Field are key playmakers, while our defensive structure under Matt Peet is solid. We have a winning culture, so our dominance could very well continue and we will remain the team to beat. Catalans will be the main rivals for the crown though. They had an average 2024 but their signings are the best of all the other teams. Tommy Makinson, Elliott Whitehead, Luke Keary, Nick Cotric and Tevita Pangai Jnr all fit that team perfectly and they’ll be keen to build on their recent successes and push Wigan all the way. (By Simon Atherton, season ticket holder for almost 45 years.)
2025 squad: 1 Jai Field, 2 Abbas Miski, 3 Adam Keighran, 4 Jake Wardle, 5 Liam Marshall, 6 Bevan French, 7 Harry Smith, 8 Ethan Havard, 9 Brad O’Neill, 10 Luke Thompson, 11 Junior Nsemba, 12 Liam Farrell, 13 Kaide Ellis, 15 Patrick Mago, 16 Liam Byrne, 17 Kruise Leeming, 19 Tyler Dupree, 20 Harvie Hill, 21 Sam Walters, 22 Zach Eckersley,23 Tom Forber, 24 Jack Farrimond, 25 Sam Eseh, 26 Jacob Douglas, 27 Harvey Makin, 28 Tiaki Chan, 29 Taylor Kerr, 30 Nathan Lowe, 31 Lukas Mason, 32 Noah Hodkinson, 33 Kian McDermott, 34 George Hirst.
Rugby League World predicts: 1st
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 505 (February 2025)