WIGAN WARRIORS head coach Matt Peet has revealed that Christian Wade will once more play in the reserves rather than the first-team this week.
Wade, who has most recently been plying his trade in rugby union with Gloucester, linked up with Wigan last week and played for the club’s second-string side in a big win at Castleford Tigers.
Though rusty, the 34-year-old showed glimpses, but the flying winger will have to wait a little while longer to make his competitive first-team debut for the Warriors.
“He won’t play, he will have another game in our reserves against St Helens and then we will reassess,” Peet said.
“We have to accept the fact that Christian is new to rugby league and has come off the back of a hard season.
“We will freshen him up.”
From what he has seen of Wade so far, however, Peet is convinced the former Gloucester man can make a successful transition.
He said: “All the skills that have made him a success in rugby union are transferable skills in the way that he carries the ball and how he applies himself.
“He has mixed himself into the group really well and won a lot of friends with the way he put his hand up to play in the reserves.
“He was very keen and didn’t give it a second thought. I just think you wouldn’t get many sportsmen who would be so keen to throw themselves into a game with less than a week recovery and with only one training session.
“I was impressed.”