WIGAN WARRIORS should still reflect on this year with pride, according to Junior Nsemba.
Matt Peet’s side won the Challenge Cup by beating Hull KR at Wembley in June, the start of a 16-match winning run which carried them to the League Leaders’ Shield.
But they missed out on a shot at the treble by losing at home to eventual champions Wakefield Trinity in the play-off semi-finals.
“The better team won,” acknowledged forward Nsemba, who is now one of seven Wigan players in Australia as part of England’s World Cup squad.
“They (Wakefield) came to play, they set the pace. They were doing all the little things, so big congrats to Wakefield for doing the job and then winning the Grand Final.
“It’s just part of our journey. You’re not going to win every game. Going 16 games unbeaten was a good achievement but we’re not going to win everything.
“Next year we’ll try and make things right. We’re not going to dwell on it because we’ve had a good season all round.
“We had one rough patch (losing four straight league games across March and April) but the fans stayed with us and trusted us, which we’re thankful for.
“We managed to win two cups (trophies). Although we wanted to win a third, I don’t think we had a bad season at all. It’s two more cups than we won last year.”
Nsemba also hailed fellow homegrown star Brad O’Neill, another of Wigan’s England contingent, saying: ‘His Man of Steel was fully deserved.
“He had an amazing year through the middle and he does all the hard work.”
