WANE GIVES WEAKNESS THE BULLET

SHAUN WANE says “brutal” team meetings helped Wigan emerge from their three-game losing slump.

The Warriors crashed out of the Challenge Cup to Warrington and lost Super League games against Hull KR and Wakefield. The run played out over a backdrop of Wane’s announcement that he will leave the club at the end of the season, and the social media video controversy surrounding Joel and Sam Tomkins.

But Wigan turned the tide with a gutsy 14-10 win at Hull FC last weekend to solidify their top-two spot – and Wane (left) says the players were central to that response. He said: “The meetings we’ve had are brutal – not nasty but very, very honest. Nobody walks out of here not knowing where they stand, and that comes from the players.

“They were hurting badly and they know we dipped below our standards. People were saying we’re soft because that’s what we displayed – and that’s a bad accusation. Hopefully we put that right a bit against Hull on Saturday.”

Wane admits he thrives when his team are questioned, adding: “I like it – it does motivate me a lot. I get out of bed earlier and I want to get into it.

“I like backs-against-thewall, the comments that get made and the siege mentality.”