Coach of the Wigan Warriors, Matt Peet, has confirmed the return of important prop Mike Cooper and given an update on the injuries to Willie Isa and Ethan Havard.
Warriors mainstay Isa will miss months of play due to an ankle fracture dislocation he sustained during their 60-6 victory over Castleford Tigers in the Challenge Cup quarterfinals last week.
Isa’s injury is still being assessed, according to Peet, but he is confident that the seasoned back-rower will help the team off the pitch while he starts the healing process.
Regarding Isa, Peet stated: “We’ve spoken on the phone; he has appointments and other commitments, so there’s not much information to share at this time. We anticipate that this will be a chronic injury, so more updates will be provided when appropriate.
“He is very strong mentally and has a great attitude towards life both inside and outside of sports.
“I believe that right now, we’re just waiting to look at the best attack strategy until we have all the information we need, but one thing I know about Willie is that he’ll respond appropriately and apply himself correctly, and he’ll be a valuable member of this team, this group of players, and this club whether or not he can play.”
Isa’s long-term injury will probably allow rising star Junior Nsemba, who has made 20 appearances for the first team so far, to start more often. Nsemba has appeared off the bench 17 times-and Peet thinks that in the upcoming months, Isa will be a fantastic mentor to Nsemba.
Peet continued, “He would have done that anyhow, but it will probably narrow Willie’s focus.” It extends Junior’s playing time.
Junior will now face a challenge, and I believe he is prepared for it. Because Willie is a natural leader and Junior is eager to learn, Willie will be excellent at guiding and instructing him during that process. They benefit from each other’s strong and positive relationship.
Matt Peet provides the latest on injured prop Ethan Havard
The most recent information on important prop Ethan Havard, who hasn’t played in 2024 due to a reoccurring hamstring injury sustained during the Super League Grand Final victory last year, has been provided by Peet.
“Ethan is training and training well, but there are tests that he goes through just to check the symmetry and the strength between his two legs,” the Wigan manager clarified. We won’t be taking any chances because the injured leg is still not where we want it to be right now.
He won’t play this week or against Hull KR, but we’ll try to get him in the following week. We’re probably going to give him a few more weeks than we originally stated.
Mike Cooper boosts Wigan Warriors
Nonetheless, there is good news for Wigan fans regarding injuries: seasoned prop Mike Cooper is expected to play again on Friday at the DW Stadium against Castleford, having recovered from a knee injury sustained during their World Club Challenge victory over Penrith Panthers.
Peet commented, “It’s fantastic for Coops; he’s been putting in a lot of effort behind the scenes.
“He put in a lot of effort to prepare himself for Penrith. I was sad to hear about his injury, but he was crucial to our victory that evening, so I will always remember what he did there and I’m excited to see him play again.”
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