Pre-season 2009 Wigan Warriors season

trent barrett.

following knock-out @ hands of leeds, task of acquiring new players began. 2008 influential stand-off trent barrett s last season warriors, after signed cronulla sharks 2009 national rugby league (nrl) season; barrett himself insisted tim smith replace him, after smith released parramatta eels following episode of bipolar disorder. last season liam colbon , mark calderwood, both transferred away club. attempt sign canberra raiders todd carney ended after huddersfield giants signed him instead. club prevented possible cross-code transfer george carmont rugby union extending contract. wigan signed first new player former sydney roosters player amos roberts, released contract year prematurely, lost player warrington wolves in mickey higham. joel tomkins, wigan warriors youth development product, extended contract until end of 2011 season. rumours move ryan mcgoldrick ended after publicly ruled out possible transfer. question on barrett s successor in stand-off position again raised when tim smith, on holiday in native australia @ time, approached cronulla sharks seeking return nrl, although club did not pursue deal smith , therefore stayed @ wigan 2009 season. greg bird, had been suspended cronulla sharks alleged assault on girlfriend cited independent target warriors, plans of transfer denied club s chairman, ian lenagan. on 30 january 2009, lenagan confirmed unlikely there more signings new season, having acquired 2 new players (amos roberts , mark riddell), after attempts sign richard moore wakefield trinity wildcats failed.

thomas leuluai playing new zealand during 2008 rugby league world cup.

the 2008 rugby league world cup held in australia during off-season, , several wigan players 2008 season involved in matches concerning own international teams. pat richards, eamon o carroll , michael mcilorum called irish team, paul prescott missing out due injury. carmont , harrison hansen selected samoan national team. stuart fielden omitted england squad calderwood, higham , gareth hock received places. thomas leuluai became super league player 2008 season win world cup when new zealand team played hooker defeated australian team 20–34 in final.

wigan played 3 friendly matches after world cup, first being 4–44 victory on warrington wolves @ halliwell jones stadium during traditional festive season, in riddell , karl pryce both made first-team debuts. warriors played in changed pink , black-hooped jersey in support of local hospice, sam tomkins completed twenty-minute hat-trick, richard mathers , pryce scored double each, , shaun ainscough , joel tomkins picked 1 try apiece. next match against huddersfield giants proved more difficult, carmont scored last-minute try hand wigan narrow victory @ galpharm stadium, riddell scoring 2 tries , fielden being sin-binned in first half. on official opening on new leigh sports village , week before new super league season began, warriors whitewashed local rivals leigh centurions 0–32 squad in both new signings, roberts , riddell, left out of.

amos roberts, 1 of 2 pre-season signings made wigan.