Exclusive: Wigan Warriors hooker Sam Powell provides fresh update on his future after Grand Final triumph
Sam Powell applauds the Wigan Warriors fans - Alamy
Sam Powell admits he is unsure if Saturday’s Super League Grand Final was the final match of his Wigan Warriors career.
The hooker came off the bench to help the Warriors win the Grand Final for the first time since 2018, courtesy of a 10-2 victory against Catalans Dragons at Old Trafford.
It is Powell’s third Grand Final win as a Wigan player, but he now faces an intriguing off-season.
With Brad O’Neill excelling as Matt Peet’s starting hooker and Kruise Leeming joining from NRL side Gold Coast Titans this winter, Powell faces the prospect of being a possible third-choice in the hooking department next season.
He has attracted interest from clubs including Huddersfield Giants and Leeds Rhinos, but is believed to favour a move closer to his home in Wigan should he decide to leave the DW Stadium, where he has spent his entire playing career to date.
And when asked what his future had in store after Saturday’s win, Powell told Love Rugby League: “Job centre next week, I think! I don’t know, in all honesty. If you’re asking whether I’ve got anything sorted for next year, I haven’t.
“I’ve been here 15 years now and I understand Brad has had a great year and they’ve recruited Kruise, so I don’t know where it leaves me. But I’m not thinking about that right now. I want to play, 100 per cent I do.
“Right now it would be hard to imagine playing for someone else but it’s life, it’s rugby league.
“I’ve had success here and I feel like there’s a team and a leader here now where we can have sustained success and that doesn’t come easy. The culture has got to be bang on and Wigan have got it right now.”
Sam Powell on overcoming adversity to help Wigan Warriors lift Super League trophy
Wigan Warriors captain Liam Farrell lifts the Super League trophy – Alamy
Powell has battled back from a mid-season shoulder operation to reclaim his place in Wigan’s 17 for the business end of the season, with the hooker playing a key role in the Warriors’ success in Super League alongside O’Neill in the hooking department.
And he admitted his third Grand Final success had extra satisfaction given the struggles he had endured earlier in the year.
He said: “It makes me smile, thinking about that. Halfway through the season it was probably the toughest time of my career.
“I had a shoulder operation we were hoping could wait until the end of the year, but it couldn’t. So I had it done, and to be back playing in games like this and play my part is amazing.
“It’s been a tough year but I’m really proud of this year, and that my girls could come and get to see this happen.”