Wane: KR clash is Wigan’s biggest game of the season

Wigan coach Shaun Wane believes that the Challenge Cup is rugby league’s most precious trophy.

He loves the competition to such an extent, that he is viewing Friday night’s sixth round clash with Hull KR at the Leigh Sports Village as his team’s most important game of the season.

“It’s the biggest game of the year for me, the most important one is this Friday,” he said.

“I want all the Wigan fans to get behind us and make it Leigh to make it a home game.

“I’ve said it all my life, winning the Challenge Cup and beating Hull was probably one of the best days of my life.

“Going up there with the players and the Challenge Cup. The coach ride back the next day back was ‘different’ – I remember the first half an hour!

“So it’s a great experience – the best. I’m really glad I’ve done it, and I want to feel that again.

“I’ve got players in my team who have not gone there and won it, so I want them to feel it and experience it because it is something special.”

Wane is anticipating a different Rovers team to the one that got hammered 60-0 by Wigan in the Super League game at the DW Stadium a few weeks ago.

KR will have some middle unit forwards available again, as well as their main playmaker in the shape of Terry Campese.

“I think they will have a different attitude going into this game,” Wane said of Rovers.

“Obviously one of the main players didn’t play. So they’re putting a lot of pressure on Campese to turn up and change things.

“We just need to make sure we defend well and put him under pressure. Same with Albert Kelly.

“They’ve got some good players in the team, so we need to defend like we have been defending.

“We’ve had three nils in four games this year, so I’m really pleased with our ‘D’.

“But good teams and great teams can do it week-in and week-out, and it’s another big pressure one for us this weekend.”