Wigan Warriors coach teases major injury boost as Zach Eckersley latest delivered

Wigan boss Matt Peet has revealed that Ethan Havard could feature for the first time this season when the Warriors travel to Catalans Dragons this weekend.

Havard missed Wigan’s pre-season fixtures due to a shoulder injury picked up on international duty for England against Samoa last autumn.

But having struggled heavily with hamstring problems over the last few years, he suffered a serious issue to the muscle during the latter stages of pre-season, and was ruled out for a ‘few months’ as a result.

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Wigan Warriors coach teases major Ethan Havard injury boost

The three-time England international, born in Bulgaria, has made exactly 100 appearances for the Cherry and Whites since making his senior bow back in 2019.

Peet’s side take on Catalans on Saturday evening, and the Wigan head coach revealed that prop Havard could feature at the Stade Gilbert Brutus.

He said: “Ethan’s in the squad. We’ve got another (training) session left and he looks in good shape, but we’ll see.

“We’ve just stuck 100% to the process and aired a little bit on the side of caution (with his recovery).

“We’ve re-scanned it and not brought any of the stages forward when we maybe could have done.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming him back, whether it’s this week or against Salford.”

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Zach Eckersley latest delivered ahead of Catalans Dragons clash

Wigan’s last outing saw them beat neighbours Leigh Leopards 36-28 on home soil in a game which saw Warriors young gun Zach Eckersley stretchered off following a lengthy stoppage after a crusher-style tackle on his neck.

The club earlier this week confirmed that the Oldham-born ace had received the all-clear at Salford Royal Hospital, and such is his character, Peet revealed Eckersley may yet take to the field this weekend.

He explained: “Zach’s trained today and we’ll assess him later in the week. He could play this weekend. We won’t take any risks.

“He was saying, on the (Leigh) game, that he thought it was an overreaction. But with what he was saying he was feeling in his neck, the medical team have to do the right thing.

“I think our game’s famous for looking after these lads the right way. Everyone respects the process and you’re always hoping that it’s precaution, but it just has to be done and no risks can be taken.

“The lads have got to report what they’re feeling, but it’s all in the middle of a breakneck game with 20,000 people watching.

“Once they get the confirmation of the scan, I think they’re happy to just trust their body coming out of it and trust the experts.”

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