Shaun Wane has challenged Wigan to go unbeaten for the rest of the season to ensure they finish top of the Super League. After defeat to St Helens last week, the Warriors sit third heading into game against Salford, three points off the summit with 12 matches remaining before the play-offs.
The Wigan coach is not only targeting the top-four finish that would secure a play-off spot – he also wants his side to win all their remaining fixtures and finish top. “I don’t want to lose another game all year,” Wane said. “That’s the genuine aim and I’d never look at things and say: ‘I want to be top four.’ I want to be top and I don’t want to lose another game.
“And I think it’s realistic. We’ve showed it. Leeds were the best team [in the competition] and we ground them down and performed really well but we’ve not got that consistency. When we think we’re going well, we turn in a poor performance. So it’s about finding that consistency and DNA of finding levels we don’t dip under.”
Wane will allow the hooker Logan Tomkins, on loan at Salford, to play in the match, and admits he is wary of the fact Tomkins will want to put in a strong performance against his parent club. “I rate Logan very highly and he’ll be wanting to come and put a show on. Not letting him play wouldn’t be fair to Salford and I want to do the right thing by Logan. It wouldn’t be right to pull him out of certain games.
“And I’m sure he’ll be wanting to prove that I was wrong to send him out on loan and that he should be playing for Wigan. Knowing him, he’s a very competitive person and I’m sure he’ll be wanting to put in a good performance.”
Salford were thrown into turmoil on the eve of the game when it was revealed the New Zealand full-back Kevin Locke has handed in a resignation letter. The 26-year-old has not played since 1 May, and injuries and loss of form have restricted the 2013 World Cup winner to only 13 appearances since joining the club last year.
Richard Cramer, a Leeds-based sports lawyer who is acting for the player, confirmed Locke’s grievance is related to non-payment of wages and he now regards himself as a free agent. “Kevin is looking to move on in his career,” he said. “There are a number of issues involved.”
Salford’s owner, Marwan Koukash, has promised to tell the club’s side of the tale on Tuesday, and insists they have not responded to Locke’s request.
The new Catalans Dragons signing Krisnan Inu has laughed off suggestions of a deal with Hull FC for 2016 after reports linked the cross-code player with a switch next season.
The former New Zealand and Samoa international has signed for the Dragons until the end of the season after a brief spell in the 15-man code with Stade Français and said he has no idea where the rumour came from.
“I’ve seen so much about it on Twitter, I’ve heard more there than anywhere else,” Inu said. “Someone clearly knows something I don’t; and I didn’t want to get people’s hopes up by replying.
“There’s no deal in place at the moment, I’m just concentrating on Catalans. The first I heard about it was when people were tweeting me – it’s pretty funny, really.”
