20 July 2023 , 17:08
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Wigan superstar Bevan French has no qualms with yet another positional switch - as he essentially tricked his coach into making it.
Stand-off is the Aussie flyer’s third different role this season but he’s not complaining ahead of Sunday’s crunch Betfred Challenge Cup semi-final against Hull KR. French was Super League’s top scorer last term with a walloping 31 tries, mainly from the wing, so it was no surprise he started this campaign there. But most people reckon the speedster’s best position is full-back where his electric pace burns has helped produce some sublime displays for Matt Peet’s side this year.
However, French is set to play No.6 again at Headingley as the Cup holders bid to reach Wembley again. Fellow countryman Jai Field recently reverted to his favoured full-back role and with Liam Marshall and Abbas Miski in great nick on the flanks, French has a new slot. Such constant shuffling could be problematic but the gifted 27-year-old insisted otherwise.
The ex-Parramatta ace, who’s featured in the last half-dozen games in a new half-back pairing with Harry Smith, explained: “Matt doesn’t know this but I’d sort of painted the scene. I told him I had done it before (played stand-off) so he’d feel comfortable doing it! But I hadn’t really. He said I could come back and play there and, when I did, it was good.
"It also freed Jai up; he can just worry about being at full-back now, his preferred position. We’ve seen the last few weeks he’s been lighting things up. So I’m more than happy to do it. And my reaction to being told about it was sweet: because I was the one who planted the seed!”
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French, one of Super League’s big stars since moving to the UK in 2019, conceded this is his first real stab at the playmaker role having never started an NRL game in that position. And he added: “I think I’ll be there until further notice or maybe until the end of the year. It doesn’t bother me. I’m enjoying the challenge of it: not being comfortable in that position and trying to improve every week.
Wigan Warriors celebrates scoring another try against Warrington (Martin Rickett/PA Wire) (PA)"I’m eager to learn and as long as I keep that approach it will all go well. We seem to have a good balance now. If I have to stay there for the rest of the year, meaning it helps the team, I’m really looking forward to it.”
But first up are Hull KR who have caused Wigan issues this season, beating them on the opening day and only going down in golden-point when they met at Craven Park in May. That night Warriors needed Miskas’ try on the final hooter to rescue them before French’s searing break gave Liam Farrell the decisive score in extra-time.
A try-scorer in last year’s Cup final win over Huddersfield at Spurs, he said: “They’ll come out firing. We know what KR are like. They go for the full 80. We’re ready for that sort of war. But we want to get back to the final again."