Flanagan: Wigan deserved their win

Cronulla coach Shaun Flanagan admitted Wigan deserved their World Club Challenge victory and says he would like his club to take part in the competition again.

The Sharks fell to a 18-point loss at the DW Stadium yesterday.

“It was real physical,” Flanagan said.

“I thought both sides dug in and had a go, it was a real quality game.

“Wigan took their chances in the first half and we didn’t. They made the best of their opportunities.

“It was a fantastic game, a great crowd, and it was good for us. It was a really good game leading into our season.”

There was only two matches in the World Club Series, as opposed to three in 2015 and 2016.

Flanagan revealed he would be happy to bring his team over to the UK again.

“It’s fantastic,” he said.

“The way we’ve been treated by the organisers and Wigan has been first class, I know all the players have appreciated it.

“To play in a game like this in front of a crowd so passionate about their rugby league, we’ll come over every year.”