Wigan star Jai Field ruled out for five months

Wigan will be without their off-season recruit Jai Field for five months due to a hamstring injury.

The 23-year-old made his debut for the Warriors on the wing in Friday’s opening round win against Leigh – but left the action after pulling up on an interception attempt with a hamstring injury.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of their game against Wakefield on Thursday, Wigan coach Adrian Lam confirmed that Field’s injury is worse than the six-week period they first feared.

Lam said: “It’s worse case scenario with Jai. It looks like he’s torn the belly of the hamstring and tendons and everything involved with that. It’s a real bad injury – five months he’ll be out for.

“It’s not good at all and as a club we are devastated for him, his family and our fans.

“We just want to make sure we rally around him and make him feel okay. It is a difficult time, he has been here for a long time without his family and through the COVID period he has been isolated. He gets a chance to play rugby which he loves the most and that happened.

“It was unfortunate too because had he picked the ball up clean I think all of the Super League would’ve seen how quick he can be. We are going to miss that but we’ll have him back pretty soon and have him up and going.”

Lam confirmed that Jackson Hastings will return to the side against Wakefield, but centre Oliver Gildart still faces another couple of weeks on the sidelines.

Subscribe to The Final Hooter on Apple Podcasts and get involved with the free-to-play Fantasy Rugby League 2021.

Rugby League Nostalgia is here! Get involved with Love Rugby League’s new group on Facebook to share all your rugby league nostalgia and celebrate the rich heritage of our sport.