Wigan Warriors coach delivers Jai Field update ahead of Leeds Rhinos clash

Wigan Warriors boss Matt Peet has confirmed that Jai Field will return to his side for Saturday’s trip to Leeds Rhinos, re-affirming that the full-back’s absence from Tuesday’s victory against Leigh Leopards was a planned one.

Field marked his return from a hamstring problem on August 1 against Huddersfield Giants, scoring a try in a 28-14 win before being withdrawn, having missed more than seven weeks of action on the sidelines.

He was then named in Peet’s initial 21-man squad for Tuesday night’s game against Leigh, but was omitted from the matchday 18, with his team-mates picking up a 28-6 victory.

The full-back is once again in Wigan’s 21 for Saturday’s trip to Headingley, and Peet has now confirmed he will feature.

Wigan Warriors coach delivers Jai Field update ahead of Leeds Rhinos clash

Due to that Leigh clash – from Round 2 – being rescheduled, the Warriors have faced a gruelling schedule of three games in nine days, with their trip to Headingley rounding off that period.

And Peet detailed that, given the time he had spent out injured before this run of games, Australian ace Field was never going to be able to play in all three.

Speaking in Friday afternoon’s pre-match press conference, the Cherry and Whites chief said: “Yeah, he’ll play tomorrow.

“It was always the plan that three games in 10 days would have been dangerous for Jai after so long out.

“It would have been a huge spike in his load of work, so we had a choice to make as to whether he played in that number two game (against Leigh) or whether he played in games one and three (against Huddersfield and Leeds).

“That’s why he didn’t play on Tuesday.”

Elsewhere, Peet’s side are in need of an out and out number 9 following Brad O’Neill’s season-ending ACL injury.

Kruise Leeming, who only returned from injury himself recently, filled the void and did so superbly on Tuesday evening against Leigh, but a deputy is still needed.

There’s good news on that front, as Peet detailed, with youngster Tom Forber – another who has spent time on the sidelines through injury – set to be back involved at senior level very shortly.

Peet said: “He’s going to play for our reserves on Saturday.

“I did consider putting him on the bench, but I just feel for his confidence and to get him some minutes under his belt, playing some decent minutes in the reserve game will be better than coming and playing off the bench for us.”