Wigan Warriors win record without Jai Field and Bevan French is categorically as horrific as you’d expect
Photo by James Heaton/News Images.
Any Wigan Warriors fan who has watched the world champions for even a fraction of time over the last few years would have known it.
But it’s quite simple – and the numbers prove it. When Jai Field is missing, Wigan are a poorer side. When Bevan French is missing, Wigan are a poorer side.
When they’re both missing? They are significantly worse, as their win/loss record without one or both of the duo proves.
They were both absent again on Friday night and the Warriors were heavily beaten by Warrington Wolves. They started the night on top of Super League, and ended it in third given the manner of their 40-4 loss. And they need their two key men back quickly.
French has played over 100 games for the Warriors since joining the club in 2019 and they have won a significant portion of them: 77 per cent. Without French, as they currently are at the minute, that number drops all the way down to 57 per cent.
The numbers are not much better in terms of Field. The Warriors have almost an identical win percentage with Field on the pitch – 77 per cent of times he has played, Matt Peet’s side have won.
But when he’s been missing – as he has been for extended periods during his time in Super League – that figure drops all the way down to 62 per cent.
But it is really what happens when neither are playing that things get really interesting.
Since Field arrived at Wigan to join French, the Warriors have played 22 games without both of them in the side. They have won only 10.
That is a return of around 45 per cent and is clearly a worry given how French is sidelined for the foreseeable, and Field is still not yet ready to return.
He said: “We made too many basic errors. Defensively we weren’t at our best. It’s a tough night for us, we’ll take it on the chin and look to improve from that.”
When asked what was most frustrating, he said: “The scoreline, really. Particularly playing in front of our home fans. Whenever we turn out as a team, we’re embarrassed to be associated with that scoreline. We all have to look at ourselves and be better.”