NRL club named amid claims Wigan Warriors star would ‘light up’ comp

Former State of Origin and Catalans Dragons man Mitchell Pearce has tipped Wigan Warriors star Bevan French to “light up” NRL.

The former halfback, a regular for New South Wales in State of Origin across his NRL career, ended his playing time after a spell with Catalans Dragons – with 14 tries in 41 appearances.

With Sydney Roosters in NRL, he won the Premiership in 2013 but had his final game ten years later in Grand Final defeat to Wigan Warriors.

Now, he has sung the praises of one of the stars of the team that won on that day.

NRL club named amid claims Wigan Warriors star would ‘light up’ comp

Speaking on the SmartB Sports Podcast recently, Pearce named a superstar as a player that would excel in the NRL Premiership.

He said: “Bevan French, for anyone who hasn’t been watching Super League, I went to the Grand Final this year where he was man of the match and played against him when I was over there; he’s unbelievable over there.

“Obviously he played at Parramatta when he was in the NRL; he was only a young kid. He’s gone over to Super League, and honestly, some of the stuff—if you get the chance to watch his highlights on YouTube, he’s unbelievable. All those instincts; he’s the best player over there by a mile, and he’s got a great combination with Jai Field there.

“If Bevan French was ever open to going back to the NRL, whether Dragons or another club, I reckon you’d get some pretty good footy out of him. I’d love to see him come back. He’d light up the NRL, I think.”

He’s contracted with the Warriors until 2028, making a move more unlikely – but if a club was willing to break the bank to buy him out of that contract, it’s likely that he would indeed be a superstar back Down Under.