Official: Former Warrington Wolves star to make stunning return

On Good Friday last year, Wigan Warriors star and former Warrington Wolves star Mike Cooper was struck by a heart breaking blow.

In a tackle that would yield a five match ban for St Helens star Morgan Knowles, Cooper suffered an ACL injury ending his season right then and there.

After months of rehab, Cooper is officially set to complete a remarkable return to the pitch after some speculated he would never play again.

The former Warrington Wolves star is set to feature for Wigan‘s reserves in a friendly with Huddersfield Giants reserves this weekend and he has spoken about the journey back.

“I need my confidence back with it really. I just need to get one tackle out of the way and then I am sure I will get back into the swing of it,” he said to Wigan TV.

“Then it’s about the minutes in the game and we will see where we’re at. I have just got to get back in the team or put myself in a position to get back in the team You can’t take anything for granted here.

“Get fit and I will aim to be back for Round One and if I’m not 100% then I won’t put my hand up but it’s been a long time.”

Wigan Warriors lay down marker

Champions Wigan laid down a marker on Sunday battering Hull FC 40-0 with Cooper’s fellow prop Tyler Dupree getting on the scoresheet.

Reflecting on the victory, Dupree said to Wigan’s website: “It was a tough encounter despite what the score suggests as Hull FC brought a massive test. We knew what they’d bring with their massive bodies in the middle, but we showed that we can dig deep and stick at it for longer.”

Dupree was one of seven scorers for the Warriors at the MKM Stadium, and speaking on his try, he said: “It came off the back of some fantastic play from Harry [Smith] for which I’m very grateful for. He just tells me where to run and I make sure to do it before he does the rest.”

Despite an emphatic second half showing, which saw the Warriors score six tries, Dupree directed his praise towards the defensive efforts.

He said: “We know we have the quality to score tries but you cannot lose if you don’t concede. Our main focus is our defence as it’s an area of the game we pride ourselves highly on. This afternoon we showed signs of where we aim to be defensively.

“Keeping any team to nil in any game is big, but to do it after facing continuous sets on the try line is massive. The performance wasn’t squeaky clean as we had errors but to keep Hull FC to nil is a massive achievement for us.”

Reflecting on pre-season, Dupree said: “Personally I’ve really enjoyed pre-season and it was important to dust off a few more cobwebs off. My goal throughout has been working on fitness so that I can play for longer this season. It’s also been massive as I’ve focused on developing as a player in all areas and already I feel in such a strong position compared to last season.”

Looking ahead to the start of the Super League season, Dupree said: “You can’t read too much into friendlies so our focus remains firmly on Castleford in Round One. We’ve gelled so much as a team to be on the same page and we’re all looking forward and ready to start the season together.”