What Wigan Warriors fans can expect from cross code signing Christian Wade

Wigan Warriors provided a big surprise on Good Friday when they announced the signing of rugby union man Christian Wade. The 33-year-old has joined Wigan for the remainder of the season with Wigan making use of the new talent pool salary cap ruling to bring him in.

It’s a roll of the dice for the Warriors, with the success rate from rugby union players stepping into league being chequered to say the very least. However, he has the attributes to make a success of himself in the 13-man game, with Wade’s raw pace and power giving him the potential to light up Super League when he eventually arrives.

His short-term contract won’t become active until the conclusion of the Premiership Rugby season, with Gloucester still in the play-off hunt with four games left to play. As such, he isn’t expected to be able to pull on the cherry and white of Wigan until June at the very earliest.

That gives him just under four months of the regular season to make his mark in a side that will be going all out to retain their Super League crown.

Wade’s presence in the league will certainly bring eyes, though, with the one-time England international being a popular man in the 15-man code and the three years he spent in the NFL with Buffalo Bills should be noted, too.

So what can Wigan fans expect to see from the club’s latest signing?

Where will Christian Wade play?

It’s fairly safe to assume he will play on the wing for Wigan Warriors. He’s played that role over the course of his career in rugby union and he has amassed over 500 points in the position while at Wasps, Racing 92 and Gloucester.

With Abbas Miski struggling with injuries at present, the presence of Wade allows Matt Peet to spell the Lebanon international if required. It’s hard to see Miski coming out of the side if he doesn’t need to, though, with Liam Marshall more than secure on the other side, too. As such, Wade isn’t likely to walk into the Wigan team and as he gets to grips with a new code, he might have to bide his time before getting an opportunity to show what he can do.

Will he suit rugby league?

Well, it certainly seems as though Wade’s skillset and natural attributes could help him to make the crossover with relative ease. His speed would be an asset in any Super League side but with French and Field alongside him, he should be one of the first in support of clean breaks down the field.

His ability to finish from anywhere on the field transcends both codes but with two less men to beat on the field, he should in theory find more open space to exploit. Of course he is 33 now and he might not be as quick as he was in his prime, but even if he has lost a yard, he’ll still be one of the sharpest in the competition, with the agility that took him to the NFL set to be paramount, too.

He’s not just about tries, though, with clips available online of his defensive efforts. He has recently been praised for an improved ability in the air, too. He should have no issue coming inside and attempting to make the hard yards through the middle, too, with his running back experience potentially being important here.

What can Wigan Warriors fans expect?

That’s the hard question but right off the bat, they shouldn’t expect too much, too soon. There’s no doubting his rugby skills but he has to get to grips with the 13-man game and the subtleties of it.

Wade won’t be stepping into Super League without knowing the job he’ll be given as a rugby league winger but the transition is unlikely to be completely seamless. If he can, Peet will be keen to give him as much time as possible to get up to speed at Robin Park and the rugby league rules might take some getting used to, as well.

On top of that, he has to somehow get his foot in the door. As mentioned above, Miski and Marshall will take some shifting, with the former scoring two tries against St Helens on Friday, as if to hammer home his importance.