Wigan Warriors skipper, Liam Farrell, says his side will have the bit between their teeth next year following tonight’s Grand Final defeat to Hull KR.
Wigan hadn’t conceded a point in back-to-back Old Trafford wins against Catalans Dragons and Hull KR, but were second-best throughout tonight’s showpiece.
Farrell insisted they will be inspired to bounce back stronger in 2026 when they aim to reclaim the crown.
“I hope so,” he said in the post-match press conference. “For quite a few of the lads it is their first taste of defeat in a Grand Final.
“It’s obviously very disappointing, but I’d like to think everyone will put it to the back of their minds as soon as they can and enjoy a break away from rugby and come back in refreshed next year.
“We will have the bit between our teeth next year. It’s not like we have to be a better team, just learn from a few areas where we can be better.”
Wigan made a series of mistakes, with Farrell dropping the ball a few metres short of the line, Bevan French failing to touch down over the whitewash and Brad O’Neill being sin-binned for a dangerous tackle, which led to two Robins tries.
“We will be kicking ourselves a bit over the next few days, I think,” Farrell admitted. “Apart from the first 20 minutes, Hull KR controlled the game really well and deserved what they got.
“They’ve been consistent all year so congratulations to them. There are things that will annoy us a bit and there’s definitely things we can learn from.”
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