Wigan Warriors’ CEO Kris Radlinski has explained the signing of Oliver Partington and spoken about the club’s warm-weather training camp, revealing how the club will be taking inspiration from hit TV show The Traitors to aid their team-building.
Sharing his thoughts in a blog published on the club’s website, Radlinski first explained the reason behind the club heading to Tenerife for some warm-weather training with the focus being on fine tuning after a tough eight weeks in the UK winter.
At that camp in Tenerife is new recruit Oliver Partington, re-signing for Wigan Warriors four years after he left them and Radlinski has hailed his return as ‘seamless’.
Recalling the moment he signed Partington as a youngster, Radlinski explained it to be the ‘easiest decision I have had to make’, citing the loose forwards values and standards for why he was first signed.
Now, the 27-year-old returns in a deal that saw Kruise Leeming head out on loan to Catalans and Radlinski has explained the thought process behind the recruitment.
Why Wigan Warriors signed Oliver Partington
Hailing Partington as a ‘well-round individual’, Radlinski pointed to succession as a reason to why they’ve signed the forward, stating: “Oli has all the attributes to develop into a genuine leader of this club. Every coach who has worked with him speaks highly of him, and every player who has played alongside him values him as a teammate. That’s a strong foundation to build from.”
He also said that having spoken with Matt Peet and all the other coaching staff, the decision to add Partington became a ‘no brainer’ but it was a move that did require someone to leave.
As to why it was Leeming who departed, Radlinski explained: “We did so knowing he craved more game time, had already enquired about other opportunities with his manager and also carried a sense of wanderlust and a desire for new experiences. Additionally, Joel Tomkins really wanted Kruise at the Dragons.”
Radlinski pointed to 22-year-old hooker Tom Forber as a player to take the next step as a result of that departure, adding: “The coaches have full confidence in his progression.”
How The Traitors will impact Wigan’s training camp
In respect to the actual training camp, which began with a Bronco Test that saw Jai Field register a blistering time of 4:21, Radlinski explained how Matt Peet had tapped into the cultural phenomenon The Traitors to enhance team-building within the group.
The Wigan Warriors CEO revealed: “Privately, Matt selected three “traitors” from within the squad. None of them know who the others are. They’ve been briefed that this is a deliberately designed experiment, not an excuse to undermine training or performance. Their role is far more subtle.
“Over the course of the week, they are to introduce small, selfish behaviours, moments that test standards rather than break them. They’ve also been asked to capture these moments as evidence.”
Whilst that might sound counter-intuitive, the reason behind it is actually genius with the ‘faithful’ players tasked with identifying those moments of selfishness, thus meaning players have to be aware throughout camp with a prize on offer if they can identify the ‘traitors’.
Radlinski explained: “This is elite-level team building. It blends psychology, trust, communication, leadership, and standards into a live environment, without anyone feeling like they’re being lectured.”
As well as the above, it adds an element of fun to the training camp, something that only serves to cultivate friendships and team bonds ahead of the Super League season.
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