The amazing story behind Thomas Leuluai’s Wigan Warriors return in time for the Challenge Cup Final

There were plenty of amazing stories in yesterday’s Challenge Cup Final ranging from Bevan French’s desire to win for his mother who passed away just months ago to Matt Peet’s first trophy despite being just five months into the job.

However, one of the most awe-inspiring tales was the premature return of Tommy Leuluai from injury to inspire the Warriors to a late try which won them the game.

Leuluai was told he would be out for 12 weeks when he picked up the injury but managed to return in a fraction of that time to figure yesterday from the bench coming on for two stints the second of which saw him play a huge role in the winning try.

After the game, his coach Matt Peet could not speak highly enough of him outlining the conversation which sparked his return to the side for the Challenge Cup Final:

“Since the semi-final, he rang me and said he wanted to push it,” Peet recalled, “We kind of had that going on in the background we didn’t say too much about it to the other players. The medical team just put a plan together which accelerated his recovery and his return to play.

“But essentially you need the right bloke at the heart of it. The fact that it was his idea to push for it, I could speak all day about Thomas Leuluai. I learn so much off him. He’s a leader, the way he carries himself, his understanding of the game, his toughness.

“I just said to the players ‘we should all feel privileged to work with Tommy’ and they do, they love him and he loves them.”

Later Leuluai himself shed some light on the hoops he had to jump through to be fit for the final: “I knew in the week that I was playing. I pushed it, I pushed it really hard. I’ve Got to thank the physios. At the start I got told 12 weeks. I’m just grateful that I was trusted to get back.

“There’s no pain, it was more physically. I’d only run for like two weeks. It was a good effort from the physios, I was training, I was getting a massage, I was swimming. I just wanted to give Matty an option and he showed a lot of trust in you.

“When I started running it wasn’t too sore and there was no swelling and they’re two good signs and we said shall we just push it and if there had been an injury I’d have had to play anyway so I had to push it anyway.

“Matty told me it would just be 25 minutes at the back end of the game so I was sitting back relaxing but I could tell the way we started it was a bit nervy so maybe my experience could help in that situation and calm it down a bit.

“I then thought my job was done but then Custy went down with the elbow and Lockers pulled me over and said ‘you’re on.’ I hadn’t even trained in the halves. I asked ‘what do you reckon you need?’ and he said ‘points.'”

He certainly delivered those points throwing a delightful long ball which opened up enough space for Harry Smith to conjure up the right play which led to Liam Marshall’s winning try.