Wigan Warriors star Bevan French was subject to discussions around an NRL return after lighting up the Grand Final.
French put in a Man of the Match performance and became the first winner of the renamed Rob Burrow Award, making history as the first man to win Man of the Match in the Grand Final and Challenge Cup in the same year. Just to highlight his dominance, French also picked up the accolade in the World Club Challenge against Penrith Panthers.
He had a brilliant try scratched off in that game but he would score the only try of the night on Saturday to secure Grand Final glory for Wigan Warriors and it’s certainly caught the attention of those down under.
Speaking on their SEN radio show, Andrew Voss and Greg Alexander, waxed lyrical about French’s try before then putting together a possible plan for his NRL return as they suggested that NRL clubs could be interested in his services.
“It was brilliant. Nathan Cleary said that the bloke is a freak,” Alexander exclaimed when describing the try before Voss would reference the common claims that French is “one of the best signings that Super League has ever had”.
They would then quickly move to talks about a possible NRL return, something that was discussed by the Australian media after his World Club Challenge performance. Back then it was Brad Fittler and Andrew Johns with former Warrington man Johns arguing that French would be a “sensation” if he returned.
How Wigan Warriors’ Bevan French could become a ‘million-dollar man’ in the NRL
Fast forward to now and similar conversations are happening and Andrew Voss outlined a possible plan for how and when the Wigan Warriors star could return to the NRL, focusing on the incoming 18th team that will be based in Papua New Guinea as well as any other possible expansions.
Voss argued: “If another team joins then in 2026 then you could become a million-dollar man with the scramble for players. If I’m Bevan French at the moment I’m making sure that my Wigan contract, if I ever thought of coming back to the NRL, comes to an end in 2026 so that I could be a marquee signing.”
Unfortunately for the NRL, French’s Wigan Warrior’s contract runs till 2028, something that the Australian would even reference in his post-game speech at the Grand Final as he stated: “I’m just grateful, not only for right now, but for this year, the past four years, and the next four years.”
Voss would continue his argument, asserting that French would be a ‘million-dollar man’ with Papua New Guinea potentially paying even more.
“He’s a million-dollar man for one of the new franchises. He’ll be 31, but he’d be a big signing for a new club. Now, if it’s going to be PNG then they’re going to even have to maybe pay more.
“If you were Bevan French’s manager, would you be telling him, come back to the NRL, I can get you a great deal, or would you stay where you are king? And he’s a king in the Super League.”
To that, Alexander fell in line as he cited the introduction of the 18th team as the prime time for French to make the move, something that would likely require a transfer fee going Wigan Warriors’ way given the half-back’s contract status.
“I think I’d wait until the new franchise in 2027,” Alexander explained.
“I’d stay and wait for that because then you can pounce, as long as his form remains the same, unless his manager can source a bigger deal to come back home (before 2027) and I don’t know I don’t know if that could happen.”
During his NRL career, French had a strong scoring rate but played primarily as a winger. It would be interesting to see, should any future move arise, where he would be deployed in the NRL but for now, he’s Wigan Warriors and Super League property and the competition is all the better for that.