Lifted from a betting site forum:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the players and staff from Wigan RLFC for the way the whole team preformed off the pitch at the weekend.

I have know Nobby for more years than I care to remember from way back in the Bradford Northern team and getting our badges together.

As Wigan were playing in my neck of the wood I spoke to Nobby and asked if i could help in anyway.

To cut a long story short he asked about a hotel and training facility's which I pointed him in the right direction and arranged the training facility's through a local school I have some contacts with.

I meet up with the team and went on the bus with then to the School for light training ( Like old times for me a blast from the past ).


When we arrived the players got changed and started warming up and practising the set moves .After about 5 minuets a group of 4 school kids aged about 12 /14 came and watched from the touch line shouting words of encouragement and clapping ever time the moves worked ( pity they did not work on the Field on Monday night ). After a good season training four of the wigan players ( Amos Roberts , Mark Riddell . Lafeta Paseaaesing and Pat Richards ) went over to the lads for a chat . A couple of the school kids spoke a little English , the players thank them for there support and asked them if they were coming to the match . The lads said they would love to come but the cost of 15 euro each was more than thier spending money.

Mark Riddell told then to get there best bib and tucker on and be at the ground for 4.00 pm and tickets would be left for the lads even if he had to pay for them .

The lads arrived and collected the tickets for the main stand and shouted and cheered for the Wigan team from start to finish ( The French people sat around them could not understand why French kids would be shouting come on Wigan or the French equivalent.)

After the match the kids were invited in to the teams lounge to meet there new found friends along with the Catalan team.

Mark Riddell , Amos Roberts . Pat Richards and Lafeta gave there playing shirts to the 4 lads and thanked them for there support but said sorry for the performance.

The kids thank the players in a mixture of broken English and French saying this was the best day of there lifes and i am sure i saw a tear in the eye of Lafeta

Perhaps Wigan are not the team of old but yesterday they stood head and shoulders above any other team . The Team are not just players but a credit to Wigan and the world in general.


The smile on those lads faces will last a lifetime .


Thanks Lads you are all a credit . Men of the highest order

Nice to have a little positivity around here at the moment. Well done to the lads.

Fantastic

well done lads

Belltin well done

Great to hear.

Credit to the club.

Fantastic to hear. Really pleased they behaved that way!!!

Makes you wonder how much stuff like this the players do that never gets picked up on yet if they have a pint on a Saturday night its plastered all over here and the likes.

Well done to the players. Just typical of RL Players to take time to be with children/supporters.

Maybe that shows that amougst the majority of players the attitude is pretty good.

More weight to a coaching change?

Well done lads



Lafeta Paseaaesing

Great stuff from the players - always good to hear stories such as this.

Well done lads! Maybe future French rugby players there in them young lads and maybe play for Wigan?

Well if they can't play rugby maybe there is a job for them in the [iCorps Diplomatique[/i

Excellent

Seconded. A great story.

Dave

Thats how it is spelt

Iafeta Paleaaesina

Its experiences like that as a youngster that make you fall in love with a sport and a team

Great story and well done them players

Brilliant to hear, and to be honest it's great that a couple of the imports whose attitude is sometimes questioned were amongst those. Shows that they aren't just here for the money.

whoops!!. egg on face time!!!

I'm chuffed to bits to read that.

Dont often post on here - just read it!
Good to see things like this get a mention but i thought the playing shirts were being auctioned off for charity?

I'm sure players will have sorted this out.

Excellent little story. Full credit to the players.