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Wigan brushed for Auckland Nines as Wayne Bennett gives event a thumbs up at launch


PETER BADEL
THE COURIER-MAIL
FEBRUARY 14, 2014 10:40AM



LEGENDARY British club Wigan made attempts to play in this year’s NRL Nines as master coach Wayne Bennett today gave the pre-season tournament his seal of approval.

The NRL’s 16 clubs officially launched the Nines in Auckland today, with more than 100,000 fans set to flock to Eden Park over the weekend as interest in the inaugural event surges.



​[urlhttp://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/wigan-brushed-for-auckland-nines-as-wayne-bennett-gives-event-a-thumbs-up-at-launch/story-fni3fbgz-1226826968455[/url

It's a shame they couldn't accommodate us, Melbourne haven't took it seriously and could be the whipping boys, had we been able to take their place I genuinely think we could have won it

Yeah it would have been a good serve for Melbourne if Wigan had of taken their spot.

It was a bit cheeky of Wigan to ask. How do you add a seventeenth team to the competition when the draw and the time table has been set already.
Still the important thing is they have sparked the discussion at NRL HQ and they have been muttering about expansion from the day the Tickets sold out.

I think the reality is wigan were interested as preparation for the WCC, i doubt they would fly round the world for it if the WCC wasnt in oz

I think the main issue is the fixtures and format of the Auckland 9's were set in stone a long time before it was decided that the WCC was going to be played down under. If they are going to alternate the WCC hemisphere then there's no reason why the SL champions can't be accomodated in the 2016 9's tournament.

I'm interested to see how this weekend goes, if it's a success I really hope the RFL look at changing the Magic Weekend to a 9's comp.

To include the top 4 from superleague and make it a 20 team comp would make sense to me. If that were the case we could send some pretty good teams over there to compete.

Sounds like a good idea but the timing not great, the only reason we are interested is because we are over there on other business's.
I would be a bit hacked off if our 1st team went off for a couple of weeks for a warm up tournament during our first 2 games of the season.

They dont wont the 'Pommies' there as look what happened in 92 - flew 1/2 way round the world and walked away with the trophy and money.

Another 1st for this Great Club.

Not Great any more ......

WE ARE LEGEND NOW!! lol

World Club Team (more than likely)

Bowen
Charnley Goulding Sarge Burgess
Green Smith
Taylor McM Flower
Faz Clubb
Lockers
--------------------
Petty Dudson Hughes Powell

9's squad

Hampshire
Manfredi
Thornley
Sarge
Burgess
Williams
Powell
Crosby
Tomkins
Dudson
Bateman
Hughes
Clubb
Gelling
etc...

we could have easily entered it this year.

Every team that walked out onto Eden park to warm up were met with a massive Roar from the NZ fans....the players were shocked at the reception they got from the 'opposition fans' .

Then the place erupted . We peered to see what was causing the Stands to rumble and why the air had turned electric........

Sam Tomkins had walked out into the Warm up area un announced and Eden Park went Beserk....In all me years supporting the Warriors their has not been the like...the Nines Fever is unique.

Sam Looked up to the Roar then clapped the adoring crowd as if to say ' Here we are the Champions .....your team ' when he did that the Roar got even louder and went on for what seemed an age.

On the Pitch Sam and Shaun Johnson ripped the Nines apart. Well Canberra and Manly were left clutching at Sams Shadow.

Tomkins and Johnson will prove the most lethal spine pairing in World rugby league today,

They Clicked. They were frightening together...they have chemistry.......Tomkins set up Johnson for Two Tries.

Johnson has made his name scoring individual Try's and in the leading the NRL halves for assists.

Today Tomkins took that role over and put Johnson and his electric pace and step into gaps.

no half is faster in the word than Johnson...that is undisputed.....no half steps as well as Johnson after he took the mantle from Benji Marhsall when they went head to head last year....No fullback has the compete range of skill and brains of Tomkins.

Today was the first time in many years that the Warriors had a ball playing back that can people into gaps.....and we have Xfactor fast backs coming out our ears.

Now we have a master Chess Mind at fullback , the Warriors will do some serious damage to the NRL this year...when you bring that forward pack that played Wigan and add Mannering who is our Lockers , Mateo , Vatuvei....and the players from the nines....we're going to shock the Aussies.

Just watching it on Premier Sports now, 6 hrs of RL!

Beautiful isn't it!



Tomkins will be an assist machine in the NRL this year.