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Louise Thomas
Editor
Wigan half-back Bevan French says his ever-growing Betfred Super League highlight reel was honed on the bone-hard pitches of a distant corner of New South Wales.
The 28-year-old former Man of Steel was the toast of social media last week after his instinctive kick-and-run try helped wrap up his side’s crushing 38-0 play-off win over neighbours Leigh.
Ahead of Saturday’s Grand Final against Hull KR at Old Trafford, French credited his team-mates and head coach Matt Peet for allowing him to continue to play with the freedom of expression that was instilled in him at an early age.
“I grew up in a very rural part of Australia where the nearest NRL club was five hours’ drive away and we didn’t know anything about game plans or tactics or training,” French told the PA news agency.
“Your team-mate would take a run and try to score and then it would be your turn. I played that way until I was 18 and when I first came onto the scene in the NRL I was a long way behind everyone else in terms of awareness.
“But I’m grateful to be in a squad that still allows me to express myself in that manner.
“It’s important to know that the team has got my back, there is that trust and connection between us and I can do whatever is needed to get on with the job.”
French is the latest in a celebrated line of indigenous players from the region around Tingha to make a name for themselves in professional rugby league, following the likes of NRL stars Nathan Blacklock, Preston Campbell and Owen Craigie.
And despite missing two months of the 2024 campaign to a hamstring injury, he has continued to speckle the competition with glimpses of his outrageous skill at the heart of a Wigan side gunning for a rare calendar quadruple in Manchester.
That extended period of absence denied him a realistic chance to emulate Paul Sculthorpe as only the second player to retain his Man of Steel Crown, with the award instead passing to Rovers’ Mikey Lewis, who will oppose him in the halves on Saturday.
But French is determined to draw positives from another successful campaign, adding: “During those two weeks out I had the time to get my body right and try to be ready for the back end of the season.
“When you’re getting older you can benefit from these extended periods of time.
“It’s also nice when you’re out to watch young players come in and change the trajectory of their lives and this season it has been great to see how team-mates like Jack Farrimond and Junior Nsemba have continued to develop.
It's about finding the balance on a professional level between the strength and tactical side and being able to express yourself and play with a smile on your face— Bevan French
“I don’t take any notice of social media but I’m aware the world is turning with highlight reels and if mine helps one young person pick the up ball and decide they want to play, that’s great.
“I was fortunate to be brought up in a place where I could play with so much freedom.
“It’s about finding the balance on a professional level between the strength and tactical side and being able to express yourself and play with a smile on your face.”
