Bevan French will miss Wigan Warriors’ season-opener against Leigh Centurions on Friday, opening the door for Zak Hardaker to stake a claim for his old position.
French remains in Australia following his off-season break and, while he will return in the next couple of days, he will not be considered for the showdown with John Duffy’s newly-promoted side.
England centre Oliver Gildart and Aussie half-back Jackson Hastings are doubtful while Dom Manfredi (thumb), Liam Marshall (ACL) will definitely miss out, leaving Adrian Lam with a significantly-depleted squad.
Close-season signings Jai Field and John Bateman should feature and Warriors boss Lam said of French: “He'll be in the country in the next couple of days, then we'll assess the
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