Ferguson’s arrival at Wigan’s pre-game team meeting was not the only surprise the club had arranged.
The Warriors flew Bevan French’s uncle and brother over from Australia in order to attend the final, with the pair presenting the game’s sole try scorer with his jersey.
“It goes in number order and mine was skipped – I thought it got rearranged or something, I didn’t know what was going on,” said French, 28.
“Then Raddy [chief executive officer Kris Radlinski] said, ‘We’ve got a special guest to present you [with] your jersey’, and in came the boys. Just being away all year is tough and all the sacrifices, I miss them all year. So I was quite emotional about it.
“Last time my uncle came over, he said it was the trip of a lifetime for him. Opening up doors and getting to share this experience with my family is something that I will remember forever and we’ll talk about this for years to come.”
The idea to bring over French’s family came about due to the motivational videos his uncle Shannon sends to the stand-off, which became a feature of team meetings over the course of the season.
“Shannon sends Bevan these inspirational videos where he pulls him to pieces and gives him tips on his play,” added Peet.
“We quite often put them on during team meetings and they’re hilarious. I don’t know if he means to be. It’s the real highlight of the week when we have a giggle at the messages.
“Kris Radlinski pulled me to one side and said, ‘I think we should bring him over’. Keeping it from Bevan was obviously a challenge.”
