Wigan Warriors CEO Highlights ‘Hunger in Paradise’ Challenge Ahead of 2025 Season.

Wigan Warriors CEO Highlights ‘Hunger in Paradise’ Challenge Ahead of 2025 Season

Wigan Warriors’ Chief Executive Kris Radlinski has underlined the importance of maintaining the club’s hunger for success following their historic 2024 season, describing their main challenge as “creating hunger in paradise.” The Warriors secured all four major trophies on offer this year, including a dominant Super League Grand Final victory over Hull KR at Old Trafford.

Speaking on Talksport, Radlinski emphasized the role of club captain Liam Farrell in driving standards and inspiring the squad to pursue further glory. Farrell, a veteran back-rower, has been central to Wigan’s success, and Radlinski believes his leadership will be key to ensuring the team avoids complacency.

“One of the challenges we’ve got now after being so successful is creating hunger in paradise,” Radlinski said. “We want these players to turn up to pre-season wanting to do it all again.

“We’re very lucky to have a captain in Liam Farrell who wants to finish his career with a career CV. He doesn’t want to have one year of success; he wants to look back at a 15-year career where he’s won many, many trophies.”

Wigan’s quadruple-winning achievements have placed them in contention for the prestigious BBC Sports Team of the Year award, to be announced during the Sports Personality of the Year ceremony on Tuesday at MediaCity in Salford. Radlinski expressed pride at the recognition for both the club and rugby league as a whole.

“The Sports Personality of the Year, as we all know, is an institution, and I’m pretty positive that they would have tracked our success this year,” he stated. “To be part of the conversation is massive for our club but more importantly for the sport.

“It’s stuck in this funny position where it’s everyone’s second-favourite sport. Everybody tunes in and watches it, but it doesn’t get the headlines or the profile it deserves. To be part of this special night is really important for us.”

Radlinski also addressed the broader challenges facing rugby league, particularly in light of financial pressures and competition from other sports. He highlighted the ongoing partnership with IMG, who are implementing a new grading process as part of their efforts to elevate the sport’s standards.

“IMG have come on board as our strategic partner, and next year will be the first year of the grading process,” he explained. “It’s got some fans and it’s had some real negative press as well, but I think IMG have said all along that it’s not the solution, it’s part of the process.

“Once the objectives have been achieved, which is to create stronger clubs, then they will talk about the next evolution of the sport. I think something which was perhaps mistaken right at the start of the IMG relationship was using the word ‘reimagination.’

“Perhaps it’s not been the reimagination or the dream we first anticipated, and I think they would probably say they’re a little bit behind where they would like to be at this stage. From a product point of view, it’s still delivering.”

The Warriors will learn their fate at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year event, which will be broadcast live on Tuesday evening.