Liam Byrne praises ‘unbelievably talented’ team-mates as prop talks squad competition following return

Having missed the previous four games following his red card on Good Friday, Byrne started on his return as Wigan claimed a 30-8 victory over Steve McNamara’s Dragons to take the top spot on the Super League table.

The 24-year-old now adds more competition to the stacked pack at the reigning Super League champions with Sam Walters, Sam Eseh and Ethan Havard having all recently returned from their respective injuries.

Veteran prop Mike Cooper is also expected to return after missing the recent triumph due to a failed head injury assessment against Hull KR.

“There's plenty of competition, it feels like the most middles we've had,” Ireland international Byrne said.

“Every single one of them is unbelievably talented, so they are great people to have around you and it's really good competition as well.

“They are great lads to play alongside and they keep you on your toes every week, so it's good.

“There's so much strength in depth. A few years ago in 2019 when I was coming through we didn't have that extensive kind of squad and especially with our middle.

“I think Benny Flower was injured and Tony Clubb was injured, so me, Ethan (Havard) Morgan (Smithies) and Ollie (Partington) came through.

“We had quite a light and young pack so compared to now, we've come on leaps and bounds and have got really good depth. It's good to be a part of.”

The Warriors travel to the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday to face Huddersfield Giants, who have fallen to back-to-back defeats to St Helens and Salford Red Devils in recent weeks.

Wigan and Huddersfield have already met this season, with Matt Peet’s side claiming a 30-16 home win less than seven days after their historic World Club Challenge victory.

Looking ahead, Byrne said: “They've got a strong pack and they are a tough team.

“It's always a good game when we come up against them, so I'm looking forward to it.”