Thomas Leuluai ‘lived like a nun for three weeks’ to be fit for Challenge Cup

Wigan captain Thomas Leuluai says he “lived like a nun for three weeks” in a bid to be fit for the Betfred Challenge Cup final.

The veteran half-back or hooker had been expected to sit out another six weeks with the knee injury he sustained in the Good Friday derby with St Helens but was named on the bench for the final against Huddersfield on Saturday and played a key role in their gripping 16-14 victory.

“I pushed it really hard and I’ve got to thank the physios, who worked hard on me,” Leuluai said.

“At the start I got told it was 12 weeks but I got back in six. I lived like a nun for three weeks – my diet was perfect.

“I went full whack. I said to my wife, ‘I need to do all I can to get in the team if there’s a chance’, so I’ve got to give special thanks to her.

“And the club were really good, they bought me a sauna blanket at home which I jumped in every night.

We literally threw everything at it - altitude chambers and ice baths, I was getting massages and trained pretty much non stop for three weeks- Thomas Leuluai

“We literally threw everything at it – altitude chambers and ice baths, I was getting massages and trained pretty much non stop for three weeks to try and get right.”

Leuluai says he surprised himself by coming back so quickly but ended up spending more time on the field than planned because of Wigan’s poor start and an injury towards the end of the game to stand-off Cade Cust.

“(Head coach) Matty (Peet) told me what he was looking for from me, I said ‘I reckon I can do that’,” he said.

“We rushed it but I got through training. Matty had the trust in me to do that and I’m so grateful that we got the win so I could repay that trust.

“I just wanted to give Matty an option. If we had had an injury, I would