I am...a bit older, and I think, at this stage of his career I still couldn't quite put French over the likes of Hanley. As you say, if he maintains this level of performance and sees out this whole contract he will move up the rankings. Even so, he has already won a Man of Steel, been top try scorer in a season,
broken the super league record for tries in a match and made the dream team 3 times in 4 years in 3 different positions. His individual accolades are already outstanding. I'd say he had overtaken Pat Richards as our best ever Australian import (I can't put Kenny, Miles or Renouf ahead of Richards due to his length of service).

But in terms of sheer enjoyment of watching a player, I can't really put anyone ahead of him anymore. He does things that no one else can and he can do it against the very best opposition as well as in the easy games. I also think his rugby brain is such that he will remain a threat even as his pace declines a bit, just as Tomkins did.

A 60% fit Bevan French is still our best game-breaker and top 3 halves in the league.

No one was better or as good as Hanley that I have seen.
But French is a bloody good one thats for sure.

Offiah and Robinson wer'nt too bad on the excitement stakes.

Only 8.5 games. He was incredible.

Was it only 8.5?

Goes to show what an 8.5 games it was for people to still remember - What could have been if it weren't for that knee injury against the post.

Love watching Bevan probably more than almost any player since the mid 80's when I first started watching Wigan.

Roberts sticks out as someone who was very similar to how Bevan plays but such a shame he got injured as I'm sure he would have been held in similar esteem if we had seen him for a few seasons.

I can't go past Hanley as the best Wigan player I've seen though. Probably the English player the Aussies respected most even to this day.

Can't remember being as entertained by a player since Jason Robinson.

Since 1982:

Ferguson
Hanley
Robinson
Tomkins
Roberts
French

Bevan certainly has an x factor and does things in a game that others cant. What he has demonstrated at Wigan is his versatility too, with performances at FB, Wing and Stand-Off, running in and creating tries in all 3 positions

i'd add Offiah into the overall conversation, whilst he wasnt the best RL player in the world, he could do things that no-one else could (or has done since) in terms of his ability to find the try line from anywhere. He just looked so elegant in full flight and could take virtualy anyone on the outside with a yard of space

Kenny, Miles and Barrett all had great seasons with Wigan, and were a joy to watch but unfortunately we only had them for the short term

overall, my favourite player was Ellery, as he really was poetry in motion but equally hard as nails.

I'd add Henry Paul to that.

Try tonight won the game again

Bevan is one of the very best ever to play for Wigan.
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!

The would not have lost

That is both literally true, and, y'know, the other way!

Boston was the best and the player the Aussies respected most.

Has any other player taken the MOM in the WCC, the Lance Todd and the Harry Sunderland (Rob Burrows in Bev's case) in a single season before? Can't be too many.

French is one those players who seems to see things other players do not, his rugby sense is a step above many players - allied with lightning pace off the mark and step make him a threat from nothing. Plus he works so hard in defense as well, we are lucky to have a player like that.

I think the club bringing over his brother and uncle for the game really hit him emotionally (in a good way) - such a classy move by the club.

Our club is all class.

It sure is

For me, the greatest overseas signing we've made in the Super League era. The most naturally gifted rugby league player ive seen (I was born in 92 for context).

Nathan Cleary giving him big wraps at half time too.

Enjoy him while we can. We won't see another for several decades.

I'd be nervous if I were an opposition fan, player or coach as well because I think he can get even better as a stand off. He's been better this season as a stand off then he was in his spell there in 2023 and I think he can kick on again. He looks like he can break the line at will if he wants to and is looking more comfortable with being a little more selfish. I mean that in a good way because I thought he was too pass happy in his early months as a stand off and that is what the opposition will always want.

Scary stuff!

I reckon Nathan Cleary thinks, as I do, that on current form, far from being at best a squad player, as we might have thought a few years ago, Bevan would walk into most NRL sides now.

Important to recognise the approach the club took with Bevan, which was a little contentious at the time where they would allow him a longer off season break, pre-season training back in Australia, time off to be with his family, involving his Uncle and brother - and not just for this years GF.

It's that longer term view the club now have on how to treat players and invest in both them and their families that create this special group. The role of Rads in this shouldn't go unnoticed - he's had his critics in the past but I can't see a better run club and I haven't seen Wigan run this well since i've been watching them in the 80's.

I agree, and dare say the club is currently being run at its best ever. When we look back at our dominance of the 80's/90's the answer seemed to be to chuck more money at those who shouted the loudest (remember when both Hanley and Gregory effectively went on strike). Great times for us but definitely not a blueprint of how to run a business.

100% agree, at times we have criticised Rads but he has stuck at it, learned and applied that knowledge - now its paying dividends.

On Bevan, top 3 best for sure after this weekend. Before, my son and I were saying that he hadn't delivered a killer performance in a final and now he has. He has done everything else and with a casual genius that makes us take him for granted, no more!!!