ABBAS Miski hopes to book a Wembley place after revealing how he keeps cool while not playing rugby league – reading.
The Wigan winger is one of the authors of the Warriors’ quadruple bid – having won the World Club Challenge, they can take a huge step to leg two, the Challenge Cup.
And one of the secrets behind his success is how he spends his time away from the field. While many sports stars are found on the golf course, Miski is likely to be in the coffee shop at a major bookstore in his adopted city of Manchester.
It also makes him think that bit deeper, as his current read – Neale Donald Walsch’s Conversations With God – proves.
The Lebanon international said: “I enjoy reading but I don’t know where the love came from. I suppose I was quite an inquisitive young kid and it’s stayed with me.
“I find a bit of solace in reading a good book sometimes.
“It’s good to chill out and forget about everything. There’s a lot going on in rugby league, it’s an emotional rollercoaster.
“A lot of the boys play golf but I find a comfy seat and chill out. You don’t see many people you know and it’s very quiet.
“Coffees and reading, it’s good to get away from it all. Doing that’s great for my mindset and Conversations With God is a philosophy book and I’m enjoying it.
“Philosophy is a subject I take some interest in. I’ve given our coach, Matt Peet, the same book but I’m not sure he’s reading it yet!
“You learn different views. I don’t read to make my own opinion, I just read to see what other people think and learn about history. I’m not doing it for an end purpose, I’m doing it just for leisure.
“I also read a lot of fiction – 1984 is one of my favourite books – but I’ve been slacking a bit recently. Things have been busy, so I haven’t been reading as much as I want to!
“And you’d be surprised, a few players like reading, not just at Wigan but at other clubs.”
Miski and Wigan’s trip to Doncaster today to take on Hull KR may see them write their next chapter, a redemption story.
At their Robin Park training ground, an image showing the desolation of last year’s 11-10 golden point defeat is almost as prominent as ones of them lifting silverware.
And Miski, 28, believes recalling the pain is as important as reliving the glory.
He added: “I think that picture’s still there. We at Wigan thrive on competing in big games. Those are the ones you want to play in and this club’s about winning silverware.
“And the lows drive us towards that glory. It’s not all smooth sailing in rugby league, you take the highs, take the lows and learn a lot from them. We’re better off for all our losses as well as our wins.
“It’s quite fitting that it is Hull KR, especially after they kicked us out last year.
“That may play on us emotionally a bit, wanting that bit of redemption, but you can’t let those things get to you. It’s just another game and we’re prepared to do what we do best.”
