LIAM Byrne is ready for a ‘special’ double – winning the League Leaders’ Shield by beating his hometown club.
But Wigan boss Matt Peet insists he will have to prepare for something ‘different’ in Salford.
The Warriors’ 38-0 thumping of Leeds set up a simple equation – beat the Red Devils on Thursday and the League Leaders’ Shield is theirs.
And prop Byrne, who hails from the Cadishead area of Salford, hopes to seal glory in front of those living around him.
He said: “Playing against Salford for me is really special. I really enjoy going up against them.
“You always expect the best of Salford to turn up against Wigan. Whenever we play each other, it’s always a really good game, a good game to watch too.
“Now this is a chance to finish off as leaders. We’re looking forward to that and with us holding all the trophies at the moment, we want to keep our hands on them.”
Wigan may have fired out a warning by demolishing the Rhinos but boss Peet believes they can still get better.
He also admits Thursday could be a journey into the unknown because of Paul Rowley’s side’s threats.
He said: “We’ve a lot of respect for how Salford approach the game, how Paul sets his teams up and individuals within that squad.
“They are different. You’ve got to be aware of a different threat to your typical Super League team. What you come up against is more varied and they’ve the best kicker in the competition in Marc Sneyd.”
