When Thomas Leuluai ventured back to Wigan late last year to do a bit of rehab, catch up with his Wigan homies and take his new whanau back home, many folks questioned if this could be more than a simple trip back to Wigan. Today's announcement that Leuluai will head back to Wigan after this season to finish his career with a coaching pathway laid out for him, wasn't too much of a surprise given the relationships Leuluai has forged over time.

This always felt like it would be the end result, when it would happen was where the funk sat for me and I don't think there's a better time than now for Leuluai to venture back to Wigan. Leuluai has been a strong contributor to the NZ Warriors in his second stint with the club and while he may not have done as much on the field as he would have liked, I get the sense that his influence on the club off the field will be felt for a few years to come.

It's important to note that last season's horrible run through the second half of the season came without Leuluai, after he suffered a season-ending knee injury. Even this season's slow start came with Jeff Robson in the halves and as Leuluai has settled into his left-sided halves role, the Warriors have gradually improved. 

While Leuluai doesn't do anything amazing, he has been nothing less than solid on a weekly basis as he roles through his combination with Ryan Hoffman, Solomone Kata and Ken Maumalo/Manu Vatuvei. I think we're going to see Leuluai look out the back to Johnson or Fusitua and give a short-ball to Hoffman many more times this season. 

The reason I believe that Leuluai and the Warriors have juggled this matter perfectly is that the Warriors are nicely poised with young halves, notably in Ata Hingano but also with Tuimoala Lolohea. Hingano is a left-sided half who has been making waves in reserve grade despite being a youngster and a Hingano/Shaun Johnson halves combination is what Warriors fans should look forward to.

Everything we hear about Leuluai centres around his leadership and he's been at the club long enough to work with Johnson, Hingano and Lolohea on a regular basis. Leuluai has been able to stamp his mark on these players and he'll now move back to Wigan where he can stamp his mark on that club, perhaps some young halves there.

The unique situation of Leuluai (British wife and a father who's a legend in England's north) means that it's only right for Leuluai to wind up his career in that part of the world. Not to mention that Thomas' younger brother MacGraff (26yrs) has been playing in England for a number of years now and just re-signed with Widnes Vikings for 2 more years. 

Vikings coach Denis Betts said this when MacGraff was re-signed - "MacGraff is what this group is all about, hard working and honest". England feels like it's home, or a second home for the Leuluai's and everything I've read/heard from English folk about a Leuluai is immensely positive; they're loved. 

The stars have aligned. Thomas Leuluai already had his name etched in Wigan's history and at the end of the season he'll return to a place he loves and a place that loves him just as much. This comes at a time when the Warriors have three halves who are primed to take the club into the future.

It's taken a while but regardless of whether it's Johnson x Hingano or Johnson x Lolohea, the Warriors have three young halves ready to take over, three young halves who have been developed by the club. There's definitely some coincidence in Johnson, Hingano and Lolohea all coming together at the same time, but I don't think it's a coincidence that these three will take the club forward, after Leuluai has left his mark on them.