'You have to keep re-inventing yourself each year': Christian Wade

Christian Wade is determined to enjoy becoming the highest try-scorer in PREM history if he eventually passes Chris Ashton, knowing it might not be long before someone comes along and knocks him off the top spot.

The Newcastle Red Bulls flyer has touched down 95 times in the PREM and is six short of Ashton’s mark, which he would likely have passed long ago but for spells in the NFL, France and Rugby League.

But the former Wasps and Gloucester star knows it won’t be long before the likes of Max Malins (63), Ollie Hassell-Collins (62), Caden Murley (57), Tommy Freeman (54), and Adam Radwan (46) are breathing down his neck, especially now that the average number of tries per game is rising every year, from 2.3 in the defensively heavy era 16 years ago to 8.6 tries per match last season.

“The way guys are running in tries now is crazy. You also don’t have so many big guys now in the backs trying to take your head off when you try to get past them!” he said.

“It’s a different game and much quicker. More teams are throwing the ball around and doing the exciting stuff. It’s been three long years now with everyone saying you’re going to do this and that. It would be nice to stop the talk by just doing it.

“It would mean a lot to me to get that record. I pride myself on scoring tries, and I get paid to do so. It’s always been part of my DNA. I’ve spoken to Ash (Chris Ashton), and we agree it is awesome to score tries, but also how hard it is to consistently do so.

“You get away with things when you are young because people don’t know you so well. But over time they start to try and make plans to stop you. You have to keep re-inventing yourself each year and adding to your toolbox to make it harder for them to stop you.

“Coming through, I would never have seen myself as top Premiership try scorer one day. I’d have thought that was way out of reach. But when I was about 25, I was third in the list, and I started to catch the top guys.

“That is when it became a priority. But then I decided to quit the sport for six years! I’m just grateful that the opportunity to become No. 1 is still there, and I will see if I can get it this year.”