Warrington Wolves hadn’t beaten the Wigan Warriors in their last four meetings coming into tonight’s crucial round nineteen encounter at the DW Stadium with both sides tied together on twenty-two points and needing the win to join Leigh Leopards in joint second place.
Wigan won the last encounter, the 14-12 win the Challenge Cup quarter final a month ago and all indications were that tonight’s game could be as close, but Warrington are currently in free fall having lost their last three outings, Wigan looking to bounce back after last weekend’s golden point loss to Wakefield Trinity.
Wigan were the bookies favourites having been handicapped by eight points on the coupon.
The Wolves were the first to test their opponent’s line, Matty Russell held up just short on four minutes before great defence from the visitors saw them force a goal line drop out.
Warrington made the best of the opportunity they’d created when the worked the wall back to the Wigan line from the kick, James Harrison taking a short pass from Daryl Clark to score by the right upright. Stefan Ratchford added the conversion, it was all the Wolves early on.
As the early adrenaline wore off the Wolves errors started to resurface. On twenty-seven the Warriors opened their account with Bevan French the provider as Liam Marshall exploited the overlap down the left to go in and come round to the sticks to improve the angle and give Harry Smith to level the scores.
On thirty-three Clark scooted from acting half-back and threw the dummy before going in as the Wigan defence opened up. Ratchford added the conversion for a 12-6 lead four minutes before the interval.
A minutes later and Wigan scored a sensational team try as they broke for seventy metres through numerous pairs of hands on the last, Jake Wardle stepping inside his tackler and finding Bevan French to go in from twenty metres. Smith added the conversion, and the sides went into the interval all square.
Wigan took the lead for the first time thanks to a Smith penalty goal on forty-five.
Wigan extended their lead on forty-eight with Jake Wardle hitting a gap at speed to cross from ten metres off a Jai Field pass. He improved the angle a little for Smith to add the extras for an eight-point lead and some breathing space. The momentum had shifted, the Wolves looking second best.
The game was over on sixty-nine when Field dropped his shoulder and hot a gap with a forty-metre burst downfield before finding Liam Farrell in support to scamper under the sticks for the fourth Wigan try of the night. Smith was again on target, one hundred percent on the night, for a 26-12 win.
A hard-fought Wigan win as Warrington continue their awful run of results and continue their tumble down the table. The Warriors are up to third, and level on points with the Leopards in second, as they look to peak at the right time of the season, heading onto the playoffs. The Wolves season now lies in tatters after such a promising start, there is a real danger that they won’t make the playoffs unless Powell can find something extra to start getting some wins after five consecutive losses.
Wigan Warriors: Field, Miski, King, Wardle (T), Marshall (T), French (T), Smith (5G), Ellis, O’Neill, Byrne, Shorrocks, Farrell (T), Smithies. Subs: Pearce-Paul, Mago, Hill, Nsemba. 18th Man: Cust.
Warrington Wolves: Dufty, Russell (T), Mata’utia, Ratchford (2G), Minikin, Walker, Drinkwater, Dudson, Clark, Vaughan, Currie, Harrison (T), Philbin. Subs: Kasiano, Bullock, Whitehead, Holroyd. 18th Man: Thomas.
Half-Time: 12-12.
Full-Time: 26-12.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 4-6, 6-6, 6-10, 6-12, 10-12, 12-12 : HT: 14-12, 18-12, 20-12, 24-12, 26-12 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Warrington – Square – Warrington – Square - Wigan.
Referee: Chris Kendall.
