It was dubbed the history makers versus the history chasers: and while the pendulum swung several ways throughout the course of an utterly gripping evening, it was the side who have seen and done it all that took pole position in the race for Super League’s top spot.
Given what we have seen so far in this incredible season, there are almost certainly one or two more twists and turns to come in the final fortnight before the playoffs begin. But with Wigan currently in possession of all four major trophies, it would take a brave individual to back against them retaining the League Leaders’ Shield from here.
Matt Peet’s side did what Matt Peet’s side ultimately do better than any other in the game right now: win when it matters most, even if you are not playing at your best. They did not deliver a stellar performance here; far from it, in fact. But when the chips were down, Wigan did just about enough to move top of the table with two rounds to go.
It was not without controversy. Almost all of Wigan’s 24 points came when Hull KR were down to 12 men, after two separate yellow cards. That means Rovers had to play a quarter of the game a man light at the home of the champions, and they came ever so close to a win that would have moved them to the brink of securing the League Leaders’ Shield.
As their coach, Willie Peters, said: “Wigan will be looking over their shoulder at us after tonight. We’ve got the game to compete against them.” He is not wrong, and had it not been for the two sin-bins, the result probably would have been different on a thrilling night for Super League as a whole.
Rovers could have cause to be unhappy with Jai Whitbread’s yellow card in the final quarter in particular. His tackle on Tyler Dupree initially went unpunished before the Wigan prop stayed down for over a minute to receive medical attention. The video referee intervened and adjudged Whitbread’s tackle to be high but Dupree did not leave the field for a head assessment.
“What I don’t like is players staying down,” Peters said. “Do you want to start coaching your players to do that? No, but it’s obviously working and players are getting 10 minutes in the sin-bin.” His side led 10-0 early on here thanks to tries from Matt Parcell and the brilliant Mikey Lewis, but Joe Burgess’s yellow card for Rovers swung the momentum Wigan’s way.
They responded with a sensational one-handed finish from Abbas Miski before Junior Nsemba crossed, but Adam Keighran missed both attempts at goal. Lewis then added two penalties, one either side of half-time, to make it 14-8 in Hull KR’s favour before Burgess finished a long-range interception from Peta Hiku to open up a 12-point gap.
Wigan hit back in superb fashion, as Bevan French’s stunning solo try halved the deficit, before Whitbread’s yellow card, arguably the night’s big moment.
That gave the Warriors the impetus to go on and score twice in the final 17 minutes, with two brilliant team moves being finished by Liam Marshall to settle a gripping contest.
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The champions were far from their brilliant best, as their coach admitted afterwards. “I know they won’t give up. But it’s important we learn from the things in the first half because if we do that again, we won’t get what we want. It’s far from over but we’re in a good spot.”
One thing you cannot question about this Wigan side, irrespective of how they perform, is their ability to turn up in the biggest games and find a way to win them. Hull KR left one or two bruises on the all-conquering Warriors here but, as they so often do, Wigan found a way to ride out the tough periods and get the job done.
Hull KR’s wait for a first trophy since 1985 now looks likely to extend into the playoffs at the very least after this defeat.
Since their latest triumph nearly 40 years ago, Wigan have won a staggering 50 pieces of silverware. The odds are now shorter than ever on that becoming 51 in the days and weeks ahead.
There will be four other sides hoping to have a say yet, but if this is the Grand Final in a month’s time under the lights at Old Trafford, we are in for a treat.
