On a day of three mouthwatering Magic games, one stood out
as likely to be a little bit special was the champions Wigan Warriors faced the
Warrington Wolves, Wigan looking to narrow the gap on top placed Hull KR while
Warrington had their eyes on a top six spot.
The bookies could only see one winner as the Wolves were
devastated by injuries which meant that they fielded a side without a
recognised half-back, Wigan being handicapped by sixteen points on the coupon.
Wigan comfortably won the round three game in Las Vegas by 48-24
but roles were reversed in the last meeting between the two sides in 2024 when
Warrington won by 40-4 but most thought that the volume of injuries in the
primrose and blue would gift the game to Wigan.
Just before the tenth minute the Warriors took the lead, Jai
Field taking the Bevan French pass to step past the Warrington defence and dive
over the line. Adam Keighran added the conversion for a 6-0 lead.
It took just two minutes for Wigan to get their second with
roles reversed, this time Field found French as the mercurial pair finished off
a sixty metre Wigan break. Keighran added a second goal for 12-0 after fourteen
minutes.
On seventeen the Wolves showed that they weren’t going to
led Wigan have it all their own way as Jake Thewlis took a looping Matt Dufty
pass to go over on the overlap down the left. Ratchford was unable to add the
touchline conversion.
The remainder of the half was competitive, a couple of tries
ruled out by the officials, Warrington doing well to be trailing by just eight
at the interval.
Within two minutes of the restart the Wolves were right back
in the running as they kept the ball alive on the last tackle, Josh Thewlis
putting a chip kick into the corner where it was collected and grounded by Roderick
Tai. Ratchford kicked the touchline conversion, so his side trailed by just two
points.
Fast hands from Wigan on fifty-two enabled Abbas Miski to
complete an elegant left to right move as the ball was given air and the winger
was allowed to exploit an overlap wide. Keighran added the conversion, the
eight point lead re-established.
Jake Thewlis was unable to collect a cross-field kick,
spilling the ball into the hands of Adam Keighran who sprinted sixty metres,
avoiding the attempted tackle of Matt Dufty, to score in the corner. Keighran was
just wide with his conversion but with nine minutes remaining the Warriors had
a twelve-point lead.
Warrington still weren’t throwing in the towel and on
seventy-three Joe Philbin burrowed under the Wigan defence and somehow managed
to get the ball on the ground. Ratchford added the extras, the wolves just six
behind.
A minute later the Wolves went in again with a seventy metre
try with Matt Dufty making the break, using Josh Thewlis who then found his
brother Jake on the left wing to score in the corner. Ratchford was unable to
add the extras and the Wolves were still two adrift with three and a half
minutes remaining.
Wigan finished the game on the attack, and took the two
points to go second and back within two points of the league leaders but
massive credit to the Warrington Wolves who pushed their opponents all the way
and apart from a couple of missed Ratchford conversions, would have sprung the
surprise of the Magic Weekend. Wigan dominated the first twenty but then eased
off the gas, the Wolves doing brilliantly and putting the scares on the
champions who greeted the final hooter with a huge sigh of relief.
Wigan Warriors: Field (T), Miski (T), Keighran (T, G 3/4),
Wardle, Marshall, French (T), Smith, Byrne, O’Neill, Thompson, Nsemba, Farrell,
Ellis. Subs: Leeming, Walters, Dupree, Hill. 18th Man: Eckersley.
Warrington Wolves: Dufty, Thewlis Josh, Tai (T), Lindop.
Thewlis Jake (2T), Ratchford (G 2/4), Leyland, Yates, Powell, Vaughan, Holroyd,
Fitzgibbon, Currie. Subs: Philbin (T),
Crowther, Musgrove, Harrison. 18th Man: Irwin.
Half-Time: 12-4.
Full-Time: 22-20.
Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 10-0, 12-0, 12-4 : HT: 12-8,
12-10, 16-10, 18-10, 22-10, 22-14, 22-16, 22-20 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Wigan.
Referee: Chris Kendall.
