WARRINGTON WOLVES 18 WIGAN WARRIORS 24
KASEY SMITH, Halliwell Jones Stadium, Friday

WIGAN secured a late victory having worn down a Warrington side who refused to be beaten in an absorbing Super League contest.

Still chasing second-placed Hull KR, the Warriors have yet to rediscover the sparkle of their 2024 campaign, but while this win was far from pretty, it bore all the hallmarks of a top side – digging deep to edge a tough, tight contest.

Going into the game, the Warriors may have fancied their chances against this Wolves side which saw Stefan Ratchford start at fullback in place of Matt Dufty – dropped for an internal breach of discipline – the inexperienced Zack Gardner at centre and another youngster in Max Wood on the bench.

But this was a Warrington side with little to lose with them playing catch-up having suffered back-to-back defeats, and they played without any sign of fear or pressure. But unfortunately for the Wolves, effort alone was not enough.

Wigan’s lightning-fast hands in attack hinted at an early breakthrough – but against the odds, Josh Thewlis leapt into action, plucking the ball from mid-air and sprinting the length of the field to hand the Wolves a stunning, unlikely lead at the 15-minute mark.

However, it was short-lived, as Wigan struck back. Brad O’Neill exploited a lapse in concentration to dart over from dummy-half, a moment that would have infuriated head coach Sam Burgess, as would the subsequent kick restart that sailed well out on the full. Luckily for the Wolves, Wigan couldn’t capitalise.

Considering the amount of ball territory Wigan have had, they would have hoped to be more in front.

Following a towering Marc Sneyd kick, Warrington were handed a straightforward opportunity to add two points after an obstruction – a chance Sneyd calmly converted.

The Wolves could have been further in front after a slick move involving a basketball-style pass from Jake Thewlis, who was about to be forced into touch, sent Joe Philbin diving over, but the pass was well forward.

Then a massive Jack Farrimond bomb lingered in the air, seemingly suspended forever, which allowed Eckersley to deftly steal the ball from Josh Thewlis. Following a slick Liam Farrell offload, Farrimond dashed through to restore the Warriors’ lead just moments after the break.

But Warrington hit back once more. A sharp pass from Sneyd released George Williams – on his 100th Warrington appearance – who spotted a gap, backed himself, and darted through to restore his side’s lead.

Neither side showed any sign of backing down, and Wigan struck back once more. Smith floated a perfectly-judged pass to Eckersley, who had space to exploit out wide. Spotting an opening, he sent a precise cross-field kick to the charging Liam Farrell who scored, swinging the momentum firmly back in Wigan’s favour.

The Warriors ramped up the pressure and were given a huge chance following a Sam Stone incorrect play-the-ball. Adam Keighran delayed a pass and Eckersley did the rest.

More errors followed for the frustrated Warrington and Wigan took advantage, with Farrimond sealing the win.

Jake Thewlis pulled one back for the Wolves, but time was against them, and their play-off hopes continue to slip away.

GAMESTAR: Jack Farrimond was a real danger with ball in hand and his kicks proved to be a problem for Warrington.

GAMEBREAKER: The Liam Farrell try, which came off the back of a basic error, saw the start of the momentum shift in Wigan’s favour.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: The move involving a Zach Eckersley cross-field kick for Farrell’s try was top class.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Jack Farrimond (Wigan)
2 pts Adam Keighran (Wigan)
1 pt George Williams (Warrington)

MATCHFACTS
WOLVES
19 Stefan Ratchford
2 Josh Thewlis
3 Toby King
37 Zack Gardner
28 Jake Thewlis
6 George Williams
35 Marc Sneyd
13 Luke Yates
14 Sam Powell
10 Paul Vaughan
38 Sam Stone
12 Lachlan Fitzgibbon
11 Ben Currie
Subs (all used)
9 Danny Walker
15 Joe Philbin
24 Max Wood
40 Ryan Matterson
18th man (not used)
27 Luke Thomas
Also in 21-man squad
1 Matt Dufty
23 Cai Taylor-Wray
– Ewan Smith

Tries: Josh Thewlis (15), Williams (48), Jake Thewlis (79)
Goals: Sneyd 3/4

WARRIORS
1 Jai Field
22 Zach Eckersley
3 Adam Keighran
4 Jake Wardle
5 Liam Marshall
24 Jack Farrimond
7 Harry Smith
8 Ethan Havard
9 Brad O’Neill
16 Liam Byrne
11 Junior Nsemba
12 Liam Farrell
13 Kaide Ellis
Subs (all used)
15 Patrick Mago
17 Kruise Leeming
19 Tyler Dupree
21 Sam Walters
18th man (not used)
20 Harvie Hill
Also in 21-man squad
6 Bevan French
23 Tom Forber
26 Jacob Douglas

Tries: O’Neill (19), Farrimond (44, 72), Farrell (56), Eckersley (67)
Goals: Smith 2/5

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 8-6; 8-10, 12-10, 12-16, 12-20, 18-24

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Wolves: George Williams; Warriors: Jack Farrimond

Penalty count: 8-3
Half-time: 8-6
Referee: Chris Kendall
Attendance: 12,503