ST HELENS 4 WIGAN WARRIORS 18
DAVID KUZIO, Totally Wicked Stadium, Friday
JUNIOR NSEMBA once again showed he is capable of causing Australia a whole host of problems during the upcoming Ashes series thanks to a dominant display that put Wigan a step closer to securing a home semi-final in the play-offs.
Nsemba came off the bench in the first half to set up tries for Jake Wardle and Liam Farrell as the champions hit back from an early Deon Cross score to lead 12-4 at the break.
A length of the field try by Jai Field at the start of the second half put the Warriors in full control and despite no further points being added, it was a deserved away win for the Warriors.
An error from Zach Eckersley put Wigan under pressure on their first set and although they failed to score, Saints forced a goal line dropout after Jack Welsby – who started at loose forward in place of Morgan Knowles – put a kick behind Wigan’s line. Sam Walters produced a try saving tackle on Welsby, before the home side received a penalty to keep the pressure on.
That pressure told as Saints found an overlap on the left with Welsby sending out a floating ball to send Deon Cross over in the corner. Kyle Feldt was off target but they led 4-0 with the Warriors yet to have a full set of six in attack.
Their next attempt saw them fail to reach the last tackle with Kaide Ellis spilling the ball. It was a poor start from the champions as simple errors put them on the back front from the first whistle.
Saints forced their second dropout of the half as they kept the ball out of Wigan’s hands and made them work extra hard in defence.
Wigan finally had a decent set with ball in hand. A quick tap from a penalty from Field set up an attack, Walters made half a break before Bevan French put in a kick behind the Saints defence for Cross to be tackled just in the field of play.
A break from Field saw him stretch his legs up the middle. He was hauled down before the ball went to French, he made half a break and looked like he could find a gap in the corner before being bundled into touch by a massive gang tackle.
Both teams were creating half chances, a break from Welsby looked to set up a certain try for Cross, but the ball went to ground and Wigan escaped again. The Warriors then went the full length to score thanks to a penalty deep in their own half.
First, Liam Farrell was sent through a massive gap before being tackled. The ball then went to Nsemba who stood up well in the tackle before passing for Wardle to score. Harry Smith was off target with the score level at 4-4.
Wigan had the bit between their teeth now and Sailor dropped a towering bomb from Smith to put the Saints under pressure. Field was tackled close to the line – as was Walters and French – before they hit the front for the first time.
Smith’s crossfield kick was collected by Nsemba, and before the giant forward was tackled he threw the ball out for Marshall to pick up and cross over. Smith converted and the Warriors led 10-4. Smith then added a penalty to see the visitors lead by eight at the break.
Those two quick tries from the champions were probably harsh on the Saints, but they failed to take their chances when they had Wigan under pressure on their own line for large periods of the first half.
Saints lost Welsby in the first half and he failed to return for the start of the second period, and he could only watch from the bench as Field raced 95 metres to score.
It came from a Saints attack as Mark Percival put in a grubber kick, it was collected by French and he had the vision to offload to Field, who was never going to be caught. Smith converted for an 18-4 lead.
That score led to Welsby returning to the field to try and get his team back in this contest. Luke Thompson entered the fray after 49 minutes for his first game since the beginning of July to chorus of boos as Wigan cut the home side open down the left with Nsemba unable to beat the cover defence.
A rare error from Field saw him drop the ball in his own half and Wigan then conceded a penalty. Another penalty followed as Thompson caught Jonny Lomax high, they were unable to take advantage as a big hit on Alex Walmsley saw him drop the ball and the chance go begging.
Welsby and Tristan Sailor combined down the left in a rare moment of attacking skill for the Saints. Despite piling the pressure on the chance went begging as Curtis Sironen was the latest player to drop the ball.
Saints were throwing a lot at Wigan in an attempt to get back in the game, but the Warriors were monstrous in defence with French putting in a big hit on Percival that caused him to drop the ball and end any slim hope the home side of getting something from the game.
Wigan had one last attack to post points after receiving a penalty thanks to a cute kick from Smith saw Sailor spill the ball before it was picked up by a Saints player in an offside position. From the penalty, Kaide Ellis thought he had scored but he was tackled millimeters short and was penalised for a double movement.
GAMESTAR: Junior Nsemba caused Saints a whole host of problems from the moment he stepped on the field. He ran and tackled hard as well as setting up two tries.
GAMEBREAKER: Two tries in five minutes from Jake Wardle and Liam Marshall put Wigan in full control after defending for most of the first half.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: The vision from Bevan French to collect a kick on his own line to then send Jai Field through a gap with the latter racing 95 metres to score.
SAINTS
6 Tristan Sailor
2 Kyle Feldt
26 Harry Robertson
4 Mark Percival
36 Deon Cross
7 Jonny Lomax
14 Moses Mbye
8 Alex Walmsley
9 Daryl Clark
10 Matty Lees
12 Joe Batchelor
16 Matt Whitley
1 Jack Welsby
Subs (all used)
11 Curtis Sironen
15 James Bell
17 Agnatius Paasi
23 Jake Burns
18th man (used)
27 George Whitby
Also in 21-man squad
31 Leon Cowen
34 Jake Davies
35 Cole Marsh
Tries: Cross (6)
Goals: Feldt 0/1
WARRIORS
1 Jai Field
22 Zach Eckersley
3 Adam Keighran
4 Jake Wardle
5 Liam Marshall
6 Bevan French
7 Harry Smith
20 Harvie Hill
9 Brad O’Neill
16 Liam Byrne
21 Sam Walters
12 Liam Farrell
13 Kaide Ellis
Subs (all used)
8 Ethan Havard
10 Luke Thompson
11 Junior Nsemba
17 Kruise Leeming
18th man (not used)
19 Tyler Dupree
Also in 21-man squad
2 Abbas Miski
24 Jack Farrimond
26 Jacob Douglas
Tries: Wardle (28), Marshall (33), Field (45)
Goals: Smith 3/4
SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 4-4, 4-10, 4-12; 4-18
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Saints: Daryl Clark; Warriors: Junior Nsemba
Penalty count: 8-5
Half-time:4-12
Referee:Jack Smith
Attendance: 17,980