WIGAN WARRIORS 22 LEEDS RHINOS 6
DAVID KUZIO, The Brick Community Stadium, Friday
WIGAN WARRIORS achieved a few club landmarks as they ended the weekly rounds in style with a comfortable win over Leeds Rhinos.
Bevan French overtook Andy Farrell on the club’s all-time try scoring charts with his 111th and 112th tries, while Adam Keighran and Abbas Miski registered their 350th and 250th points for the Warriors respectively.
Keighran, Harry Smith, Liam Byrne and Liam Farrell all returned after missing the win over Castleford Tigers, with Zach Eckersley, Jack Farrimond, Harvie Hill and Tyler Dupree dropping out.
Chris Hankinson lined up at fullback against his former club in place of Lachie Miller. Brodie Croft and Jack Sinfield were in the halves with Jake Connor still out injured. Riley Lumb started on the wing instead of Ryan Hall.
An error from Miski – which was confirmed by a failed Captain’s Challenge – saw Leeds launch the first real attack of the half. It came to nothing as a poor kick from Cooper Jenkins saw Wigan clear their lines.
Wigan’s first real attack almost resulted in points as Bevan French put in a cute kick that was collected by Keighran, but the centre’s inside ball was picked up by Leeds.
It was a scrappy game with both teams failing to complete sets. French and Jai Field were starting to link up well in attack, and it was the former who set up the opening try with a cutout pass to put Miski over in the corner. Keighran converted to make it 6-0.
Wigan recorded their second try from deep inside their own half. The ball went right with French and Liam Farrell combining to send Keighran through a gap, he then turned the ball back for the supporting French to score and move level on Wigan’s all time scoring charts with Andy Farrell.
Wigan looked dangerous down their right edge with French and Keighran causing problems but the Rhinos managed to hang on until the half-time break without conceding any more points.
They could have posted points of their own before hal- time with their only real troubling attack as Sinfield made a break before being brought down by Smith and Wigan eventually got the ball back and cleared their lines with a penalty.
As it was, Wigan ended this game as a contest at the start of the second-half as French grabbed his second to overtake Andy Farrell after Smith’s bomb caused problems. Keighran converted from the touchline for an 18-0 advantage.
Wigan looked like they could score every time they had the ball. Field went on a trademark sideways run before sending a perfect pass for Jake Wardle to race through a gap and score. Keighran failed to add the extras, but Wigan were home and dry.
French was having fun out there and he was terrorising Leeds with his kicking game, but the Rhinos refused to give up, and they did manage to grab their only points of the game moments after Miski had a try ruled out for a forward pass.
Hankinson managed to ground the ball with a long range try following a neat break from Sinfield. The latter added the extras, but they were well beaten 22-6.
GAMESTAR: Bevan French was unplayable at times, and he was rewarded with two tries.
GAMEBREAKER: Bevan French’s second try of the game three minutes after half time put the Warriors 18-0 up and they were never losing from that position.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Jai Field’s inch perfect pass that sent Jake Wardle over for a try was sublime.
ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts – Bevan French (Wigan)
2 pts – Adam Keighran (Wigan)
1 pt – Harry Smith (Wigan)
MATCHFACTS
WARRIORS
1 Jai Field
2 Abbas Miski
3 Adam Keighran
4 Jake Wardle
5 Liam Marshall
6 Bevan French
7 Harry Smith
16 Liam Byrne
9 Brad O’Neill
10 Luke Thompson
21 Sam Walters
12 Liam Farrell
13 Kaide Ellis
Subs (all used)
8 Ethan Havard
11 Junior Nsemba
15 Patrick Mago
17 Kruise Leeming
18th man (not used)
20 Harvie Hill
Also in 21-man squad
19 Tyler Dupree
22 Zack Eckersley
24 Jack Farrimond
Tries: Miski (19), French (24, 43), Wardle (48)
Goals: Keighran 3/4
RHINOS
31 Chris Hankinson
23 Riley Lumb
3 Harry Newman
28 Kallum Watkins
26 Max Simpson
6 Brodie Croft
20 Jack Sinfield
8 Mikolaj Oledzki
14 Jarrod O’Connor
17 Cooper Jenkins
16 Morgan Gannon
12 James McDonnell
10 Keenan Palasia
Subs (all used)
11 James Bentley
15 Sam Lisone
19 Tom Holroyd
32 Joe Shorrocks
18th man (not used)
25 Ned McCormack
Also in 21-man squad
22 Tom Nicholson-Watton
24 Ben Littlewood
29 Presley Cassell
Tries: Hankinson (75)
Goals: Sinfield 1/1
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0; 18-0, 22-0, 22-6
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Warriors: Bevan French; Rhinos: Chris Hankinson
Penalty count: 6-4
Half-time: 12-0
Referee: Chris Kendall
Attendance: 16,628