WIGAN WARRIORS 6 HULL KR 10
DAVID KUZIO, The Brick Community Stadium, Friday
THIS GAME had a Grand Final feel about it right from kick-off, and the action lived up to the billing with Hull KR moving another step closer to clinching the League Leaders’ Shield.
It was a low-scoring affair with the game in the balance right up until the final whistle. The Robins led 10-0 heading into the final ten minutes thanks to a Dean Hadley try and three goals from Rhyse Martin.
A late try from Adam Keighran gave the Warriors a bit of hope, but they lacked a cutting edge in the final third as the Robins defended heroically to secure victory.
Wigan made the first error of the game in their opening set with Kaide Ellis dropping the ball – and this became something of a theme, as did big hits in defence from both sides.
Rovers were throwing everything at Wigan and after Joe Burgess was stopped in the corner, they spread the ball right and Arthur Mourgue offloaded for Hadley to score. Martin converted and the visitors led 6-0.
Further errors put Wigan under more pressure but they got their best chance of the half with twelve minutes remaining when Zach Eckersley received the ball out wide and broke a tackle before dropping it on impact with the ground close to the line.
Hull KR almost scored a try from nothing as they took the ball down the blind side and Kelepi Tanginoa raced away before being hauled down by Jai Field.
Wigan were their own worst enemy and a Brad O’Neill mistake deep in his own half cost them dear as Liam Farrell was sent to the sin bin for a tackle off the ball on Elliot Minchella as he tried to score.
A penalty and yellow card were sufficient, and Martin kicked it for an 8-0 half-time lead.
Wigan lost Keighran and Tyler Dupree early in the second half to head-injury assessments, the latter after feeling the force of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves’ arm on the charge, though both were able to return.
The Warriors were getting more and more frustrated that they were unable to break down the Rovers defence. There was not a lot of skill on show as it was a war of attrition, but a big hit from Peta Hiku on Jai Field almost broke him in half.
Martin slotted over another penalty after a ball steal to extend their advantage to ten points.
A knock-on from Burgess deep in his own half, off a testing Keighran kick, gave Wigan a glimmer of hope and Leeming fed Keighran from the scrum with the Australian using his strength to force his way over. He also converted his own try and the champions trailed by four.
This set up a tense five minutes for both sets of supporters, but Wigan could not create that last clinical attack that would win them the game.
GAMESTAR: Sauaso Sue was outstanding for the Robins. There was not a lot of skill with ball on display, but Sue led the way in defence with a number of huge hits.
GAMEBREAKER: It didn’t seem it at the time but Rhyse Martin’s penalty that made it 10-0 proved to be the difference as it took out the option of a penalty to level the game later on.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Peta Hiku’s monster hit on Jai Field stood out amongst a number of them.
ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Sauaso Sue (Hull KR)
2 pts Jez Litten (Hull KR)
1 pt Zach Eckersley (Wigan)
MATCHFACTS
WARRIORS
1 Jai Field
2 Abbas Miski
22 Zach Eckersley
4 Jake Wardle
5 Liam Marshall
3 Adam Keighran
7 Harry Smith
8 Ethan Havard
9 Brad O’Neill
16 Liam Byrne
21 Sam Walters
12 Liam Farrell
13 Kaide Ellis
Subs (all used)
15 Patrick Mago
17 Kruise Leeming
19 Tyler Dupree
20 Harvie Hill
18th man (not used)
26 Jacob Douglas
Also in 21-man squad
6 Bevan French
24 Jack Farrimond
27 Harvey Makin
Tries: Keighran (73)
Goals: Keighran 1/1
Sin bin: Farrell (36) – tackle without the ball
HULL KR
18 Jack Broadbent
2 Tom Davies
3 Peta Hiku
12 James Batchelor
5 Joe Burgess
6 Mikey Lewis
35 Arthur Mourgue
8 Sauaso Sue
9 Jez Litten
16 Jai Whitbread
11 Dean Hadley
17 Rhyse Martin
13 Elliot Minchella
Subs (all used)
10 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
15 Sam Luckley
20 Kelepi Tanginoa
25 Bill Leyland
18th man (not used)
24 Eribe Doro
Also in 21-man squad
21 Jack Brown
36 Noah Booth
37 Rowan Milnes
Tries: Hadley (8)
Goals: Martin 3/3
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-8; 0-10, 6-10
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Warriors: Zach Eckersley; Hull KR: Sauaso Sue
Penalty count: 3-6
Half-time: 0-8
Referee: Liam Moore
Attendance: 20,218