LIAM MARSHALL scored two tries to complete a thrilling turnaround as Wigan Warriors beat Hull KR 24-20 to go top of Super League and move towards retaining the League Leaders’ Shield.
This was a bruising contest that matched up to the pre-match hype and the fevered atmosphere in The Brick Community Stadium as Super League’s top two sides locked horns and delivered a classic.
It was Hull KR who led for much of the game, including scoring two tries in five minutes midway through the first half to build a 0-10 lead.
First Matt Parcell sniped over from dummy-half, then Mikey Lewis added another try to his highlight reel by stepping Bevan French on the way to a great individual score.
But momentum turned when Jake Wardle broke off his own line from a Tyrone May kick and Joe Burgess was shown the yellow card for a flop on Jai Field.
With Burgess in the sinbin, Abbas Miski dived into the corner off a Field pass, then French played Junior Nsemba over.
Adam Keighran couldn’t convert either try for Wigan, and Lewis added to his conversion of Parcell’s try with a penalty on the stroke of half-time for an 8-12 Hull KR advantage.
A further Lewis penalty added two more points for the visitors before Peta Hiku intercepted a Harry Smith pass and ran the length of the field to set up a Burgess try, goaled by Lewis for 8-20.
Lewis wasn’t the only superstar determined to rise to the occasion, however, and French led the Warriors’ response with a magical kick-and-collect to halve the deficit.
On the hour, Jai Whitbread’s sinbinning for a high contact on Tyler Dupree gave Wigan further impetus, and they used it to turn the game with successive Marshall tries.
First the winger benefitted from an excellent Field run, then – after Keighran kicked to level the game – he finished a thrilling team try off a Wardle break twelve minutes from time.
Wigan
1 Jai Field – 8
2 Abbas Miski – 7
3 Adam Keighran – 7
4 Jake Wardle – 9
5 Liam Marshall – 7
6 Bevan French – 8
7 Harry Smith – 6
8 Ethan Havard – 6
17 Kruise Leeming – 6
16 Luke Thompson – 8
21 Junior Nsemba – 9
11 Liam Farrell – 7
13 Kaide Ellis – 6
Subs (all used)
10 Liam Byrne – N/A
15 Patrick Mago – 8
19 Tyler Dupree – 7
27 Tom Forber – 6
Tries: Miski (31), Nsemba (34), French (57), Marshall (63, 68)
Goals: Keighran 2/5
Hull KR
36 Jack Broadbent – 5
35 Joe Burgess – 5
1 Peta Hiku – 7
4 Oliver Gildart – 6
5 Ryan Hall – 5
27 Tyrone May – 5
7 Mikey Lewis – 8
8 Sauaso Sue – 6
14 Matt Parcell – 8
16 Jai Whitbread – 5
11 Dean Hadley – 6
12 James Batchelor – 6
13 Elliot Minchella – 7
Subs (all used)
9 Jez Litten – 5
15 Sam Luckley – 6
17 Matty Storton – 5
20 Kelepi Tanginoa – 6
Tries: Parcell (19), Lewis (24), Burgess (49)
Goals: Lewis 4/5
Sinbin: Burgess (29) – flop, Whitbread (60) – high tackle
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