The Wigan Warriors went into tonights game knowing that a win would end opponents Warrington Wolves hopes of a top four finish and give them a massive advantage over third placed Castelford Tigers going into the last two games of the Super Eights.
Wigan had won all four of their Super Eights fixtures while Warrington had recorded just one loss. It’s honours shared with two wins each in the four meetings so far this season, Wigan winning the last match up between the two sides at the DW two months ago by a margin of 13-12.
Both sides had scrappy opening with neither seriously threatening the others line.
Bodene Thompson went close after twenty-three but was held up over the line and three minutes later Stefan Ratchford got on the end of a grubber but knocked on in the act of trying to pick the ball up before diving over. The referee and video referee agreed ‘NO TRY’.
Willie Isa stretched for the line on twenty-nine but thought better of a double-movement and despite being awarded a penalty at the play the ball, Wigan couldn’t break the deadlock.
Three minutes from half time Wigan’s John Bateman hacked the ball forward twice before Thomas Leuluai beat Stefan Ratchford to the ball to ground one handed, injuring his hand in the process. Sam Tomkins added the conversion for a 6-0 half time lead in a tough encounter which had seen defences dominant.
Sam Tomkins was sin-binned on fifty-two for arguing too long with referee Hicks. With Tomkins off the field Ratchford won the race to ground a Declan Patton grubber as Ryan Sutton tried to kick the ball dead. Patton added the conversion to level the scores at 6-6.
After getting a penalty on fifty-eight, while still a man down, George Williams kicked the goal to edge the Cherry and Whites two points ahead.
A mass brawl on sixty-seven, which started with a high tackle on Dominic Manfredi by Tom Lineham, saw the Wolves winger sin-binned and both captains talked to.
On seventy-one Dominic Manfredi sealed the points for the Warriors on his comeback by jinking through the Wolves defence after a superb Morgan Escare break. Tomkins kicked the conversion for 14-6.
Two minutes later Manfredi got his second of a dream return to Wigan colours after he picked up a poor pass, went past two defenders, and reached to ground on the line. Tomkins added the extras for a 20-6 lead.
Wigan had become totally dominant in the last twn minutes and went further ahead when on seventy-six Ryan Sutton crashed the line for their fourth try of the night. Tomkins kicked the extra two for 26-6.
The two sides were evenly matched up until a moment of madness saw Tom Lineham sin-binned with ten minutes to play and after which Wigan went to town with three tries to end with what looks on paper to be a comprehensive victory. The twelve men left too many gaps for Wigan to exploit as they came close to guaranteeing themselves a home game in the play-offs.
Warriors: Tomkins S (4G) (SB on 52), Manfredi (2T), Gildart, Sarginson, Davies, Williams (G), Leuluai (T), Navarrete, Powell, Clubb, Isa, Bateman, Hamlin. Subs: Escare, Tautai, Sutton (T), Partington.
Wolves:Ratchford (T), Lineham (SB on 67), Goodwin, Atkins, Charnley, Livett, Patton (G), King G, Clark, Westwood, Thompson, King T, Hughes . Subs: Philbin, Smith, Pomeroy, Johnson.
Referee: Robert Hicks.
Half-Time: 6-0.
Full-Time: 26-6.
Attendance: 12,372.
