Wigan beat Catalans to cut Hull KR lead at top

Betfred Super League

Wigan (16) 28

Goals: Smith 4

Catalans (0) 18

With a five-try victory over Dragons and Catalans at Brick Community Stadium, Wigan Warriors cut the gap on Super League leaders Hull KR to two points.

The reigning champions are still without star stand-off Bevan French due to injury, but young players Jack Farrimond and Zach Eckersley made some impressive tries. However, the reigning champions are also without this season’s leading try-scorer Jai Field due to concussion protocols.

The Warriors always had their noses in front against a Dragons outfit, which Joel Tomkins had replaced them for the first time since signing a new deal until 2027 earlier this week, with Jake Wardle, Kruise Leeming, and Brad O’Neill all contributing scores.

Warriors were hardly back to their pre-epocalyptic best, but they were always the more aggressive attacking force, and their defense was much better than it was following last week’s shocking home defeat by Hull FC.

Christian Wade, who was targeted by the Airlie Birds, was largely excluded from the matchday squad, largely due to the absence of him from the squad.

In the first 15 minutes, Catalans had four sets of six deep in Wigan territory, but Wardle took a sharp offload from Liam Marshall to start the scoring.

In the absence of both French and Field, Warriors fans might have wondered who would perform the magic, and it was 19-year-old Farrimond, who was the one to come up with the suggestion after suffering from a hamstring injury, who was the one.

When he opted to kick ahead with Eckersley in a one-on-one encounter, Rouge wasted another chance to win the game and made a mess of it.

The visitors were then made to pay for their dishonesty when Leeming put together a superb team try under the posts to take the lead at 16-0.

A win was more important than a performance for Wigan, who had already lost three of their previous five games, and the Catalans made it difficult throughout, winning the second half.

As the Dragons put more pressure on the Wigan line, Rouge darted over, setting up Eckersley’s moment. The 21-year-old ran over the field in the same manner as Field, who he replaced at full-back in this game.

Makinson scored a milestone try with his 196th try, Theo Fages’ pass over the top, which placed him sixth on the Super League all-time list behind Jermaine McGillivary, but Wigan responded with O’Neill rushing over from a play-the-ball close to the line.

Matt Peet, the head of the Wigan Warriors, told BBC Radio Manchester:

“I’m pleased with the first half, but disappointed with the second.” I’ve got to capitalize on the two points, but the second half didn’t sit well with me because we came away in good company.

We simply need to improve. That’s always our ethos, but we can’t continue to say that.

Byrne, Leeming, Hill, and Mago are the others.

Catalans: Partington, Makinson, Laguerre, Yaha, Rouge, Fages, Sims, Da Costa, Bousquet, Sironen, Garcia, and Laguerre.

Satae, Navarrete, Maria, and Balmforth swap.