| Wigan (8) 14 |
| Tries: Smith, King Goals: Smith 3 |
| St Helens (0) 6 |
| Tries: Lomax Goals: Percival |
Wigan survived a second-half fightback from Super League champions St Helens to record a famous derby win in front of a 24,275 crowd at the DW Stadium.
Harry Smith, whose kicking game was magnificent, scored all eight of the Cherry and Whites’ first-half points, as they led without conceding.
In a second half of real intensity, Toby King extended Wigan’s lead but Jonny Lomax finally replied for Saints.
Morgan Knowles had a Saints try chalked off and Wigan clung on to win.
The defeat came at a further cost to Saints, who had Sione Mata’utia withdrawn late on after a sickening collision which appeared to leave him prone, before he came to.
Medical staff came on to attend to him, delaying the final nine minutes of a pulsating game.
Mike Cooper also limped off for Wigan, as a bruising affair took its toll on the two sides.
The build-up to this ‘Rivals Round’ derby had whipped up a sense of excitement between the foes, evidenced by a huge crowd – the biggest for 18 years – and the game matched the hype as both teams stretched every sinew in the tussle.
Matt Peet’s Wigan showed their qualities in defence and attack to get the better of the Saints, with a pack led by Morgan Smithies showing a controlled aggression.
That go-forward gave half-back Smith, stand-in stand-off Joe Shorrocks and full-back Bevan French the space to weave their magic, with the former’s ability to put Saints in corners stifling their vaunted attack.
In fact, it made light of the absence of Jai Field’s pace and Cade Cust’s scheming after both were ruled out.
Smith combined with Jake Wardle, receiving a return pass to open the scoring, while French’s arcing run and pass slipped King over in the second 40.
Saints looked clunky at times in terms of the rhythm offered for England star Jack Welsby, playmaker Lomax and fellow half Lewis Dodd.
They also lacked the punch of the missing Alex Walmsley, looking tired up front at times despite the toil of Agnatius Paasi and Matty Lees.
That said, Saints still caused Wigan problems, with Dodd’s short kicking creating the score for Lomax, and some outstanding defence from the hosts needed to keep them at bay.
Errors, though, were a feature as Lomax failed to finish off a break in which he coasted through and Welsby had a ball forced out by a superb shot from Wardle.
French’s late cover tackle on a runaway Welsby summed up both sides, as Saints fell just short and Wigan showed true mettle.
Wigan head coach Matt Peet told BBC Radio Manchester:
“I’m made up. It’s important that we take time to celebrate this win, it’s a big one for us. Against a fantastic team and a big crowd, it shows the team and club are heading in the right direction.
“I thought there were elements where we were excellent, I’m really proud of the effort and endeavour and defensively we looked very solid. There will be moments where we look back and I think we could have done better, but these games are often won by big moments and never giving up and that’s what we did.
“We’ve got that confidence in the group, when people miss out we’ve got a next man in philosophy. These kind of games ebb and flow and you’re never dominant for too long and likewise when you are under the pump you can turn it round quickly. But so much is to do with your mindset.”
St Helens head coach Paul Wellens told BBC Radio Merseyside:
“It’s disappointment more so than anything, we’ve come here and not won a big game and we know how huge these games are for supporters.
“We just came up short today. One thing I will say is I can’t fault them on attitude and effort, that was there in abundance from both teams. Ultimately we just came up short.
“Definitely not taking the opportunities when they present themselves was an issue. We shelled a couple against Wakefield last week also. Big games like this are littered with little moments and Wigan won a few more of those today.”
Wigan: French; Miski, King, Wardle, Marshall; Shorrocks, Smith; Byrne, Powell, Cooper, Pearce-Paul, Farrell, Smithies
Interchanges: Ellis, Singleton, Havard, O’Neill [Mago]
St Helens: Welsby; Makinson, Hurrell, Percival, Hopoate; Lomax, Dodd; Paasi, Roby, Lees, Mata’utia, Sironen, Knowles
Interchanges: Lussick, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Bell, Delaney [Bennison]
Referee: Liam Moore.
