Adrian Lam hails Wigan resilience after win over Warrington

Correspondent
Wigan coach Adrian Lam praised his side’s resilience after they staged a smash and grab act to beat Warrington 18-14 in a tense Super League derby behind closed doors at Headingley.

Both teams went into the game, which was repeat of the 2018 Grand Final, smarting from surprise Challenge Cup semi-final defeats and it was the Warriors who took the opportunity to pull two points clear of their opponents in second place in the table.

The Wolves raced into a 12-0 lead through tries from Matty Ashton and Chris Hill and went on to dominate the first half but their overwhelming possession was not accurately reflected on the scoreboard and they paid the price as Wigan fought back after the break.

Defence had kept the Warriors in the game and the introduction of young half-back Harry Smith added purpose to their attack as they took the lead for the first time with second rower Liam Farrell’s match-winning try five minutes from the end.

READ: Warrington 14-18 Wigan: Late Liam Farrell try wins it for Warriors

Lam said: “I lost my voice at one stage. It’s a big win for us, especially after the disappointment of last weekend. We were embarrassed and couldn’t get to Friday quick enough.

“Not being able to train early in the week because of Covid and having to shuffle the team, I was always nervous.

“I just wanted them to have a bit of success together after last week. I thought tonight we weren’t pretty but we were resilient.

“The talk at half-time was positive, there was a good feel about it. I thought we could have killed the game a little earlier but we hung in there and got a simple try at the end to win it.”

Lam was encouraged by the debut of former Leeds prop Brad Singleton following his arrival from Toronto Wolfpack

Lam said: “I’m really pleased for Brad. I thought he was good for us.

“He hasn’t played for a long time but another four weeks getting his fitness up will help him and help us.”

Listen to The Final Hooter podcast, featuring exclusive interviews, every week. SUBSCRIBE to Love Rugby League on Apple Podcasts.