The Debrief: Wigan keep record alive, all change again on kicking tee, Catalans suffer injury blow

Reigning Super League champions Wigan Warriors returned to winning ways with a 30-8 victory against Catalans Dragons at the DW Stadium on Thursday night in a repeat of last year’s Grand Final.

The first Round 10 clash of the week wasn’t a thriller, but there were still talking points to be had from the game. This is The Love Rugby League Debrief…

Wigan keep record alive

After a poor showing at Hull KR last week where they were beaten, Wigan got back to winning ways in front of their home fans. In doing so, they ensured that their record of not being beaten in back-to-back games since last June would continue.

Going unbeaten until the end of last season following a defeat at Wakefield Trinity in July, Matt Peet’s side have since lost twice – at St Helens on Good Friday and at KR last week. On both occasions, they’ve responded with a win the following week.

Having gone in behind at the break this evening, they’ve got their second half performance to thank for that. The Cherry & Whites have now moved up to second on the Super League ladder, leapfrogging Catalans.

All change on Warriors kicking tee

Only a few weeks ago, the Warriors made the decision to give the kicking tee to Australian ace Adam Keighran, with the responsibility taken off the shoulders of Harry Smith who has had his troubles with the boot dating back to last season.

Keighran – who was Catalans’ goal-kicker last season – handed the reins back over this evening at the DW though, with Smith going five from five off the tee, perfection. We do wonder why it keeps changing, though!

A dull affair

We think most watching tonight’s game would agree with the fact that, particularly in the first half, it was a really dull affair with neither side anywhere near their best.

Wigan stepped their game up in the second half, they simply had to having been so poor in the first 40, particularly in attack. Not a game that will live long in the memory for many, with some individual bits of brilliance getting Wigan through in the end. By the same token, Catalans were poor in the second half, rarely troubling the hosts and not scoring a single point.

Milestone man Liam Farrell

Captain Farrell got the penultimate try of the evening for Wigan, crossing the whitewash for the 150th time in his career and hitting a landmark.

141 of those 150 have come in Cherry & White, with three as a loanee for Widnes Vikings back in his debut year in 2010 and six for England with the most recent of those against France in 2021. There aren’t many around like him, a true Warriors great.

Catalans suffer injury blow

While the Dragons will lick their wounds and go again having lost two on the bounce, Steve McNamara looks likely to be without Paul Seguier for a while now.

He went down in back play midway through the second half, and had to be helped from the field by two members of the French outfit’s backroom staff, unable to walk properly. We’ll await to hear a proper diagnosis, but the forward looked in a great deal of discomfort.