Wigan Warriors dealt huge Challenge Cup final blow with duo suspended

Wigan Warriors pair Adam Keighran and Tyler Dupree will miss the Challenge Cup final this weekend.

The pair were both handed three-match bans following incidents during the Warriors‘ win over Warrington Wolves on Saturday afternoon.

Keighran was shown a straight red card following a tackle on Arron Lindop, and he has been banned for three games and fined £250 following a Grade D Head Contact charge.

Meanwhile, Dupree has received the same punishment for an incident which went unpunished during the game on Saturday. He head-butted Sam Powell in the tackle during the closing minutes of the first half, and will also miss the Warriors’ next three games.

Wigan have yet to confirm whether or not they will appeal the suspensions, with Matt Peet likely to be quizzed on the matter at the cup final press conference on Monday afternoon.

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But even if Wigan do appeal, the severity of the bans means it is unlikely that Dupree and Keighran will be cleared to feature for the Warriors at Wembley on Saturday afternoon.

Wigan hooker Brad O’Neill was also charged with a Grade A Dangerous Contact – but he was only fined £250.

The other players to be charged but not suspended were Castleford’s Liam Watts (Grade A Dangerous Contact), while Frankie Halton, Deon Cross, Harry Rushton and Rhys Kennedy were charged with Grade B Dangerous Contact. They were all fined £250.

But there is no doubting that the headline news is Wigan’s loss of both Keighran and Dupree, with Peet now without two of his key players for the Wembley showdown with Warrington this weekend.

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