Wigan’s Sam Walters sets unwanted 30-year record in cup final win

Wigan Warriors dominated Hull KR to win their 22nd Challenge Cup in history – but the game featured an unsavoury late disciplinary moment, with Sam Walters sent off.

Walters was involved in a tackle with Junior Nsemba which saw Hull KR substitute Bill Leyland dropped onto his head in pretty ugly fashion, and left Liam Moore with no choice but to brandish a straight red card.

It puts Walters into the Wembley history books for all the wrong reasons, too.

He becomes the first player to be sent off in a Challenge Cup final this century – and the first for well over 30 years to boot.

Widnes Vikings’ Richie Eyres was the last man to be given a red card in a Wembley final in the Challenge Cup. He scored a try in the defeat to none other than Wigan in the 1993 showpiece, but he was later sent off after elbowing Martin Offiah.

That led to Eyres being given a six-match ban by the Rugby Football League – and there is now a strong chance that Walters could land a similar ban in length after the ugly incident at the end of the game on Saturday afternoon.

He is also just the third man to be shown a red card in the Challenge Cup final.

Sid Hynes was sent off in controversial fashion in the 1971 decider after an incident involving Leigh’s Alex Murphy – though Hynes always protested his innocence in the matter.

But Walters’ tackle was a mere disciplinary footnote in what was an otherwise near-perfect afternoon from Wigan though, who reaffirmed their status as the kings of rugby league’s most famous competition.

Matt Peet’s side were brilliant and blew away the reigning holders in emphatic fashion, with their Bevan French gamble ultimately not needed on the afternoon.

By the time he entered the field in the final quarter, Wigan were 28-4 up and had all-but won the final thanks to an imperious display from half-back Jack Farrimond.