Unexpected short-drop out a delight for Warriors centre Jake Wardle in game-changing try

Having gained a 10-0 advantage thanks to tries from wingers Liam Marshall and Abbas Miski on either side of half-time after a sloppy start to the round five fixture, the Red Devils turned the game with their own back-to-back scores.

Attacking kicks resulted in tries for Paul Rowley’s outfit, the first for back-rower Sam Stone before team-mate Tim Lafai crossed for his opening try of the season, with both converted by Marc Sneyd for a 12-10 lead.

But the Salford half-back’s short drop-out attempt on 75 minutes went badly wrong when his side couldn’t collect the ball in the air, giving Wardle space to score from 10 metres out with a man down – Harry Smith sent to the sin-bin for a professional foul on Ryan Brierley.

“I didn’t really expect it,” Wardle admits.

“I thought they were going to kick long. But obviously the opportunity came and when I got the ball, I had the space to the try-line.

“We practise scenarios in training. But for it to happen in a game, it was quite nice.”

Bevan French’s try on the full-time hooter sealed the victory as Wigan extended their winning start to 2024.

“We got a drop-out straight from kick-off, it’s all about reaction and I thought we reacted pretty well to their tries,” England centre Wardle continued.

“Bevan is a special player, a bit of space and he’ll take it.

“It was a tough game and the scoreline reflects that.

“That last try pushes the score out a bit more, but Salford really challenge you defensively.

“They’ve got some really good players on the edge; Macdonald and Lafai in the centres, they’re a handful.

“But we’ve got a good belief in the club. We know that it’s not always going to be perfect, going behind is going to happen. It’s how we react to it.

“We weren’t at our best, but it showed what kind of character we’ve got in this team to get the win.”