Wigan 20 Hull FC 22: Five talking points

1. Wigan lost their first game of the year but were any fans moaning? The outcome was better than many had predicted, given the Warriors were without 10 frontline stars through injury. Arguably seven of those players would walk straight back into the side when fit. Fans saw the depleted side have a real dig – FC’s 18-0 lead at half-time was down to a nine-minute purple patch – and then fight back to score four tries in a breathtaking finish to go within a whisker of snatching something from the game. And another thing...

2. All four of Wigan’s tries were scored by products of the club’s academy system. And three of the scorers - Liam Forsyth, Tom Davies and Liam Marshall - have only made their debuts this season. It’s a great endorsement of their youth system. The other scorer, George Williams, was a frequent threat.

3. Were Wigan “unlucky” to lose? Shaun Wane certainly felt so, claiming at least two of their tries which were ruled out would have received the green-light had there been a video referee. A still of Tom Davies diving over in the corner has since circulated on social-media which appears to support that view - though it isn’t conclusive, as the snap doesn’t rule out the possibility the winger’s foot was on the touchline before he went air-bound. Either way, Hull FC counterpart Lee Radford reckons they would have lost the game had there been five more minutes...

4. In review, Wane may look at the defensive errors for at least of Hull FC’s four tries. While centre Jake Connor’s try, to stretch the visitors’ lead to 18-0, was down to a neat pass by Sika Manu, Albert Kelly was allowed to look like a world-beater for the preceding try. And Jamie Shaul’s effort shortly after the restart should have been halted earlier in the play.

5. But credit to Hull FC. They are the new leaders of the Super League ladder, and after four straight wins they have shown enough to suggest they will again be contending for trophies this year. Radford was, understandably, disappointed with some of the rusty skills on show, blaming their fading second-half display on their earlier mistakes, but he appears to have the personnel to trouble teams this year.