Warriors sign off in style
Smiles all round - Wigan lift the Leage Leaders' Shield
LEGENDS were saluted before the game, legacies were cast during it ... and silverware was lifted after it!
From start to finish, there was a party atmosphere as Warriors brought the curtain down on the regular season ... and the fans lapped up every minute of it - a 34-12 victory over Bradford Bulls capping off a great night.
Minutes before kick-off, six club greats – Andy Gregory, Colin Clarke, Henderson Gill, Graeme West, Denis Betts and Billy Boston – formed a guard of honour to welcome the table-topping players onto the pitch.
After the match, Wigan were presented with the league leaders’ shield.
And in between those festivities, the home side claimed another scalp on a night that will be remembered for Pat Richards equalling Andy Farrell’s record of 388 points in a Super League season.
Richards scored two tries and kicked three goals from seven attempts, but he appeared a reluctant hero on a night.
It seems such a long time ago that the side kicked off their regular season on a shivery February evening against Crusaders.
They won that game comfortably, yet not too many would have predicted that the Warriors – with a near-identical squad as last year – would trample over all-comers to secure top spot in such comprehensive fashion.
Of the 27 games played this campaign, they have lost just five, and supporters are now hoping such exploits are replicated in the play-off series that begins next week.
If last night’s evidence was anything to go by, they have a very good chance, as Wigan ran in four first-half tries to take a comfortable, 20-0 lead.
Warriors led by the same scoreline at Odsal earlier this season, only to lose to a Bulls revival, but there was no danger of that last night.
In truth, there were scrappy passages and long lulls – areas that Maguire will be keen to address. But the final scoreline says it all.
The Wigan coach welcomed back four internationals to the side, with George Carmont and Stuart Fielden playing from the start, and Paul Prescott and Martin Gleeson taking bench spots.
Led out by Joel Tomkins, Wigan took time to find their groove but once they did, it was one-way traffic.
The dashing Sam Tomkins appeared to have broken the deadlock in the 13th minute when he ghosted through Bulls’ defence with a trademark left-foot step, only for James Child to rule the score out for obstruction.
Warriors fans didn’t have to wait too long for the breakthrough, however, as Liam Farrell wriggled through some hapless defence to send the supporting George Carmont over. Richards converted.
With Prescott, sporting a Steve Menzies-esque head-guard to protect a recent eye would, and Iafeta Paleaaesina adding some go-forward from the bench, Warriors punched their way into Bradford’s half.
They doubled their advantage when a mazy dummy-half burst from Mark Riddell led to Paleaaesina gratefully crossing for a rare try. Richards again made no mistake to put the home side 12-0 ahead.
In between some scrappy passages, Warriors played some attractive attacking rugby league and choked the visitors of chances with a fierce defensive effort led magnificently by Joel Tomkins.
Sean O’Loughlin’s bullet-line cut-out pass sent Richards over for a try, his 28th of the Super League season – taking him past Kris Radlinski’s club record of 27 in the summer era.
But he missed the conversion, and minutes later was again off-target when Joel Tomkins stormed over on the stroke of half-time.
Wigan wasted no time in extending their lead in the second half, a piercing break from Riddell setting the platform for Paul Deacon to gift Richards his second try with a weighted chip to the corner.
Richards missed the conversion that would have drawn him level with Farrell’s milestone.
And when Richards broke away down the left flank – only for the move to break down with a dropped pass to Liam Farrell – it seemed the existing nine-year record would remain intact, especially when Richards went agonisingly close to scoring a try he crafted in the 65th minute.
The game deteriorated as a spectacle with dropped balls littering both performances; not even a thunderous tackle by Thomas Leuluai could jolt Wigan back into life.
Gradually, eventually, Warriors kept hold of the ball enough to build some pressure on Bradford’s line and Darrell Goulding crossed unmanned.
Up stepped Richards to nail the sideline conversion to draw level with Farrell... and earn a standing ovation from the appreciative crowd of 17,058 – making Wigan the best supported rugby league club in the country.
Goulding denied Ricki Sheriffe in the corner but Bradford eventually got a try, a scrappy effort through Craig Kopczak, before Goulding managed to squeeze over in the right corner minutes from time.
Richards had a chance to pull clear of Farrell with the conversion... only for his effort to sail agonisingly wide.
Andy Lynch muscled over for Bulls in the dying seconds – Menzies, in his farewell appearance, struck an emotional conversion.
But that could not take the shine off a memorable night for Wigan and their fans.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Wigan
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: West
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.