Kaide Ellis on Wigan Warriors continuing remarkable sequence despite defeat to Leigh Leopards
Kaide Ellis insists Wigan Warriors can take plenty of positives from their opening-day loss to Leigh Leopards - not least the continuation of their amazing defensive record.
Despite losing to a solitary Gaz O'Brien drop goal in golden point, Warriors extended their remarkable sequence of game without conceding a try.
Wigan have gone 433 minutes in the league without allowing an opposition try - almost five-and-a-half matches - which they will look to extend at Hull next weekend.
Since Joe Burgess crossed for a four-pointer during Hull KR's 24-20 defeat at the Brick on September 6 last year, Wigan finished 2024 by completely shutting out Leeds, Salford and Leigh, while KR's only points in last season's Grand Final came from a Mikey Lewis penalty.
After again keeping Leigh tryless, the proud record has continued, with Ellis saying the mood in the camp in far from downbeat despite starting 2025 on the wrong foot.
"It was great to start off with a derby game at a packed out Brick," he said. "We'd beaten Leigh in a fair few games in a row, but they knew their role on the night and it was always going to be tough.
"They've recruited well in the off-season and had a long, tough, pre-season. We spoke before the game about how it’d take 60,70,80 minutes if we were to get the job done, but in the end it wasn’t to be.
“We showed a lot of good defensive attitude. Our contact and scramble was hard, especially when down to 12 men, which is a positive we must take. We didn’t concede a try once again, and they didn't get close to our try line too much either.
"I thought we might just have been the better team in terms of how close we came to executing, but they scrambled really hard and, at the end of the night, they lasted into extra-time and were the better team.
"It’s never nice to lose but there’s a lot to be positive about. When we dig deeper, there will be good signs. All the Vegas build up pre-match with Michael Buffer was pretty cool, and having someone like him working on our sport is all good for the game.”
Ultimately the big calls in the game all went against Wigan, with Liam Farrell yellow-carded at the beginning of the second half despite appearing to be impeded as he chased a kick, while Adam
Keighran was in the sin-bin when O'Brien nailed his winning kick.
Wigan also crossed for what looked to be the game's only 'try' through Jai Field, only to see it chalked off by the video referee for a reefing infringement by Liam Marshall earlier in the move.
"It was just unfortunate we managed to score off that play," added Ellis. "If we'd scored off the next one it wouldn't have got looked at, but that's just the rules, and they're very clear on that at the beginning of the year.
"The yellow cards are also not ideal, having to play with 12 men for 20 minutes, especially at the end of the game, going into extra time. I still think we could have got the job done, but they just got the best field position and O'Brien made a great kick, fair play to him."