The 18th Man: Wigan Warriors took their chances against Hull KR and it paid off

Robert Kenyon

The Hull KR match was like eating a Sunday dinner after years of spam butties.

We took our chances in attack and they paid off, we were offloading and throwing the ball about which was good to see, the lads looked like they were enjoying it too.

There will be a lot more fans through the gate this year if we carry on playing like that.

I was impressed with Cade Cust’s kicking, something I didn’t know much about, but I knew he had a good running game.

Ellis made hard yards, Mago was a real handful and hard to put down plus he has a great offload.

Bibby and Marshall linked up very well together, Jai Field showed us how fast he is and how dangerous he will be this season and KPP looks like he’ll slot into the centre spot seamlessly.

We finally look like we have a capable front row and the ability and freedom to offload.

When Noble took over we looked like we had structure, albeit five drives and a kick, when Madge came we looked like a slick game winning machine with ‘the move’, Wane with Deacs and Harris as assistants we played the best rugby for years but then it got a bit more about wrestling than rugby.

Lam’s tenure was a disaster, but the early signs from Peet and co is that we are playing proper rugby league, hard in defence but flamboyant in attack, long may it continue because after the last two years of hardly being able to do much and the substandard rugby offered its a breath of fresh air that people need in their lives.

Leeds were pipped by Warrington and were very unlucky losing Myler, Bentley and Dwyer in the sin-bin.

If they would have stayed injury free or at least had 13 on the pitch all game, they’d have won. Leeds are a good side, it will be a tough game with the return of Great Britain winger Blake Austin.

They’ll have a lot to prove after their narrow loss to Warrington so they’ll be well up for this game. It’s another opportunity to see how our pack goes against theirs, and hopefully see some more good rugby on offer. With the return to the DW, along with the standard of rugby on show, we should get much bigger crowds this season.

I’m hoping after the last two years it will give a kick up the backside 2006 style to some fans to get down and make some noise.

Darren Wrudd

I was full of the joys of the prospects of a new season last week and the thought of what might be, which is obviously the same as fans from every other Super League club, when a fresh start means all sorts of opportunities to have a big year.

I must admit, though, that the first game against Hull KR has done absolutely nothing to put out the fire in my belly.

It was a hard-fought game against a well-coached outfit, and in spite of some glaring errors and far too many penalties, we pushed hard and looked confident of the win.

The exciting part is that we can only improve as these lads develop new playing relationships with slick moves, like the scrum play kick for Jai Field to chase, which hopefully will become the norm in 2022. Cade Cust, I think, was awesome.

A general in midfield with an intelligent kicking game which helped us out on several occasions.

I extolled his defence last week, but he will not want to re-watch his lapse in concentration which let in the try, come the video review.

I also wanted to single out Jake Bibby for particular praise. His effort in defence is one of the reasons we have done so well generally and he is not letting his standards drop at all.

Absolute passion to stop the opposition, Jake is showing just how much that shirt means to him, and he is one of our best performers each week.

I feel for Iain Thornley, but injuries will happen, and we luckily had Hardaker on the bench, who filled in well and showed what a headache Matty Peet must have each week in selecting his squad.

I thought Leeds were unlucky last week and they showed a lot of energy and ingenuity in their structure.

We will have to cut out the penalties if we are to open our home account with a win, but that will no doubt have been a priority in this week’s training.

We can’t put the blame on the referee Mr Child as, although he did not have his best game, he is only human and will no doubt improve his own performance as the year goes on, just like the players.

I am looking forward to a return to the DW as it seems longer than ever since we were home. So shout loud, cheer and sing as we all know, it’s in our blood.

Sean Lawless

As far as first games of the season go, that was a pretty decent one in many ways. A win against a team which Wigan failed to beat in 2021, a performance of cohesive attacking rarely seen in 2021, and new signings shining.

The performance from Cade Cust may have been overshadowed by the tryscoring heroics of Jai Field, but he was outstanding.

To have a halfback with a kicking game, as dangerous as his is something Wigan have lacked for a number of years.

Mago also showed his class, despite two errors in his first two carries, he wasn’t deterred from playing his game – his offload game – he is already a real asset.

Wigan played well, but you can also see the areas of improvement that can and I am sure, will come, over the coming weeks. The Leeds game is another great game at the start of the season to measure progress.

Wigan limped or whimpered out of the 2021 play-offs against Leeds and have a chance to show Super League how much they have learnt, grown and developed in the offseason under Matty Peet.

Leeds look set to be hit by injuries and suspensions, so I expect this to be an opportunity for Wigan to lay a solid platform for a good performance and a good victory.

Returning to the DW, there feels like a real renewal of optimism, energy and love for the team – a credit to the work the club has done in the off season under the guidance of Kris Radlinski, Shaun Wane and Matt Peet. Hopefully a big crowd awaits the team on Friday.

Jon Lyon

I’m not buying my “2022 Grand Finalist” t-shirt just yet, but there was plenty to get excited about in our first run out.

Defensively we looked solid, especially on the right-hand side, where the combination of KPP, Leuluai and Isa or Bateman looked like a real challenge for opposing teams to break down. Offensively it was exciting to see some wonderful set plays create overlaps and pay off.

To have these combinations in place so early in the season bodes well for the rest of the year. There can be no higher praise than for Tony Smith to say on television that he was out coached by Matty Peet, and fair play to him for admitting it.

Cade Cust looked in control throughout, and his kick for the electric Jai Field was a sight to behold.

If they can both stay fit for the majority of the season we are in for some exciting rugby.

Our forwards to a man were aggressive and dominant, and to only concede two tries to a formerly expansive and exciting Hull KR was a great achievement, with one of those being a lucky ricochet from a grubber.

Special mention to Tommy Leuluai’s shoulders which were at their brutal best with some crunching big hits from our captain.

Looking ahead to the match up against Leeds we should be nothing but confident going into the game.

Leeds played well against Warrington and deserved something out of the match. However, they have lost four players through suspension and injury (James Bentley already proving to be the liability he has always seemed).

Even with the possible return of Blake Austin and Harry Newman we should feel with a home crowd and on the back of the Hull KR performance we have nothing to fear.

Thornley’s injury and absence for up to two months is a blow, but with the likes of Hardaker, Halsall, Hanley and eventually Bevan French, we now have the squad to deal with such disruptions.

If we can clamp down on Leeds’ forwards offloads and put similar pressure on Leeming and Austin that we saw against Hull KR’s halves, we should be able to nullify their attack. We have the pace and power out wide ourselves to finish Leeds off.

If the crowd gets behind the team I can see this ending in a comfortable win, I’ll go for 26-8. I can’t wait to get back inside the DW again on Friday. The chance to see friends I haven’t seen much of over the last two years.

The excitement building as I walk around the stadium pre match, picking up my programme and chatting to the Golden Gamble ticket sellers, braving all weathers to raise money for our club, the music as the players enter the arena for battle, the roar of the crowd, even the mind-numbing “Yorkshire, Yorkshire” chants from the Leeds supporters, I’ve missed it all, it’s good to be back!