Wigan Warriors: Five things we learned from the victory over Hull KR (H)

1. A solid enough response

The Warriors looked a bit more like themselves compared to the previous week against Leeds Rhinos.

It wasn’t perfect, and they were against a depleted opposition, but they were much more solid in defence and did have their moments in attack.

It was a game they were expected to win, so the fact that they did it without too many worries is a positive in itself.

They looked comfortable, and maybe got a bit too relaxed in period, but overall it was a positive evening.

On a more sour note, it will be a worrying wait to see if Harry Smith will be punished for a challenge on Lachlan Coote.

The Wigan man caught the fullback with an elbow, which albeit didn’t seem to have too much force behind it, but could be considered ban worthy.

2. French at it again

Bevan French picked up from where he left off in the last outing at the DW Stadium.

Within 20 minutes he had claimed a brace, before completing his hat-trick just after the hour mark.

Once again these came through good work on the inside of him, but also his personal persistence and efficiency, especially for the second.

He also showed his all-round good play for Kai Pearce-Paul’s try, as he ran along the Rovers line looking for a gap.

When a grubber kick through didn’t work, he recollected via a teammate and quickly passed the ball towards the left, where space had begun to appear.

3. A great night for others

Liam Marshall also bagged himself a hat-trick on Thursday night.

The winger can often get overshadowed by French and Jai Field, but the work he does is just as crucial.

In both defence and attack, he is always a key contributor, and deserved to get three tries of his own.

Mike Cooper also marked his home debut with a try, while Patrick Mago claimed his first for the club.

4. A dip before the break

Wigan enjoyed a comfortable opening 25 minutes to the game, but before the break the visitors did put up a bit of a fight.

Following their try on the half hour mark, Hull KR started to ask some questions.

The Warriors did look a little shaky against their depleted opponents, and will no doubt be a period of the game they will be reviewing, with Peet describing them as “careless” in periods.

After the restart, Wigan put their foot down again and reclaimed control, following a small period of threat.

5. A tough time for Hull KR

You can’t help but feel for the Robins.

They entered the game with 16 first-team injuries, with that woe only increasing throughout the night at the DW Stadium.

It got to the stage where Danny McGuire chose not to use his last interchange, in order to protect George King.

To say they had so many missing, they were still able to give a good account of themselves in periods.

Their current situation once again poses the question, does rugby league do enough to protect teams and players?