Wigan Warriors: Five things we learned from the victory over Warrington Wolves (A)

Amos Wynn reflects on the key talking points from Wigan Warriors’ 40-22 victory over Warrington Wolves at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
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1. A reward for Thornley after a tough start to the seasonIt was great to see Iain Thornley go over for a brace on Friday night.

The physique of the centre proved too much for the Wolves defence, as he powered through gaps on the right side on two occasions in the opening 40 minutes, with Wigan really playing to his strengths.

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It’s been a tough start to the season for the 30-year-old, who returned to the club for this campaign.

Wigan Warriors beat Warrington Wolves at the Halliwell Jones StadiumWigan Warriors beat Warrington Wolves at the Halliwell Jones Stadium
Wigan Warriors beat Warrington Wolves at the Halliwell Jones Stadium

He picked up injuries in his first two games, but hopefully he has now put those troubles behind him.

His tries on Friday night very much felt like a well deserved reward, as he demonstrated exactly what he can offer to the team.

The same can be said for Liam Marshall, who has also spent a few games on the sidelines, as he went over for a brace as well.

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2. Field is fine following a brief moment of worry for the fans

Plenty of Wigan fans must’ve been left fearing the worst when Jai Field didn’t reappear for the second half.

The fullback had put in another great performance, and was causing Warrington plenty of problems.

With a Challenge Cup semi-final against St Helens coming up next week, the last thing the Warriors need is him being absent.

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Matty Peet soon put everyone’s mind at rest after the match, by saying it was part of the plan to bring Field off at some stage, and half time just felt like the right moment.

3. Harry Smith and Brad O’Neill fitting in well

Losing Thomas Leuluai and Sam Powell at the same time could’ve been a nightmare for Wigan, but so far Harry Smith and Brad O’Neill are doing a great job of filling in.

This demonstrates not only the Warriors’ depth, but how good their current crop of youngsters actually are.

Both players featured at times last year, and have more than enough experience to be able to do their roles.

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The main thing is to get the combination right between the pair and those around them, which is still a working progress, but looks good so far.

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4. Farrell’s fantastic form continues

Liam Farrell has put in some fantastic performances this season, and continues to be an asset to the Warriors.

He caused trouble for the Warrington defence throughout Friday night, and his try was well deserved.

After receiving the ball from a great Patrick Mago offload, he used his quick feet to find the space to go over for his eighth of the season.

5. Fantastic away support

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The travelling Wigan fans, who made the short trip down the motorway, were in great voice on Friday night.

From start to finish they were behind Peet’s side, and had the away stand well and truly rocking.

With plenty of games away from the DW Stadium coming up, this kind of support could prove crucial in the next few months.