Wigan Warriors Women on the rise under head coach Denis Betts

Prior to that in the Women’s Super League competition, the side defeated high-flying York Valkyrie for the first time since 2019 with an 18-10 result in Yorkshire.

The Warriors have been building throughout the 2024 season under head coach Denis Betts, in his debut year in charge, currently third on the Women’s Super League table with seven wins from nine.

“We’ve played St Helens and Leeds so far this year and we came really close. We learned from those games, the things you need to do against sides that are stacked with internationals and with lots of experience - and sides that are confident in themselves,” Betts explained.

“We delivered on those levels that we worked on to get right (against York). That’s the most pleasing point from a coaching point of view; every game we’ve learned a little bit more and got a little bit closer.

“We just needed to tidy up on a couple of things, be a bit more ruthless in certain areas and apply ourselves that extra five or 10 percent and that came to the fore against York.

“We were confident that if we could tidy ourselves up and do the right things, then we could get a win.”

The Warriors face Huddersfield on Sunday, August 4, having hit a century last time out against the Giants, claiming a dominant 102-0 victory at the John Smith’s Stadium with a ruthless 18 tries scored.

But Betts knows this weekend’s opposition will be looking to put things right from that one-sided encounter earlier in May.

“It’s a new challenge,” Betts said, looking ahead.

“It’s hard to score 100 points, no matter who you’re against. We were pretty clinical that day. Emma Knowles couldn’t miss from the kicking tee, so that was a real bonus.

“It was a nice day, and we hit that patch where I was demanding more from them. That was a game where it all came together.

“Hopefully we can be as clinical, but I know Huddersfield would have learned a lot of lessons from that day.

“They’ll be wanting to put things right, so it’s going to be a tough day.”