Wigan Warriors notebook: Unsung hero in Hull KR victory, loan watch, women and reserves enjoy wins

From left to right: Tom Forber, Kaide Ellis and Georgia Wilson in action for Wigan Warriors | SWpix.com / Dave Greaves / Bryan Fowler

Wigan Warriors had four teams in action over the weekend so, without further ado, let’s get into the latest notebook.

Unsung hero in Hull KR win

Reigning champions Wigan ended Hull KR’s unbeaten start to the season with a 28-12 win at Sewell Group Craven Park on Friday evening.

There were a number of standout performers for Matt Peet’s side, but let’s take a nod to an unsung hero in Kaide Ellis, who might not usually get his name in the headlines like his teammates Bevan French and Jai Field, but does his job brilliantly.

The Australian has taken to his No. 13 role like a duck to water, providing that consistent defence through the middle but also linking up with the rest of the spine in attack. Against Hull KR, Ellis made a staggering 38 tackles as well as racking up 123 metres from 24 carries. A huge performance on both sides of the ball in a game of that intensity. Ellis has been one of the premier loose forwards in Super League for several seasons now, and it’s easy to see why.

Big Sam flourishing in the middle lane

Sam Walters earned his first league start on Friday, filling the void left by Luke Thompson, who faces a couple of weeks on the sidelines with a calf injury.

Walters has primarily been used from the bench by Peet, given his versatility of being able to play in the back-row or middle.

The 6ft 7in forward is improving week by week and he delivered, arguably, his best performance yet in a cherry and white shirt at the weekend. He made 49 tackles against a physical Hull KR pack featuring the likes of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Sauaso Sue, Kelepi Tanginoa and Jai Whitbread, whilst making 114 metres from 13 carries. The Warriors have a mega talent on their hands in Walters.

Reserves victorious at Craven Park

Wigan’s reserves also enjoyed a win over Hull KR at Craven Park, winning 20-18 on Saturday afternoon. The Warriors youngsters were 12-8 up at half-time before going on to win 20-18, recording their third win of the campaign.

First-team squad members Noah Hodkinson, Jacob Douglas, Jack Farrimond, Harvey Makin, Tom Forber, Kian McDermott, Lukas Mason and Taylor Kerr all featured. Kerr, Finlay Yeomans (2) and Josh Cartwright got on the scoresheet for the Warriors, with Farrimond kicking two goals.

Reserves line-up: Noah Hodkinson; Josh Cartwright, Finlay Yeomans, Austin Daniel, Jacob Douglas; Charlie Yeomans, Jack Farrimond; Harvey Makin, Tom Forber, Kian McDermott, George O’Loughlin, Lukas Mason, Taylor Kerr. Subs: Jack Purtill, Kallum Rathbone, Jack Bibey, Mike Porter. 18th man: Harlen Smith.

Capital gains for Warriors women

Denis Betts’ side enjoyed their second win of the 2025 campaign, having eased past London Broncos Ladies 44-0 in the group stages of the Challenge Cup at Chiswick RFC.

Following from their opening 84-0 win over Barrow Raiders Ladies the previous week, the Warriors are two wins from two, with an impressive aggregate score of 128-0.

Mary Coleman, Eva Hunter, Emily Veivers, Shaniah Power, Tiana Power (2), Remi Hilton (2) and Molly Jones all scored for the Warriors in the capital, with Jenna Foubister kicking four goals.

Women’s line-up: Georgia Wilson; Tiana Power, Kaitlin Hilton, Molly Jones, Ellise Derbyshire; Jenna Foubister, Grace Banks; Mary Coleman, Remi Wilton, Jade Gregory-Haselden, Eva Hunter, Shaniah Power, Megan Williams. Subs: Emily Veivers, Carys Marsh, Rachel Thompson, Cerys Jones. 18th woman: Ruby Hunter.

Loan watch

Wigan have two players in loan action over the weekend in the shape of first-team youngsters Sam Eseh and George Hirst.

Eseh featured from the interchange bench for Hull FC, who returned to second in the Super League table with a 28-16 win over Warrington Wolves at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Meanwhile, George Hirst started in the back-row for Oldham as Sean Long’s side picked up a nail-biting 30-28 victory over Featherstone Rovers. However, Hirst left the action late on following a tackle from Gadwin Springer, who received a red card. The win sees Oldham go second in the Championship table.

Wheelchair ‘A’ compete in Challenge Trophy

Wigan’s Wheelchair ‘A’ competed in the Challenge Trophy at the University of York on Saturday.

The Warriors were drawn in Group 1, with the op two teams from each group progressing to the semi-finals. They were defeated 8-0 by North Wales Crusaders and 4-0 by Castleford Tigers, who went on to lift the trophy. The Challenge Trophy is a competition for teams from outside the Wheelchair Super League.