Wigan Warriors secured their third consecutive derby victory over St Helens in a recent Super League match. This fixture marked the beginning of the post-Paul Rowley era for St Helens, who suffered a defeat.
Paul Rowley departed St Helens on Thursday after less than a year in his role, with the team experiencing a period of poor form. Under the interim leadership of Eamon O’Carroll, St Helens were defeated by Wigan for the second time this season in the league and the second time within the month.
Match Action
Jack Welsby opened the scoring for St Helens. Bevan French quickly responded for Wigan, but Jacob Douglas then restored St Helens‘ lead. Wigan subsequently took control of the game.
Zach Eckersley and Oliver Partington each scored two tries for Wigan, while Adam Keighran also crossed the try line. Lewis Murphy scored an acrobatic try for St Helens later in the match.
Wigan‘s victory brings them level on 30 points with Super League leaders Leeds Rhinos. However, a win for Wakefield against Castleford meant Wigan dropped to third place in the table. St Helens have now lost seven of their last 11 games across all competitions.
During Rowley‘s tenure, St Helens had won the first derby of the season with a comeback victory at Easter. However, a significant defeat in the Challenge Cup semi-final and a narrow loss at the Magic Weekend earlier in the month meant Wigan entered this latest encounter with momentum.
St Helens initially took the lead within the first five minutes when Welsby scored after Harry Smith failed to stop his run. Wigan soon equalised through French. Douglas then scored for St Helens, but Wigan quickly responded with Eckersley touching down in the corner.
Wigan then edged ahead when French provided a kick for Eckersley to score his 30th try of the season. A try by St Helens‘ Harry Robertson was controversially disallowed after being initially given by referee Liam Moore, with video referee Jack Smith ruling it out.
Second Half and Reactions
After the break, Wigan maintained pressure, leading to Partington scoring. Jackson Hastings of St Helens was sin-binned against his former club for pulling back French, preventing a potential try.
Partington scored a second try, and Keighran chased a kick to score another for Wigan. Murphy then scored for St Helens with nine minutes remaining.
Wigan Warriors head coach Matt Peet expressed satisfaction with the two points and the team’s health. He noted that St Helens were determined, which was the kind of game he anticipated. Peet also commented that Bevan French would benefit from the match and contributes significantly to the team.
St Helens interim coach Eamon O’Carroll stated his pride in the team’s response to adversity both before and during the game. He highlighted their effort and intent, which he believes the team can build upon. O’Carroll observed the team’s unity during the week following Rowley‘s departure and was proud of their commitment to playing for the jersey, emphasising the need to maintain this effort throughout the season.
The match referee was Liam Moore.
Source: bbc.co.uk
As News-GB.org's Sports Reporter, Eleanor Vance reports on tennis, cricket and athletics for readers across the country. She built her name on long-form athlete profiles. She holds a degree in Sport and Media from the University of Bath and completed an NCTJ diploma. Eleanor lives in Bath, where she swims competitively and follows British athletics. “A profile is only as good as the questions behind it.”