Warrington Wolves beat Wigan Warriors 23-6 in Super League round nine at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, with goals from Josh Thewlis and Albert Hopoato.
Warrington were without captain George Williams, who is out with a long-term neck injury that required surgery, as well as James Harrison, Luke Yates, Toph Shipley and Adam Holroyd. Kai Taylor-Reay was also out with an injury.
Meanwhile, Wigan are still without Bevan French, with Harry Smith and Sam Walters also suspended.
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Mark Snead puts Warrington Wolves ahead with ‘magical’ try against Wigan Warriors
They also lost winger Liam Marshall to a hamstring injury early in the game, causing major disruption to their backline.
Warrington took a slight lead at half-time thanks to Mark Snead’s penalty and Josh Thewlis’ converted try, giving the home team an 8-0 advantage going into half-time.
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Wigan Warriors’ Zac Eckersley scores a wonder try against Warrington Wolves
Wigan fought back with a goal from Zak Eckersley in the 40th minute of the second half, but Warrington scored again with Thewlis’ second goal, a double from Hopoat, and a drop goal from Snyde to win 23-6.
The defeat was Wigan’s fourth consecutive Super League defeat and their worst run under Matt Peat.
Meanwhile, Warrington are now two points off the top of the table with a game in hand.
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Josh Thewlis empowers Warrington Wolves to punish Wigan Warriors in Super League
Warrington proves too much as Wigan suffer yet another defeat.
In front of a packed Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington and Wigan got off to a shaky start in the first 10 minutes, with errors from both teams giving away penalties.
Wigan then suffered a huge blow in the 11th minute when Marshall pulled up clutching his hamstring and immediately signaled towards the touchline.
Josh Thewlis scored Warrington’s first goal.
Injuries forced Wigan into substitutions and led to a lack of discipline, conceding too many penalties down the right, mainly to Matty Ashton.
Euan Erwin sent a delightful pass to Thewlis who found a massive game between Patrick Mago and Ethan Hubbard, who eventually got Warrington over the try line.
Wigan thought they had hit back at half-time with Wardle wide, but their attack was nullified as a pass forward and Wolves went into the 40th minute of the second half with an eight-point cushion.
Ewan Erwin helped pull the strings along with Mark Sneed
Wigan attacked early in the second half but thought they had won when Eckersey grounded in a loose ball in the 49th minute. However, it was rejected due to Keiglan’s push.
It didn’t take long for Warrington to recover after that, and after a knock-on from Junior Nthemba, they used their territory to send a hand, with Hopoate finishing well on the edge. Snead was unable to score and Warrington led 12-0 with 25 minutes remaining.
But just six minutes later, out of nowhere, Wigan struck back. Eckersley broke through Warrington’s lines, evaded defenders and ran 60 meters before diving in, much to the delight of the away supporters. Keiglan scored to make the score 12-6.
Zac Eckersley broke through to score and looked to be the catalyst for Wigan’s comeback.
That energized Wigan and they looked set for another try when he broke through Keiglan again downfield.
That burst of energy was quickly halted when Warrington were awarded a penalty in the 67th minute and Thewlis smashed his second goal over the top of the field from just 10 meters out, and Sneid converted to give them an 18-6 lead.
Snide then hit his 50th Super League one-pointer to extend the lead to 19-6, further delighting Wolves fans.
Warrington then rubbed salt into the wound when they went wide again, with Hopoate scoring his second goal to seal a 23-6 win.
Pete: Wigan’s display is difficult to watch.
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Matt Peat says it was ‘hard to watch’ after Wigan Warriors lost to Warrington Wolves in Super League
Wigan Warriors head coach Matt Peat told Sky Sports:
“That was hard to watch at times.
“I was very proud of the effort of the players and there were moments when I wanted to do it again.
“Both teams are in similar situations and in worse positions. In the end Warrington managed better than us and executed better than us. We didn’t take our chances.”
“In other games there were red flags in terms of effort and attitude, but I thought we had them tonight. Tonight was probably about our execution. The thing is, you can’t afford to slip up any week because the pressure is on.”
“It’s alarming and it’s difficult. As always, we’ll get through this together.”
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Sam Burgess says he was proud of Warrington Wolves’ cohesive defense after a “tough” Super League game against Wigan Warriors
Warrington Wolves head coach Sam Burgess told Sky Sports:
“The first half was rough and we lost a little bit of composure, but we picked it up in the second half.
“I’m really happy for the team. Tonight we lost Kai Taylor-Rea and had to limp again, which we’re getting used to, but we coped well.
“I’m proud of all of them and really proud of the way they defended each other. I was disappointed with our defense last week, so I’m happy with how they showed up and continued to compete hard.”
“I thought Ewan Erwin could have asserted himself a little more in the game. That’s just how he feels, but he’s still a great player at 18 and we can see the first-class parts. We have to be patient with him.”
“He’s capturing his moments well, so I’m asking him to take a little more time and get on the ball a little more. His confidence will increase.”
2026 Super League – Important dates and highlights
Paris Super League: Saturday 6 June: Catalans Dragons v Wigan Warriors (Paris), 6:30pm UK (Sky Sports) Magic Weekend: 4 July – 5 July Rivals Round Reversal: 23 July – 26 July Elimination Play-offs: 19 September – 20 September Play-off Semi-Finals: 26 September – 27 September Grand Final: October 3rd, Old Trafford.
Sky Sports will continue to broadcast every Super League match live this season. Exclusively live, including two matches from each round, the remaining five matches will be shown weekly on Sky Sports+.
