With Hull KR and St Helens already safely into the semi-finals of the 2023 Challenge Cup, arguably the tie of the round pitted Wigan Warriors against the Warrington Wolves with the third place up for grabs in a game which is too close to call.
Wigan had the home advantage and the bookies handicapped them by four points on the coupon, favouring a win for the side in sixth pace over the one currently second in the table.
Warrington arrived with an unchanged side from last week’s narrow win over the Huddersfield Giants and they knew that they would need to be at their best to beat a speedy Wigan side and the dual threat of Field and French.
After an innocuous opening six minutes Wigan had the most inauspicious of starts as Kaide Ellis headbutted Stefan Ratchford and the referee had no hesitation in brandishing a red card, the Warriors at a one-man disadvantage for the majority of the game due to a moment of stupidity.
But it was the Warriors who opened the scoring on ten minutes when a speculative Harry Smith kick to the line was tapped back by Abbas Miski and into the hands of Toby King who took it on its first bounce on the line and grounded. Smith added the conversion for a 6-0 lead.
As the half wore on you´d have been forgiven for thinking that it was the Wolves who were playing a man short as the Warriors dominated position and possession. A Wigan penalty on twenty-one saw Smith kick the goal to extend the lead to eight.
A brilliant tackle from Josh Thewlis on Liam Marshall prevented a second Wigan try on twenty-six as he hit him hard and knocked him into touch a few metres from the try line.
The twelve men dominated the thirteen in a low scoring half, Wigan taking a deserved lead into the sheds, but it was all still to play for in the second half.
Morgan Smithies was held up over the line on forty-four as Wigan chased the killer try. Ten minutes later Daryl Clark was held up over the line for Warrington, but it just postponed the inevitable with a bandaged Joe Bullock crashing over the Wigan defence to score from five metres. Stefan Ratchford added the conversion for 6-8.
On fifty-seven the Warriors extended their lead with an acrobatic Miski diving try into the right corner off a tremendous pass. Smith converted brilliantly from the touchline, banishing his recent poor form to memory.
With ten minutes remaining on the clock Matt Dufty promoted the ball as he stretched to score, the referee consulting the video official but certain that it wasn’t a try.
After Jake Thewlis went close with a brilliant weaving break, he was tackled just short of the line. Two plays later, a kick to the corner was tapped back by Sam Kasiano and eventually into the hands of Thewlis who came inside and grounded. Ratchford added the extras, and it was a two-point game with six minutes remaining.
Liam Marshall dropped the ball on his own twenty with just over two minutes to go but a long ball from Peter Mata’utia to Thewlis was ruled as forward as the winger dove in at the corner.
Against all the odds the side with twelve men for seventy-four minutes held on for the win and made progress into the semi-finals of the cup and game against Hull KR for a place in the showpiece Wembley final. Warrington were poor and will be left wondering what might have been.
Wigan Warriors: Field, Miski (T), King (T), Wardle, Marshall French, Smith (3G), Havard, O´Neill, Byrne, Shorrocks, Farrell, Ellis (SO on 6). Subs: Cust, Singleton, Smithies, Hill. 18th Man: Nsemba.
Warrington Wolves: Dufty, Thewlis (T), Wrench, Ratchford (G), Ashton Mata’utia, Williams, Dudson, Walker, Vaughan, Currie, Harrison, Kasiano. Subs: Clark, Philbin, Bullock (T), Green. 18th Man: Minikin.
Half-Time: 8-0.
Full-Time: 14-12.
Score Progression: (SO), 4-0, 6-0, 8-0 : HT: 8-4, 8-6, 12-6, 14-6, 14-10, 14-12 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Wigan.
Referee: Liam Moore.
