The Wigan Warriors secured a late victory over Hull FC, with a final score of 20-16 at the MKM Stadium. This result places them third in the Betfred Super League table. In another fixture, St Helens achieved a dominant 40-10 away win against Bradford Bulls, positioning them fourth in the league, level on points with Wigan but behind on points difference.
Matt Peet, coach for the Warriors, saw his team struggle for much of their match against Hull FC. However, Wigan rallied in the later stages. Adam Keighran brought the scores level, and then Harry Smith broke through the defence to seal the win with seven minutes remaining. The home side, Hull FC, had shown resilience after a previous defeat and held a half-time lead, but ultimately could not maintain their advantage.
Hull FC started strongly, with Aidan Sezer setting up Lewis Martin for a try early in the game. Wigan faced a setback when Luke Thompson left the field due to injury. Despite this, Bevan French, returning to the starting line-up for the first time since March, contributed to Zach Eckersley‘s try. Hull FC regained the lead through Harvey Barron‘s try, converted by Zak Hardaker, after a pass from Patrick Mago.
In the second half, Wigan narrowed the gap when Noah Hodkinson scored, following a combination from Field and Smith. However, Hull FC responded with a try from Jed Cartwright. The Warriors continued to apply pressure, with Keighran converting his own try and then kicking a penalty to level the scores before Smith‘s decisive play.
St Helens’ commanding performance
St Helens delivered a strong performance against Bradford Bulls, overcoming an early deficit to secure a 40-10 victory. Tries from Jacob Douglas and Curtis Sironen helped Saints take the lead by half-time. They ultimately scored six tries to achieve their wide away win. The match concluded with an injury concern for Bradford, as Will Gardiner was stretchered off the field.
In another Super League match, Josh Charnley scored four tries, including a hat-trick in the first half, as Leigh Leopards defeated Toulouse 40-16 at Stade Ernest Wallon. Charnley, the league’s all-time record try-scorer, opened the scoring in the sixth minute. He added another try in the 14th minute from a pass by Lachlan Lam. Charnley completed his 25th career hat-trick before scoring his 20th try of the season. Liam Horne also scored for the Leopards, bringing them closer to the play-off positions.
Wigan Warriors injury updates
Coach Matt Peet provided an update on several Wigan Warriors players. Ethan Havard and Liam Marshall are both progressing in their rehabilitation. Marshall, who has been out since late April with a hamstring tear, is in week eight of an expected 12-week recovery. He is working in the gym and is expected to be out for over a month more. If his recovery proceeds as planned, Marshall could return when Wigan hosts Saints on July 24.
Havard fractured his jaw earlier this month but continued to play through the injury. He has since undergone surgery, but a return date has not yet been set. Sam Walters, a versatile forward, is currently serving a seven-game suspension following a red card in the Challenge Cup final. He has served three games and will miss upcoming Super League matches against Hull FC, St Helens (Magic Weekend), Warrington Wolves, and Huddersfield Giants before becoming available again. Walters is also expected to return for the game against Saints on July 24.
During Marshall‘s absence, Noah Hodkinson has filled the void on the wing, scoring 11 tries in seven appearances, with seven of those tries coming in the last two games.
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Source: skysports.com