Wigan needed a highly unlikely ninety-three-point victory over the Catalans Dragons to return to the top of the Super League table with three rounds of the competition remaining while the Dragons needed a win of any description to go ahead of the Leigh Leopards and St Helens to regain their place in the top six and the play-off places.
It was a 2023 Grand Final rematch with almost as much at stake and the bookies thought that it would be a third consecutive loss for the Dragons with Wigan handicapped by fourteen points on the coupon, Wigan tipped to draw level with Hull KR on points at the top of the table.
It was the tie of the round, fought out in the evening heat of the south of France.
Bevan French was back for the Warriors while the Dragons were without their talisman Sam Tomkins who’s return to the Dragons from retirement was heralded as the saviour of the Dragons season.
The opening eight minutes were a comedy of error from both sides but on nine minutes the Warriors hit the front with Jake Wardle and Adan Keighran combining in a break downfield, the ever-ready Jai Field was on hand to sprint over down the centre of the field with Keighran adding the extras for a 6-0 lead.
On fourteen Fouad Yaha created a try from nothing, throwing a dummy and sprinting sixty metres to ground in the left corner to send the big Dragons crowd into raptures. Arthur Mourgue added the touchline conversion to level the scores, the Dragons up for the challenge.
On nineteen a high kick was fumbled by Wigan onto the head of Theo Fages before being fumbled by Field into the hands of Fages who ran twenty metres to score under the sticks. Mourge was on target again, the home side now six points ahead.
Two minutes from the interval Tom Forber scooted from dummy half and dove over from five metres for a cheeky try as Mourgue failed to hold the Wigan man in the tackle. Keighran added the conversion, and the sides were all tied up at the interval after a terrific first half battle.
It was clear that both clubs were desperate for the win and that they were going to throw everything into getting the points.
Wigan were back in front within three minutes of the restart when Junior Nsemba took a pass and stepped out of the Fages attempted tackle to go in under the sticks and give Keighran a simple third conversion of the afternoon for 18-12.
Wigan struck a hammer blow on forty-eight, Adam Keighran supporting Liam Marshall to take the inside pass and run in for a simple try. He added the conversion to his own try, Wigan racking up eighteen points in a ten-minute period either side of half time.
A penalty for dissent enabled Wigan to kick a penalty to take them to a fourteen-point lead, Keighran on target for the fifth time in the game.
A very late hit by Kruise Leeming on the kicker César Rougé saw the Wigan hooker sin-binned for most of the remainder of the game. Arthur Romano grabbed a consolation try on seventy-eight minutes as he collected a Yaha tap back from a Fages cross-field kick. Mourge added the conversion for 18-26, too little and too late to save the Dragons.
It was an even game in the opening forty and the sides went into the sheds with no-one able to confidently pick a winner, but a two try blitz straight after the break from the Warriors swung the game to Wigans advantage and despite the sin-binning of Leeming they never let the Dragons back into the game. Wigan are now level with Hull KR at the top of the table and they play them next Friday night in what looks like it could be a minor premiership decider. The Dragons will now spend a week outside the six and be fearful of qualifying for the end of season play-offs.
Catalans Dragons: Rouge, Davies, Romano (T), Laguerre, Yaha (T), Mourgue (3/3 G), Fages (T), Navarrete, Da Costa, Bousquet, McMeeken, Sironen, Garcia. Subs: Seguier, Satae, Dezaria, Aispuro-Bichet. 18th Man: Abdeslem.
Wigan Warriors: Field (T), Miski, Eckersley, Wardle, Marshall, French, Keighran (T, 5/5 G), Havard, Leeming (SB on 69), Thompson, Nsemba (T), Walters, Ellis. Subs: Mago, Forber (T), Byrne, Dupree. 18th Man: Hill.
Half-Time: 12-12.
Full-Time: 18-26.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 4-6, 6-6, 10-6, 12-6, 12-10, 12-12: HT: 12-16, 12-18, 12-22, 12-24, 12-26, (SB), 16-26, 18-26 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Wigan – Square – Catalans – Square -Wigan.
Referee: Chris Kendall.
