“Abundantly clear” – Wigan Warriors fans bemoan controversial red card

Wigan Warriors had their 15-game winning run ended by bitter rivals St Helens in the Good Friday Derby but talk has sadly turned to the red card shown to Liam Byrne.

Irish international Liam Byrne was sent his marching orders around the hour mark with Wigan leading 4-2 at the time but the defending champions couldn’t fend off a flurry of St Helens attacks late on.

A leaping Tommy Makinson pouched Lewis Dodd’s kick to score and put the Red Vee in front and the fate was sealed when Konrad Hurrell barreled over from five yards out seconds from time.

Bevan French had earlier taken the lead for Wigan Warriors with a moment of magic that saw him ground his own grubber kick in the corner but the reigning Man of Steel still ended up on the losing side.

As with all Good Friday Derby matches, it had plenty of needle and controversy with a first-half yellow card shown to Tyler Dupree after the Wigan prop led with his elbow when carrying into contact.

That elbow connected with Matty Lees but it was deemed to have made contact with the shoulder first and rose up, hence it wasn’t a red, but it had come just seconds after Lees put in a massive shot on Luke Thompson.

Lees was one of the tone-setters and his industrious efforts in defence saw him named Man of the Match but sadly many Wigan fans on social media are claiming that referee Chris Kendall should instead be the Man of the Match.

Wigan Warriors “lost to Kendall not St Helens”, fans claim

Of course, not all Wigan fans pinned the defeat on the decisions of Chris Kendall but plenty did with one fan arguing that it was a case of “12v14” for the majority of the game.

It is what it is. 12v14 for practically the whole game. We go again.

— Robbo (@utdrobbo) March 29, 2024

Another stated: “Wigan lost to Kendall not St Helens”.

Wigan lost to Kendall not St Helens

— Jakey (@JAK3Y__) March 29, 2024

Other fans were more realistic as they referenced Wigan’s own inability to keep their discipline in check.

Good defensively, horrendous disciplinary. Can obviously question refereeing but end of the day we didn’t help ourselves

— Jack 🍒⚪ (@KingsOfRugby72) March 29, 2024

Another even suggested that the performance has suggested Wigan Warriors were a “much better side”, something that would be proven over the course of the season.

They posted: “One thing that’s abundantly clear, Wigan are a much better side than them and it will prove the case over the season.”

One thing that’s abundantly clear, Wigan are a much better side than them and it will prove the case over the season

— Gary (@juancl78) March 29, 2024

The overarching complaint from Wigan fans was the team’s lack of discipline with one labelling it as “pathetic from minute one”.

Pathetic discipline from minute 1 cost us.

Ref was terrible, but we gave him too much rope to hang us.

— Brian Murphy (@Brian88Murphy) March 29, 2024

Matt Peet’s side will now aim to restart their winning run with a ‘Battle of the Borough’ clash when they travel to face Leigh Leopards next week.