Wigan Warriors and St Helens are arguably the two biggest British rugby league sides and have the trophies and history to show for it. They have had a duopoly over Super League since 2018 and have been perhaps the best two sides in the opening weeks of the 2024 Super League season.
Wigan Warriors went into the game on Good Friday as the only unbeaten side in the Betfred Super League whilst St Helens boasted an insane defensive record have only conceded double figures once this season against the Salford Red Devils and that was with 12 men.
The match today in the traditional Good Friday collision was a meeting between the reigning Super League and World Champions against the former Super League and World Champions in arguably the biggest game Super League has to offer.
The Saints were given a boost by the return of Lewis Dodd and Tommy Makinson back from injury,
The first half was a tight affair. The best chance of the first 40 went the way of St Helens after Lewis Dodd latched onto an offload and skated through but Jai Field came across to tackle the halfback into touch. Dodd was impressive and dangerous in the first 40 but despite a lot of possession on the Wigan line, the Warriors wouldn’t relent. Saints did take the lead with a penalty and did have a man advantage after Tyler Dupree was sin binned and crucially not red carded for leading with a forearm. It remained 2-0 at halftime however.
Then in the second half the first try would finally come after a kick from Bevan French as he grounded his own kick ahead. That made it 4-2. But then came another momentum switch as Liam Byrne was sent off for direct contact with the head. With a man advantage, Alex Walmsley tore through and then Tommy Makinson claimed a kick and made it 6-4. Then another attack down the right edge saw Konrad Hurrell storm over and make it 12-4.
Jon Wilkin has say on Wigan Warriors red card
Credit Imago Images
A lot has been made of the big moments in the game but especially the red card shown to Liam Byrne which in many ways it changed the game.
Wigan led the game 4-2 at the point Byrne was sent off and they went on to lose 12-10 to a Saints side who didn’t score in the first hour but did cross twice in Byrne’s absence.
Matt Peet dismissed the suggestion that it had a big impact on the game but Jon Wilkin on Sky Sports wasn’t so sure.
“I think Wigan win that game with 13 players still on the field,” Wilkin said, “I think they defend their way to a win so from that point I think that the red card had a massive impact on the game.”
