Sky Sports pundit Jon Wilkin has accused Jake Connor of diving during Huddersfield Giants’ loss to Wigan Warriors on Thursday night. The Giants lost 28-14 at the Brick Community Stadium, with a try from Jake Wardle turning the contest on its head.
The Giants held an 8-0 lead at the break, but Wardle’s length of the field effort swung the needle of momentum Wigan’s way as Matt Peet’s side went on to end their two-game losing streak. However, when analysing the try, Wilkin took aim at Connor for what he felt was a ‘dive’.
Connor hit the deck after a collision with Harry Smith when attempting to collect a cross field kick from Olly Russell. With Connor on the floor and appealing for a penalty, Wardle broke into the space and went 95 metres to touch down for the Warriors’ first points of the match.
Speaking on Sky afterwards, Brian Carney posed a question about Connor and whether there was an obstruction in the play by Smith. Wilkin, though, disagreed with that notion.
“I don’t think so, I think Jake Connor just takes a dive,” he said live on air. “It’s an unbelievable catch, I don’t want to talk about Jake Connor, his season is over.”
George Williams, who was also working as a pundit, countered that he’d seen such penalties awarded before, but Wilkin firmly believes Connor made a meal of the situation: “Maybe it was. Jake makes the most of it.
“This Jake (Wardle), wow. He’s fast, quick, athletic, he’s won the game for his team. Look, it could have been a penalty, but there are a few decisions that went against Wigan in the first half as well.”
The comments come just a week after Russell was widely praised for not staying down following a hefty collision with Sam Lisone as Leeds Rhinos looked to turn the screw at the John Smiths’ Stadium.
