Wigan Warriors will have both men’s and women’s teams at Wembley Stadium this season, after Matt Peet’s side put on a sublime effort to defeat St Helens.
The Warriors scored six tries to beat their bitter rivals 32-0, in what is their biggest win over Saints since 2000.
Jack Farrimond and Zach Eckersley both scored doubles, whilst Jake Wardle and Adam Keighran bagged the other two.
However, the most pleasing aspect of the Wigan result will no doubt be the zero against Saints’ name, with their defensive performance crucial to such a dominant win.
From a Jack Welsby yellow card to a key injury blow, here are the biggest talking points from the first of the 2026 Challenge Cup semi-finals.
Leeds Rhinos star’s controversial charge, inconsistent Hull FC and Challenge Cup semi-final predictions – Click here to watch the latest episode of the Serious About Rugby League Show
St Helens v Wigan Warriors talking points
Matty Lees injury:
Saints were on the back from from the start, with skipper Matty Lees needing to be helped off the field with a knee issue in the opening minute.
Lees went to tackle Sam Walters following the kick-off, but got his knee in the wrong position, and stayed down as a result.
After a brief stoppage, the physios aided him off the field. Alex Walmsley came on in his place, and the England international will be hoping it’s not as serious as it first looks, given that he has only just returned from a long-term knee issue.
Lees’ absence would prove costly across the game, with the Red Vee forward pack needing to play extra minutes, something that they couldn’t afford in a game of such physicality and magnitude.
The Saints middle unit tired quicker than Wigan’s, and as the second half progressed it became easier for the Warriors to dominate the game and make more metres through the center of the field.
Clinical Warriors:
Watching the first half, and the territory they’d had, you would have thought it was Saints that took an 16-0 lead into the break, but it turned out to be the opposite.
The Red Vee had plenty of field position in the Wigan line, but they couldn’t execute. With repeat sets and a pinpoint kicking game for the most part, Saints should have been able to capitalise, but be it the final pass or some unforced errors it meant that they were kept scoreless at the break.
Wigan on the other hand had much less time in good-ball, but they came away from the first 40 with four tries. Two of those came from the half-way line, with them being the Jack Farrimond and Jake Wardle scores.
The other two saw Zach Eckersley dive over in the corner, as he finished off well-worked plays to score his 19th and 20th tries of the season.
Sailor-Welsby problem continues:
Paul Rowley looks to be having the same issues as his predecessor Paul Wellens did last season, with Jack Welsby and Tristan Sailor unable to combine together.
Welsby played in the halves this afternoon, with Sailor taking the full-back spot. Both are very clearly better players in the number one role, but one has to give, but neither have been able to perform in the six position and it continues to hamper the Red Vee.
You would expect the England international to improve the more game time he gets after returning from injury, but in such a key game Saints needed both players to be at their best, and unfortunately neither of them were anywhere close, and it cost them a place at Wembley.
Making matters worse, Welsby was sent to the sin-bin just after the hour mark for a professional foul, which left Saints down to 12 men.
Welsby sees yellow but Walmsley avoids card:
The 25-year-old joined in on a tackle on Eckersley to deliberately slow the game down, and as a result he was punished.
In the time he was off, Saints managed to keep Wigan out, but their fitness took a hit in that time and in the first set that Welsby re-entered the fray, Wigan crossed through Farrimond.
Saints can find themselves lucky that they didn’t go down to 11, with veteran Walmsley avoiding a card, perhaps controversially.
The 36-year-old made no attempt to wrap in contact with Junior Nsemba in the 70th minute, as he looked to give the Wigan man a receipt from an earlier challenge.
As well as no wrapping motion, Walmsley also hit him high, so he is very fortunate to have not been sat down with teammate Welsby.
Youngsters prevail:
Noah Hodkinson featured on the wing in the absence of Liam Marshall, and he didn’t put a foot wrong.
Taking some difficult kicks well, his ability to return the ball and get Wigan on the front foot at the start of sets helped his side, which then allowed fellow youngster Farrimond to strut his stuff.
The half-back, who as mentioned scored the opening try, had his hand in a number of key plays including the assist to Eckersley’s first try.
Super League Disciplinary News
Wigan Warriors pair banned following Challenge Cup Final as Sam Walters cops monster suspension
