Wigan Warriors v Hull FC verdict is in after the two sides met in round four of the Challenge Cup on Saturday evening.
Wigan head coach Matt Peet had a pretty full-strength side to choose from, changing only one player on the bench.
Partick Mago returned with Harvie Hill making way for him.
Hull FC boss John Cartwright made significant changes to the Black and Whites backline, bringing in Zak Hardaker at centre and moving Jordan Rapana back to fullback.
Logan Moy dropped to the bench and joined Hugo Salabio in the interchanges.
Yusuf Aydin dropped out with a hip issue.
Here’s our verdict of the fourth-round Challenge Cup tie between Wigan Warriors v Hull FC.
Hull FC shock Wigan as Hull’s second-half performance secures them a quarter-final spot
Wigan opened the scoring within the first four minutes after a looping pass across the field caught out the Hull FC defence and Zach Eckersley ran into the corner for a 4-0 lead.
Despite the Black and Whites having some decent possession on Wigan’s tryline, they couldn’t do anything with that and capitalise on their field position.
Adam Keighran went down on Hull FC’s tryline with a lower leg injury and looked to be struggling but he managed to shake it off.
Within minutes, Wigan had gone the full length of the pitch in one set and finished it off with another try, following a Wigan break down the right from Eckersley.
Hull were slow to get back in defence and after a great team effort, it was Jai Field who ended the team move on the left-hand side, giving the Warriors a 10-0 lead following Harry Smith’s conversion.
Wigan’s attack looked like it was moving in fast-forward and Hull just couldn’t get a hold on it.
Another try for Wigan came in the 17th minute after Harry Smith side-stepped the Hull defence, exploited a gap and Junior Nsemba followed up to get his first try of 2025. Smith’s conversion gave Wigan a 16-0 lead in the first quarter.
Jai Field went off with a hamstring injury and went straight down the tunnel following that try on the 20-minute mark with Bevan French moving into the fullback role.
Hull FC finally got off the mark after 23 minutes when Herman Ese’ese sent Tyler Dupree the wrong way in defence and he went over next to the posts. Aidan Sezer’s conversion brought the score back to 16-6.
Hull were caught offside at the scrum for Smith to get the Warriors a penalty for an 18-6 lead.
Just seconds before half-time, Wigan grabbed another score after moving the ball from centrefield to the right for Liam Farrell to go over the line for a 22-6 lead at half-time.
Hull FC managed to get the first blood in the second half through Amir Bourouh’s effort, following a great break down the right from Harvey Barron for a 22-10 scoreline.
John Asiata was sent to the sin-bin for dissent following referee Chris Kendall’s warnings to Hull FC captain Aidan Sezer throughout the game.
The Airlie Birds were in again following a superb solo effort from Lewis Martin out on the left, bringing the scoreline to 22-14 after a missed Sezer conversion.
Both sides had to change their line-ups with Harvey Barron going off for Hull and Kaide Ellis leaving the field for a HIA for the Warriors.
Martin got his second of the night for Hull FC as he raced down the left and took on French, with the youngster scoring right in the corner. Sezer’s conversion closed the gap to just two points with Wigan 22-20 in front.
It was a nervy last five minutes for both sets of fans but Martin settled the score just two minutes from time with his hat-trick try, catching Liam Marshall out in defence out wide. Sezer’s conversion gave Hull FC a surprising 26-22 victory.
Good day for
Hull’s determination. With a 22-6 deficit at half-time, the Black and Whites could’ve easily buried their heads in the sand. However, they stuck together and through Aidan Sezer’s marshalling around the field and some excellent tries from Lewis Martin, they managed to pull off an unlikely victory. It was far from the perfect performance but last year, Hull wouldn’t have been able to turn that game around.
Bad day for
Jai Field. The fullback left the field after only twenty minutes with a hamstring injury and whilst Wigan still had plenty of chances in his absence, they lacked a few moments of brilliance that he can produce.
Star man
Aidan Sezer. His kicking game and organisation were the difference in the second half and most of Hull’s attack either went through his hands or via his kicks. Hull look a different team with Sezer at the helm.
Teams for Wigan Warriors v Hull FC
Wigan Warriors XIII: Jai Field, Zach Eckersley, Adam Keighran, Jake Wardle, Liam Marshall, Bevan French, Harry Smith, Liam Byrne, Kruise Leeming, Luke Thompson, Junior Nsemba, Liam Farrell, Kaide Ellis.
Interchanges: Patrick Mago, Tyler Dupree, Sam Walters, Tom Forber.
Hull FC XIII: Jordan Rapana, Harvey Barron, Zak Hardaker, Tom Briscoe, Lewis Martin, Cade Cust, Aidan Sezer, Herman Ese’ese, Amir Bourouh, Jack Ashworth, Jed Cartwright, Jordan Lane, John Asiata.
Interchanges: Brad Fash, Liam Knight, Logan Moy, Hugo Salabio.
