Match Report: St Helens 30 Wigan 14
Posted by Bilko on June 13 2015 - 16:30
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Friday 12th June 2015
St Helens 30 Wigan Warriors 14
Langtree Park, St Helens
First Utility Super League 20 - Round 18 of 23

Kick Off 8:00pm

  

- Wigan       - St Helens    
1 Matty Bowen       34 Shannon McDonnell  T   
2 Josh Charnley       22 Matty Dawson    
11 Joel Tomkins  T      17 Mark Percival    G5 
4 Dan Sarginson  T      3 Jordan Turner  T   
5 Joe Burgess  T      5 Adam Swift    
6 George Williams       6 Travis Burns  T   
7 Matty Smith    G    12 Jon Wilkin  T   
10 Ben Flower       10 Kyle Amor    
9 Michael McIlorum       9 James Roby    
23

Lee Mossop

       14

Alex Walmsley

    
14 John Bateman       13 Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook    
12 Liam Farrell       15 Mark Flanagan    
13 Sean O'Loughlin       4 Josh Jones  T   
Interchange:
8 Dom Crosby       8 Mose Masoe    
16 Sam Powell       19 Greg Richards    
24 Taulima Tautai       25 Andre Savelio    
25 Larne Patrick       30

Matty Fleming

    

Report: 

 You don't deserve to win any game if your literally gifting eighteen points to the opposition and it was simple as that for Wigan in this derby. You just cannot do that and expect to get away it.

Who knows what would have happened if those mistakes hadn't occurred but I suspect we'd have lost narrowly anyway if I'm honest.

What impressed me most about Saints was how methodical they were in completing sets and putting in kicks that consistently had Wigan beginning sets within 10 metres of the try line. They didn't get chance to do that early but after the interchanges took effect, they got on top enough to do that.

Wigan needed to do that in return but just didn't. They either didn't complete sets or when they did, the kicks were poor. Matty Smith in particular was a huge disappointment for me. I can't recall him and George Williams combining at all in this game with Williams best efforts coming individually.

That was a big factor because I totally disagree with those suggesting we were pack dominated. Saints made just 1039 metres on us which is a tremendous job done by Wigan considering defensively we had to make 15 sets worth of tackles more than they did. That's 90 more tackles, a hell of a lot. Your always likely to be ground down with that much extra work.

Wigan made a 1000 metres themselves despite so much less ball but without good kicks to ends sets it was never looking effective enough.

I thought Wigan had much the better of the first twenty minutes with an early try helping settle us down after Joe Burgess had to leave the field after a very early head knock. Saints being guilty of twice gifting late in the tackle count penalties to us also helped and Dan Sarginson punished one in the left corner. Matty Smith converted for 6-0 after 11 minutes.

Like I alluded to, I felt Saints improved when the interchanges came in and no sooner had that worrisome period of Micky McIlorum leaving the field occurred, Saints pounced to score twice in the left corner with first Adam Swift then Jordan Turner scoring. Joel Tomkins questionable in defence for at least one of those.

It was only 8-6, because Mark Percival failed to convert either, but I was thinking that we should be happy with that at half time because Saints continued to press. We got a big bonus though with Joe Burgess returning a loose ball 90 metres for a try two minutes from half time. Matty Smith though missed a sitter conversion. Not good enough really but Wigan led 10-8 at the break.

Saints got the lead back within three minutes of the restart. Bomb went up, Matty Bowen flapped at it and Travis Burns pounced to score. Percival converted and it was 14-10 to Saints.

Wigan got into a decent arm wrestle next twenty minutes and responded with a easy finish for Joel Tomkins down the right but Smith again failed to convert leaving the scores at 14-14 with just short of half an hour to go.

Saints then kicked a penalty on 56 minutes to go back in front at 16-14 but this looked a relieving option for Wigan who had looked up the pump. However as time wore on, that slender lead looked a great option, especially when Wigan gifted Saints a second try.

Again bomb went up, Bowen dropped it and this time Shannon McDonnell pounced to score. Percival converted for 22-14 and a two score lead was always looking massive in this kind of game with 15 minutes left. Two minutes later though Wigan completed a hat-trick of brain farts with Dan Sarginson passing, right under his own posts, to no one and Jon Wilkin dribbled on to score under the posts. That made it 28-14 and game over despite over ten minutes being left.

Saints added a late penalty to complete their win but Wigan need to have a strong review of this one. Credit Saints. I thought they did a proper good job on us but Wigan weren't too far away in my eyes. That said, when the pressure was turned on us, I failed to see who was responding to it with strong leadership. Until we fix that we will always just be short of winning a trophy.
Scoring: 
10mins:19 St Helens 00 Wigan 04 Try: Dan Sarginson
St Helens 00 Wigan 06

Conversion: Matty Smith (1/1)
28mins:06 St Helens 04 Wigan 06 Try: Josh Jones
St Helens 04 Wigan 06 Missed Conv: Mark Percival (0/1)
31mins:47 St Helens 08 Wigan 06 Try: Jordan Turner
St Helens 08 Wigan 06 Missed Conv: Mark Percival (0/2)
37mins:52 St Helens 08 Wigan 10 Try: Joe Burgess
St Helens 08 Wigan 10

Missed Conv: Matty Smith (1/2)
Half Time St Helens 08 Wigan Warriors 10
42mins:50 St Helens 12 Wigan 10 Try: Travis Burns
St Helens 14 Wigan 10 Conversion: Mark Percival (1/3)
50mins:09 St Helens 14 Wigan 14 Try: Joel Tomkins
St Helens 14 Wigan 14

Missed Conv: Matty Smith (1/3)
55mins:50 St Helens 16 Wigan 14 Penalty Goal: Mark Percival (2/4)
65mins:11 St Helens 20 Wigan 14 Try: Shannon McDonnell
St Helens 22 Wigan 14 Conversion: Mark Percival (3/5)
67mins:51 St Helens 26 Wigan 14 Try: Jon Wilkin
St Helens 28 Wigan 14 Conversion: Mark Percival (4/6)
76mins:59 St Helens 30 Wigan 14 Penalty Goal: Mark Percival (5/7)
Full Time St Helens 30 Wigan Warriors 14
Referee: 

Richard Silverwood
Attendance: 

15,500

First Utility Super League 20 - Round 18 Results
Thu 11 June Leeds Rhinos 24 Castleford Tigers 31 15,089
Fri 12 June St Helens 30 Wigan Warriors 14 15,500
Sat 13 June Catalan Dragons 20 Hull FC 14 7,956
Sun 14 June Huddersfield Giants 30 Warrington Wolves 19 5,797
Sun 14 June Hull Kingston Rovers 38 Widnes Vikings 16 6,982
Sun 14 June Wakefield Wildcats 16 Salford Red Devils 24 3,240

First Utility Super League 20 Table - After This Round
- Team P W D L F A Diff Pts
1 St Helens 18 13 0 5 550 385 +165 26
2 Leeds Rhinos 18 12 1 5 550 385 +165 25
3 Wigan Warriors 18 11 1 6 470 338 +132 23
4 Huddersfield Giants 18 9 2 7 394 287 +107 20
5 Castleford Tigers 18 10 0 8 406 376 +30 20
6 Warrington Wolves 18 9 0 9 427 368 +59 18
7 Catalan Dragons 18 8 2 8 459 465 -6 18
8 Hull FC 17 8 0 9 330 324 +6 16

Top 8 Qualify for "Super 8s" after Round 23 / Top 4 Qualify for Play Offs
9 Widnes Vikings 18 7 1 10 416 439 -23 15
10 Hull Kingston Rovers 17 7 0 10 408 471 -63 14
11 Salford Red Devils 17 6 1 10 332 441 -109 13
12 Wakefield Wildcats 17 2 0 15 276 718 -442 4