The second of the double-header in Sydney pitted Wigan Warriors againts the South Sydney Rabbitohs as the Super League looked to salvage some pride after defeats for the Leeds Rhinos and Hull FC.

Shaun Wane named a bench of thirteen players to back up a strong starting thirteen, emphasising that Wigan were treating this game as an early season trial themselves.

The Rabbitohs were without a number of their stars as they continued their build up to the NRL season.

The ground had filled considerably as the Wigan fans left the bars to join the remaining Hull FC supporters in the stands.

In a ground breaking initiative the Wigan Warriors and Hull FC decamped to the WIN Stadium in Wollongong, home of the St George Illawarra Dragons, for their round two Super League encounter, the first ever Super League game to be played outside Europe.

Both sides were looking for their second victory of the season after convincing opening weekend wins, FC over the Giants and the Warriors against the Red Devils.

A win for either side would see them above Wakefield Trinity and into top spot in the league.

Wigan had skipper O’Loughlin back after missing last week with Frank-Paul Nuuausala the one making way.

Hull made two changes with Danny Washbrook and Liam Watts for Jansin Turgut and Masimbaashe Matongo.

Is this the best value tour to Wigan v Hull FC?

We certainly think so.

In a repeat of the Challenge Cup Final, Hull FC were the hosts as a Wigan Warriors side intent on revenge, visited the The KCOM Stadium.



Wigan’s coach Wane initially stuck with the same seventeen who were defeated by 18-14 at Wembley a fortnight ago but the very late withdrawal of Joe Burgess saw Liam Marshall come into the starting line up.

FC’s coach Radford made a number of forced changes for the Airlie Birds with Thompson for Tuimavave, Bowden for Ellis and three changed faces on the bench including Fash, Green and Masimbaashe Matongo making only his fifth appearance since his debut against Wigan two years ago.



A win for Hull would put them within a point of securing a play-off place and keep alive their outside hopes of second (depending on the Rhinos outcome at Castleford).

A win for Wigan would lift them into the third play-off place above last nights narrow losers Wakefield Trinity and push tonights hosts into fourth.

Rarely before has a St.

Helens derby with Wigan Warriors borne such importance as tonight's fixture at the Totally Wicked Stadium with both sides knowing that a loss would as good as end their 2017 season.

Wigan Warriors were still smarting from last weeks Wembley loss and needed to pick themselves up to get a victory against the old enemy.



Both sides started the game sitting on twenty-seven Super League points and knew that while a loss wouldn't mathematically end their chances of a play-off berth, but would will make it extremely unlikely.



Ben Barba made his St Helens debut, completing his twelve game rugby league suspension after an illicit drugs ban, and since being released by the Cronulla Sharks.

Theo Fages was the one to miss out as Jonny Lomax was moved into the halves.

Wigan too made a couple of changes due to illness with Tom Davies and Ryan Sutton being replaced by Liam Marshall and Jack Wells.

Despite the two sides meeeting just a fortnight ago at the DW Stadium, it was a massively different Rhinos line up who began their Super Eights campaign at home to the Cup Finalists, Wigan Warriors.



The Warriors were 34-0 winners in the final round of the regular season and fielded a side with just three changes; Liam Farrell in the starting line up for Willie Isa, with the second rower moving to the bench where he was joined by Josh Ganson who was in for the suspended Sam Powell.

Jack Wells also missed out for the Warriors.



Neither side would be able to change position at the end of the night but two points for the Rhinos would edge them closer to a play off place and would make it increasingly difficult for Wigan to make the top four.

There were two charges and a caution to come out of the weekends Ladbroke’s Challenge Cup semi-finals, and both were from the hard fought game between the Wigan Warriors and Salford Red Devils.



Wigan’s Sam Powell was charged, and Frank-Paul Nuuausala received a caution, while Salford’s Lama Tasi also found himself with a charge from the Red Hall disciplinary committee.

What a wonderful and exciting adventure we Rugby League fans have been handed out this week.



Who would of imagined a Super League fixture played in NSW Australia and to top it off in a beautuful coastal town and stadium such as Wollongong just South of Sydney!

Catalan Dragons 10 Wigan Warriors 32

The defending champions took a major step towards securing their place in this year's Super 8s when Wigan notched up a 32-10 victory in Perpignan – and at the same time all but guaranteeing that the Dragons will be playing for their 2018 Super League place in the qualifying comp.



The win will have cheered up hospitalised coach Shaun Wane – recovering from a hip operation – neither side convinced for much of the game as the heat in the south of France seemed to take its toll.

Fifth placed Hull FC had a chance to return to the top four when they welcomed sixth placed Wigan Warriors to the KCOM Stadium for a Saturday tea-time kick-off.



Both sides came into the game low on confidence after defeats in their last two outings.

FC recorded a narrow two point win when the sides met at the DW Stadium at the end of March, holding on after leading 18-0 at the interval.

The win today was crucial for both sides top four aspirations.



Both sides are suffering with long injury lists.

Hull were without a number of key players including influential half-back and kicker Marc Sneyd while the Warriors were without skipper Sean O'Loughlin, a late withdrawal due to a hamstring problem.

It was the best of the North against the best of the South.

Super League's finest club side in 2016 were taking on the best that the NRL had to offer, their 2016 Grand Final winners.

It was Wigan Warriors against Cronulla Sharks for the ultimate club prize, the Dacia World Club Champions crown.



Wigan were seeking a record fourth World Club Championship, after being victorious in 87, 91 & 94, but this was the Cronulla Sharks first outing in a World Club Challenge final.



After the Warrington Wolves did the business last night, now the whole of Super League expected a top class showing from the Warriors.

The Ladbrokes Challenge Cup got underway with an all National Conference League clash between Leigh Miners Rangers and Wigan St Patricks at the Twist Lane ground.

The game had been chosen as the focus game of the round and would be shown live by the BBC as part of their enhanced coverage of the 2017 competition.



One of sixteen first round fixtures, the winners would be embarking on a gruelling sequence of games which could see them pitted against semi-pro and then professional sides as they progressed through the competition.

A whole season in the making, the Warrington Wolves and Wigan Warriors clashed at Old Trafford in the fight for the ultimate prize, the Grand Final Trophy.



The game was too close to call.

Warrington finished atop the pile at the end of the regular season, but Wigan were second.

Warrington won two out of three meetings in 2016 but it was Wigan who won the last encounter, a thriller at the Halliwell-Jones, where they stole victory despite being reduced to twelve men.



No-one knew whether this would be the first time that the name Warrington Wolves would be etched onto the trophy, or whether Wigan would be able to end a two game losing Grand Final run.

A full-house was all-set for a classic for the nineteenth Grand Final.

It's all about the jostling for positions within the top four as second placed Hull FC welcomed fourth placed Wigan Warriors to the KCOM Stadium for tonight's tie of the round.

Hull were keen on the two points in their quest for the minor premiership but Wigan needed them to keep their hopes of a home tie in the play-offs alive.



FC have won two of the three meeting so far this season but the last time that the two sides met in Hull it was the Warriors who took the points with a one point win.



The crucial Matty Smith was back for the Warriors after missing out in last weeks loss to the Vikings but Danny Washbrook was the only member of the cup winning side who missed out on selection for the Airlie Birds.

The first of the weekends semi-finals took place at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster as league leaders Hull FC took on third placed Wigan Warriors for a place at Wembley at the end of August.



The bookies had named the Warriors as slight favourites despite them losing their last two games and finishing the regular rounds of Super a League two points behind FC.

Honours are even so far this season with both sides winning on the road.



It was a full strength FC side but Wigan were without several first choice players including Frank-Paul Nuuausala who was suspended after fighting last week, and Josh Charnley serving the second of a two game ban for manhandling the referee.

Just points difference separated top and third coming into tonight's game at the Halliwell-Jones between the Wolves of Warrington and the Warriors of Wigan.



Warrington could boast the tightest defence, and the second best attack, with a massive points difference in their favour but whoever won tonight's match would go two points clear.



This was a real four-pointer and the outcome could go some way to deciding the minor premiership come September.

On paper this was, without doubt, the game of the round.

With third against bottom the pundits and the bookies believed that there was only one possible outcome as the Warriors welcomed an embattled Huddersfield Giants to the DW Stadium.

Despite last weekends win over table topping Warrington Wolves, those who travelled from West Yorkshire were debating how many their side would lose by, rather than the chance that they'd pick up a crucial two points which would lift them above both Hull KR and the Leeds Rhinos into tenth.



When the sides met in Round 2 of Super League XXI it was the Warriors who edged to a narrow 18-13 victory in a close game which gave little indication of the way that the fortunes of the two sides would diverge over the coming weeks.



Both sides came into the game without a number of their regular starting stars but the Warriors were still strong favourites with the bookies and a win of any description would see them into top spot ahead of the rest of the weekends fixtures.

The DW Stadium, where Wigan Warriors were unbeaten in twenty-five consecutive Super League games, saw the visit of top of the table Widnes Vikings who would need to penetrate the Wigan fortress to retain their top spot.



Wigan named and unchanged seventeen from the side that beat the Rhinos six days ago and were big favourites with the bookies to take the two points, and climb to the top of the pile.

It had been a stunning start to the season for Widnes but most commentators had tipped this as the round that they would come unstuck.



It was Widnes Vikings, the league’s best attack, against Wigan Warriors, Super League XXI’s strongest defence.

Tonight's sudden death game at the DW Stadium pitted second against third as Wigan Warriors hosted the Huddersfield Giants in the first 2015 play-off semi-final.

Wigan came into the game on the back of a big win over the Castleford Tigers, but the story was very different for the Giants who were left reeling by a traumatic last minute defeat at the hands of the Rhinos last weekend.

A loss which denied them a home semi-final and instead sent them over the Pennines.



Wigan came into the game unbeaten in Super League at home and just one win away from a third consecutive visit to Old Trafford for the games showpiece event.

The Giants were looking to get to Old Trafford for the first time but the pundits and bookies had them as underdogs for a Grand Final debut.

Both sides meeting in tonight's clash at Langtree Park had their eyes fixed firmly on top spot.

For the Warriors, a win tonight would see them two points clear at the top, but should the home side take the two points then they would be within one point of both the Warriors and the Rhinos with one game left to the semi-finals.



The 'original' derby stage was set for a cracker and the two sides didn't fail to deliver as they served up a high-intensity humdinger of a game where no quarter was asked or given.