Wigan ended a difficult week in which one of their star players, Junior Nsemba, was subjected to online racial abuse with a spirited win over Warrington that defied a huge injury crisis and showcased the very best of the next generation of talent at the Super League heavyweights.
Greater Manchester police confirmed on Friday that a 56-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated malicious communication offence, after comments about Nsemba were made on social media during Wigan’s win over St Helens last week.
Nsemba was unavailable for this game and watched on from the stands with almost a dozen first-team regulars, with the Warriors and the Wolves having 20 players out with injury between them. But it was Wigan, whose 17 had 12 academy products – many of whom will hope to follow in Nsemba’s footsteps – who handled it the best.
It was perhaps no surprise Matt Peet labelled this victory, which solidified the Warriors’ grip on second spot, as feeling “better than a final” given the circumstances. Wigan’s production line has been the best in rugby league for quite some time but it was put to the test here and stood up to the task in style.
The game ebbed and flowed until the final moments, when Austin Daniel became the fourth Wigan academy graduate on the night to score and put the result beyond Warrington. They, too, had injury problems but can have no complaints: the better moments belonged to the Warriors.
“It’s better than a final … I’m so proud,” Peet said. “We made it tough at times, Warrington made it very tough at times, and we did some things that made the game exciting, but tough kids and tough rugby league players are hard to beat and I’m very happy to coach them. They never know when they’re beaten.”
Wigan trailed by six points at half-time thanks to a try and an assist from Ewan Irwin, the Warrington teenage half-back who did not deserve to be on the losing side. The Warriors’ sole first-half try came from the full-back Josh Cartwright, who only found he was playing on the morning of the game while having breakfast with his family, after Jai Field became the latest injury victim for Wigan. “We’re very lucky to have him,” Peet said of the teenager.
Taylor Kerr’s try shortly after half-time levelled the scores at 12-12 and there was no doubt in the second half that Wigan’s youngsters handled the occasion better than Warrington’s. Irwin nudged the Wolves back ahead with a penalty but, soon after, Zach Eckersley’s try put the hosts ahead for the first time. From there, Warrington gave it their all but they were beaten in the crucial moments.
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“There were a couple of moments from both sides in both halves, and it’s a game we let go,” Sam Burgess said. “We had control of it but poor discipline cost us. You give champion sides like Wigan too many opportunities and they’ll make you pay.” Wigan certainly did make the Wolves pay. While Matty Ashton’s instinctive finish just after the hour mark briefly levelled the scores, three minutes later Kian McDermott became the latest academy graduate to score his first Wigan try when he cut through on the angle and pushed off some timid Warrington defending.
The Wolves thought they had scored again when Irwin came close to going over before an unbelievable tackle from Cartwright denied the young half-back – and that was a crucial moment. Two minutes later, Wigan went upfield and Daniel scored his first senior try with a magnificent finish to leave Peet punching the air, safe in the knowledge the Warriors had come through an extremely testing week, and a testing night, with a result that underlines where they are as a club.
