Super League: Wigan 6-10 Warrington - Wire edge out Magic Weekend win

Warrington Wolves bounced back from their defeat by reigning Super League champions St Helens as they beat Wigan Warriors at the 2021 Magic Weekend

Warrington edged out victory against Wigan to boost their form heading towards the Super League play-offs.

Josh Thewlis touched down for the Wire inside the first minute before George Williams sent them 10-0 ahead.

Ethan Havard cut the gap to four points at the break as Wigan battled for the rest of the match to find another try.

Warrington came closest to scoring in the second half as Jack Hughes crossed over, but his effort was chalked off by video referee Chris Kendall.

The result sees Wigan's late-season inconsistent form continue as they recorded a fifth defeat in their past eight Super League games.

The Warriors almost went all the way last season before their heartbreaking dramatic Grand Final defeat by St Helens, however they once again struggled to gain a foothold in the match.

It is yet more alarming form that the Cherry and Whites are carrying towards a play-off campaign against fellow top-six sides who are all picking up steam going into the end of the season.

Wigan, who named an unchanged starting line-up, announced this week that head coach Adrian Lam would leave the club at the end of the season and they suffered the worst possible start on a balmy afternoon at St James' Park.

It was a sensational start for Warrington as Thewlis went in at the corner following a slice of fortunate from a long turnover kick upfield which took a wicked bounce to wrongfoot Wigan's Sam Halsall.

Williams' run-in on the 27-minute mark gave them a 10-point cushion but Havard's score put Wigan back in it by virtue of Stefan Ratchford's failure to convert the Wire's quickfire opener.

In a scoreless second half, however, Warrington held on to record a win which sees them move to third in the Super League table.

Despite the close scoreline, and a last-ditch effort from Wigan to cross the line on the hooter, there was to be no repeat of Saturday's Magic Weekend golden-point drama which saw Catalans pull off a sensational comeback win over St Helens as well as Leeds' added-time win over Hull FC.

Wigan Warriors boss Adrian Lam:

"I was (proud), we didn't win the game but I felt we got back to the team that we were last year. There was a good feel about today, that was a positive to take out of today.

"We still lost, it's not good enough. As a dressing room they're heartbroken because we felt when you put that much energy and effort in, you want to believe.

"The first (Warrington try) was just a bit pretty, you can't explain it, we need to be better.

"He's miskicked the ball and it's come down in the wrong place and we've just allowed a try to be scored three minutes into the game. It just ruins your whole preparation really, because you've got to start again."

Warrington Wolves head coach Steve Price:

"It was a good, tough win. It was a great result for us, what was that - our third game in 11 days?

"We had a bruising encounter last week and another tough game today, which I'm pleased for.

"I want a team that's going to put us in good shape in the coming weeks so we're really pleased with the resilience shown by the boys, hanging tough there and playing really strong.

"As I said, three games in 11 days, that game was end to end, there was quite high intensity, it was pretty free flowing, not a lot of stoppages, so just really pleased with the outlook of the boys today."

Wigan: Hardaker, Halsall, Bibby, Gildart, Marshall, Smith, Hastings, Smithies, Bateman, Farrell, Partington, Shorrocks, Singleton.

Interchanges: Byrne, Havard, Pearce-Paul, Powell.

Warrington: Ratchford, Thewlis, Mamo, King, Charnley, Widdop, Williams, Philbin, Hughes, Currie, Cooper, Walker, Hill.

Interchanges: J Clark, Longstaff, Mulhern, Akauola.

Referee: J. Child.

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