Hull KR stretch lead at top with victory at Wigan

Betfred Super League

Wigan (0) 6

Tries: Keighran Goals: Keighran

Hull KR (8) 10

Tries: Hadley Goals: Martin 3

Hull KR put one hand on the League Leader's Shield with a statement success over closest Super League chasers Wigan Warriors at a pulsating Brick Community Stadium.

In a thrilling encounter between the top two, which kept the crowd guessing until the last moment, the Robins held on under intense late pressure to establish a six-point lead with five games of the regular season to go.

A converted early try from Dean Hadley and two penalty kicks from the boot of Rhyse Martin had looked set to deliver a shutout for the Robins with six minutes to go.

But a battling finish from Wigan, sparked by a try and conversion from Adam Keighran, delivered a thrilling run to the hooter which saw the hosts just fail to avoid a first home defeat to the Robins since 2021.

Hull KR full-back Jack Broadbent (centre) is tackled by Wigan's Kaide Ellis

In truth, it will take a momentous late collapse for Hull KR to let top spot slip from their grasp now given a points differential over Wigan which means they would have to lose four from their next five to let the reigning champions back in.

And on this disciplined performance that is unlikely to happen.

More likely is another meeting between these two before the season ends, and if it were to come at Old Trafford in the Grand Final on 11 October, based on this showing, that would do nicely.

This was a blockbuster occasion and a match which delivered, although Wigan will look back with dismay at handling errors that reached double figures.

It took just 11 minutes for Hull KR to take the lead - Hadley cutting a brilliant line between two defenders to take a delayed pass from Arthur Mourgue from five metres out.

With Martin adding the extras to establish a 6-0 lead the game became a high-stakes fumble-fest, with Ethan Havard and Zach Eckersley for Wigan and Jack Broadbent and Mikey Lewis all spilling possession.

Another blunder was to come on 34 minutes when Liam Farrell tackled Elliot Minchella off the ball as the Hull KR second row looked to pounce on a grubber kick.

Referee Liam Moore awarded a penalty instead of a penalty try after the incident went up for a video review, and Hull KR extended the lead to 8-0 with Farrell sent to the sin-bin.

Wigan came out fighting after the interval but another converted penalty from Martin, after the home team were penalised in the tackle, stretched the lead to 10-0.

Hull KR looked lucky to avoid a yellow card of their own when Jared Waerea-Hargreaves led with an elbow on Tyler Dupree only for Moore to wave Wigan claims away.

But with the home side increasingly desperate as the minutes ticked down, Keighran's high kick was spilled by Joe Burgess to return possession to Wigan.

From the resulting scrum, Keighran - filling in at half-back in the absence of Bevan French and Jack Farrimond - went over from 10 metres out and kicked the extras to take the score to 10-6.

In a deafening finale, with Wigan throwing caution to the wind, it was a final knock-on which brought the curtain down on a spectacle which, if there is any justice, will see an encore before the season is done.

Wigan Warriors head coach Matt Peet said:

"I thought the best team won it. It was a really hard-fought contest and both teams gave it everything, as you would expect. If we had managed to nick something at the end it would have been against the run of play.

"I understand where we're at and I understand what are the improvement areas.

"That's one thing about games like tonight, Hull KR put us under a lot of pressure and it highlighted things, so we will take the lessons."

Hull KR head coach Willie Peters said:

"I enjoy watching the players prove some people [who] want to doubt us wrong. But we are certainly not motivated by people saying you can't win at Wigan or you haven't won in four games.

"It's about ticking those things off, growing as a team and staying committed.

"The players worked extremely hard and they were committed tonight, and that's what is needed against a team like Wigan because you know they are going to come [at you] at some stage.

"Any team that comes here and gets two points, they need to work extremely hard for it."

Wigan: Field; Miski, Eckersley, Wardle, Marshall; Keighran, Smith; Havard, O'Neill, Byrne, Walters, Farrell, Ellis.

Interchanges: Mago, Leeming, Dupree, Hill.

Sin-bin: Farrell (35).

Hull KR: Broadbent Davies, Hiku, Batchelor, Burgess; Lewis, Mourgue; Sue, Litten, Whitbread, Hadley, Martin, Minichella.

Interchanges: Waerea-Hargreaves, Luckley, Tanginoa, Leyland.

Referee: Liam Moore.