In the end, this was a satisfactory enough warm-up for Wigan Warriors ahead of next weekend’s World Club Challenge on a historic evening for Super League.
The headline is that the Warriors began their defence of the title they won last autumn at Old Trafford with victory against Castleford Tigers. But the circumstances surrounding how they did it may yet prove important as they prepare to take on the might of the reigning NRL premiers, Penrith Panthers, in a week’s time.
Only in the days ahead will Wigan be able to truly count the cost of this win. Half-back Harry Smith was sent to the sin-bin in the first half for a tackle that will see him subject to the disciplinary panel next week, with the England scrum-half possibly now banned for that game.
Luke Thompson will definitely be missing after suffering a concussion in the first half, leaving Matt Peet potentially without two of his main players. “I was concerned with our own discipline,” the Wigan coach said. “It was slippy conditions. We’d got one eye on next week so I was nervous about our own players. We want to do the town justice but we also want to do the British game justice so we have a big responsibility. We just wanted to get through tonight with a full bill of health.”
Castleford never recovered from Liam Watts’s first-half red card in the latest example of rugby league tightening its rules on head contact. They battled gamely in difficult conditions in the first half, taking a 4-2 lead courtesy of two Danny Richardson penalties after Smith replied with one of his own for Wigan.
However, Watts’s red card was a significant moment. From there, Castleford were on the back foot and the result felt an inevitability. However they showed plenty of pride and will have taken optimism from this display. “I saw a lot of heart,” their coach, Craig Lingard, said. “We played really hard, and for the badge, and put loads of effort in.”
It was a groundbreaking night for Super League too, with a first ever outing for the competition live on the BBC. The competition has had a longstanding relationship with the broadcaster to show the Challenge Cup but getting Super League on the channel, thanks in no small part to the game’s partnership with IMG, is undoubtedly a big deal.
“If you’re a rugby league fan, it’s never been this good,” IMG’s Matt Dwyer told the Observer recently. “Every sport is trying to get on the BBC, I promise you – and we’ve done it. It’s prime free-to-air exposure. They all want it, and rugby league has it.”
With heavy rain as the game kicked off, you felt as though the treacherous conditions would play into the hands of the hosts and stifle Wigan’s creative threat. That was how it played out inside the opening quarter, with Castleford holding their own and getting to the midway point of the half level at 2-2 following penalties from Smith and Richardson.
Smith was then sent to the sin-bin for a dangerous tackle on Luke Hooley that could leave him facing a nervous wait ahead of the World Club Challenge. Thompson will definitely miss that game after failing a head test but despite a Richardson penalty nudging Castleford 4-2 ahead, the game then swung on a decisive moment.
Watts was shown a straight red card after a shoulder charge to the head of Tyler Dupree, and the Warriors took full advantage. They scored the night’s first try through Patrick Mago before extending that lead further as half-time approached with a Bevan French try.
To Castleford’s credit, their heads never dropped but you always felt the numerical disadvantage would come back to haunt them. And as the game entered the final quarter, Wigan did indeed capitalise to put the game beyond doubt.
First, a fine move freed Liam Marshall to score before a scintillating break from Abbas Miski led to the winger kicking ahead for Kruise Leeming, who marked his Wigan debut with a try. Smith converted both once again and at 26-4, it was now simply a case of how many the visitors would win by. There was just one more try in the closing stages as Marshall claimed his second, but by then, Wigan minds would have already drifted to next weekend.
