The Hull KR chairman, Neil Hudgell, admitted last week that if they were to finish six points behind the top four heading into the impending Super 8s in two weeks’ time it would be a “slow, painful death” until the end of the season. As it turned out, Hudgell’s Hull KR will be playing in the Qualifiers after finishing in Super League’s bottom four following the first 23 rounds, with rivals Hull FC ironically the side facing that slow death he feared.
And six days on from the win against their cross-city rivals which confirmed their place in the Super 8s, Hull produced one of their most off-colour performances of 2015 to slide to a heavy home defeat to Wigan. If ever a rugby league performance could be described as after the Lord Mayor’s show, then this effort will surely be as appropriate as any.
When the Super 8s begin in early August, Hull are likely to be six points off the all-important top four with just 14 points to play for in that next phase of the season. And regardless of any mathematical equations that could map a route into the play-offs, performances like this from Lee Radford’s side will see their season end before the Super 8s have even got going.
Without their talismanic captain, Gareth Ellis, and half-back Leon Pryce due to injury, Hull succumbed fairly easily to a Wigan team who kept up the heat on the top two with only their fourth away win of the season – extending their winning run at the KC Stadium, which stretches back to 2009, in the process.
“We spoke about the top eight not being the highlight of our season, but you’ve got to back it up with performances,” said Radford. “Last week was huge for us, there’s no doubt, but it couldn’t be our Grand Final; to back up last week’s performance with that was disappointing for me as a coach and for one or two of the players as individuals.”
But as bad as Hull were, Wigan were mightily impressive. Although their coach, Shaun Wane, does not like to admit it, their away form has been up and down this year – in stark contrast to their home form, where they have won all 11 league games so far in 2015. They can look forward to the Super 8s with optimism after three consecutive wins, and with the caveat of four home games out of seven before the play-offs, the Warriors’ title change looks to be gaining momentum at exactly the right time.
“I know people make a big deal out of the away form, but it’s never been a concern of mine,” insisted Wane. “Everything paid off for us today. We’ve done bits of things in games well but we put everything together tonight. We go into the Super 8s in a good manner – we were really ruthless at times.”
And that ruthlessness Wane mentioned was evident in a dominating first half for the Warriors; they were 12-0 up after 15 minutes courtesy of tries from Joe Burgess and John Bateman, with Richard Whiting’s try as good as Hull got in the first half.
By the time Sam Powell and George Williams had scored further tries for the Warriors before the break, Wigan had established a commanding 18-point lead they never seemed likely to lose. Any thoughts that the half-time break would bring about a change in fortune for Hull were quickly erased by a superb pass from Joel Tomkins, who passed back inside on the angle for the impressive Matty Bowen to dive over and score.
Hull never threatened a comeback at any point and, after Marc Sneyd spilled with Hull on the attack, Wigan showed their ruthlessness to streak away for their sixth try as the captain, Sean O’Loughlin, barged his way over from close range to exploit more tired Hull defending.
Hull continued to spurn attacking opportunities, although a consolation try did arrive on 67 minutes when Joe Westerman barged his way over, before Bowen and Dom Crosby put extra gloss on the win for Wigan.
Hull Rankin; Lineham, Talanoa, Logan, Michaels; Abdull, Sneyd; Paea, Houghton, Watts, Minichiello, Whiting, Westerman. Interchange Green, Thompson, Bowden, Hadley.
Tries Whiting, Westerman. Goals Sneyd 2.
Wigan Bowen; Charnley, Gelling, Bateman, Burgess; Williams, Smith; Crosby, McIlorum, Flower, Tomkins, Farrell, O’Loughlin.
Interchange Powell, Clubb, Tautai, Sutton.
Tries Burgess, Bateman, Powell, Williams, Bowen 2, O’Loughlin, Crosby. Goals Smith 8.
Referee B Thaler. Attendance 10,787
