It is undoubtedly an exaggeration to suggest Wigan’s season is in crisis just yet, but it is becoming increasingly clear that the reigning Super League champions are running out of excuses and, more importantly, fixtures.
The Warriors have now gone six games without a win after this latest defeat, and while there are still the Super 8s to follow later this summer, the fact Shaun Wane’s side are closer to the bottom four makes their remaining six fixtures before the split essential to remain in touch with the leading pack.
Wigan certainly have injury problems aplenty, and the fact they lost their captain, Sean O’Loughlin, pre-match certainly did not help – but their recent performances have been so concerning that such mitigation is unconvincing.
Hull too came into this fixture with problems, without key personnel and on a run of three consecutive defeats; yet they were still far too good for the Warriors here, moving back into the top four after completing their first double against Wigan in Super League.
To their credit, the Warriors improved immensely after half-time but by then they were 26-4 down and the damage had been done, a point not lost on Wane afterwards.
“We just left ourselves with too much to do in the second half,” he said. “We played poorly. It was six tries apiece but they were the better team. It’s a big game against Leigh next week.”
There were four Hull tries in the first half, including two to the winger Steve Michaels, who on both occasions brutally exposed Wigan’s deficiencies in defence.
Wigan’s opening half was perhaps summed up by a moment of madness from the forward Willie Isa, who tripped Mark Minichiello to concede a penalty that Jake Connor kicked with ease to open up that 22-point lead at the interval.
Perhaps the one crumb of comfort for Wigan in that half was that they survived a 10-minute period without Liam Farrell relatively unscathed, after the England international was sent to the sin-bin for dissent. After half-time they were much improved, and by the hour they had reduced the gap to 12 courtesy of tries from Liam Marshall and Lewis Tierney.
With Wigan on top, it would need something special to quell any hope of a comeback, and the Hull full-back Jamie Shaul provided it with an instinctive chip, chase and regather to end Wigan’s revival before Albert Kelly secured victory with a long-range effort. Late tries from Marshall, Tom Davies and Joe Burgess were mere consolations for a side already well beaten.
Against all the odds last year, Wane produced the best from his players to not only get an injury-hit Wigan side to Old Trafford, but win the title full-stop. If he can do so again this season, it would rank as an even greater achievement given where his side currently find themselves.
