This was a day which had a distinct feel of nostalgia for anyone involved with Wigan Warriors, but it presented an encouraging glimpse into the future for the Super League champions.
Such has been the nature of their season that it has not been difficult to criticise the Warriors. But here one of rugby league’s most famous clubs dismantled Catalans and soured Sam Tomkins’s return to Wigan as an opposition player for the first time.
Given where the Warriors were just over a week ago this was a performance of supreme quality, with back-to-back league wins in the space of eight days.
Without a string of front-line forwards, Adrian Lam was forced to select four teenage forwards with combined 15 first-team appearances. The manner in which they, and a Wigan side with 10 products of their Academy, took apart a far more experienced Dragons side to record only their third victory of 2019 deserves immense credit.
“I could feel a performance like that coming,” said Lam, who is still arguably auditioning for the job long‑term if, as expected, Shaun Edwards, decides against taking charge next year. “It’s good to be in a winning dressing room, it’s a completely different vibe. I’ve learned a lot as a coach in the first few weeks of the season so it’s only going to make me better and the team better.”
Leading 8-0 at half-time courtesy of Joe Burgess’s try and two Zak Hardaker goals, the Warriors stepped things up after the break with 34 unanswered points thereafter.
Of the six second-half tries they did score, arguably the most noteworthy was Hardaker’s first for the club. It almost felt like a poetic changing of the guard when Hardaker stepped around Tomkins to underline another supreme display from the former Man of Steel, who is slowly settling into life as a Wigan player following his 14-month drug suspension.
“He’s taken on a leadership role and he’s pointing the finger at people, and I think he’s still got another 30 or 40% to come,” Lam said of the full‑back, who was instrumental in their second-half dismantling of the Dragons. Burgess’s second on 50 minutes opened the floodgates to make it 12-0, and within 15 minutes Wigan had all but killed the game off.
Oliver Gildart’s superb break was finished by George Williams, before the centre claimed a try five minutes later, picking off a Catalans pass to race the length and touch down. Burgess then completed his hat-trick after more fine work from Gildart, before Hardaker’s try brought the loudest ovation of the day by some distance.
Tomkins was booed by the fans who used to adore him in the opening exchanges but by the end the spotlight had fallen on Hardaker.
There was still time for one more Wigan try, and it was the best of the game as Jarrod Sammut danced his way around a Catalans defence that Steve McNamara labelled “disgraceful”, the Dragons coaching saying: “We’re mentally some way from where we need to be.”
As for Wigan, if Edwards does decide the Warriors job is for him after all this deliberation he will be pleasantly surprised with what he has at his disposal.
Wigan Warriors Hardaker; Manfredi, Sarginson, Gildart, Burgess; Williams, Sammut; Bullock, Leuluai, Navarrete, Isa, Paisley, Partington. Interchange Shorrocks, Flower, Smithies, Byrne.
Tries Burgess 3, Williams, Gildart, Hardaker, Sammut. Goals Hardaker 7.
Catalans Dragons Tomkins; Yaha, Langi, Wiliame, Tierney; Gigot, Smith; Casty, Albert, Moa, Edwards, Whitley, Bird. Interchange Bousquet, Goudemand, Baitieri, Kasiano.
Referee J Child. Attendance 11,109.
