It was an opportunity to convince people they were capable of going the distance.
But the truth is that nobody at St James' Park will have left convinced that Wigan Warriors could, or will, win the Grand Final at the end of the season.
And it's not because they were poor. They weren't at all, they were good. If anything, it was one of their better displays of the season. They were gutsy, pugnacious and the ill-discipline that has been their undoing was not forthcoming. They completed high and penalties were few and far between. It was a high-octane, intense rugby league.
But the reality is that Wigan only managed to score six points. If we're honest about it, they rarely looked like scoring more than that, either.
Though their percentages were high, their creativity was not.
The Warriors managed just one try. Ultimately, that's not going to be enough to win games against the best teams.
Wigan have now played six games against the top three teams in the league. They have lost all six.
The reason for that is relatively simple, they do not score enough points. In those six games they have managed a grand total of 36 points, an average of six per game. In two of those games they haven't registered a single try.
This was an opportunity to fix up those issues and give enough evidence to suggest they can cause the league's top teams issues. But it wasn't forthcoming.
Previously their poor discipline, both defensively and in terms of ball retention, hasn't given them enough opportunities to play at the right end of the field.
But that wasn't the case at Magic Weekend. They had enough sets and enough territory to ask questions. But it just didn't materialise.
The positive is that Wigan, certainly in this game, fixed up one of their biggest issues. They gave themselves a chance to win this by being more efficient. It should be noted that their defence was largely excellent, too.
But their attack remains a serious cause for concern. Despite playing more games than any other team, they have the third-worst attack in the competition. Only relegated Leigh score fewer points per game than the Warriors.
For a side with so much talent, despite all the injuries they have, it's just not good enough if you want to win the competition.
Wigan will have a chance to put it right in the play-offs. It wouldn't be the first time they've proved people wrong.
But there's little to suggest they have what it takes to silence their doubters and go the distance.
