There was only one show in town in Round Twenty-Two of Super
League, the hottest ticket in town as the Wigan Warriors in second welcomed the
league leading Hull KR to the Brick Community Stadium for a Friday Night
encounter.

Wigan were slight favourites with the bookies, given a two-point
handicap on the coupon as they looked to repeat their win from April when they
were victors by 28-12 on the road in east Hull.

A win for the Warriors would put them back within two league
points of the league leaders, a win for the Robins would see them six points
clear at the top of the pile with just five rounds remaining and almost
guarantee them the league leaders’ trophy for the first time after being
runners up in 2024.

The home crowd were stunned to silence on nine minutes, Dean
Hadley sliding over off an Arthur Mourgue delayed pass after the Frenchman drew
the defenders and created a gap in the defensive line. Rhyse Martin added the
conversion for a 6-0 lead.

What was emerging as a scrappy encounter between two evenly
matched sides who knew what was at stake. It was nerve-wracking for both sets
of supporters, exciting for the neutrals.

A last-ditch tackle from Harry Smith prevented a second KR
try on thirty-two after the Wigan defence parted in mid-field.

Liam Farrell was sin-binned on thirty-five for tackling Elliott
Minchella without the ball as he chased a kick, KR were awarded a penalty under
the sticks and Martin kicked the two to extend the lead at the interval.

A ball steal by Kruise Leeming gifted Martin another two
pointer to stretch the lead to ten points after fifty-six minutes.

Entering the last quarter of an hour the clock was very much
against Wigan.

Joe Burgess spilled an Adam Keighran high kick on seventy-three.
On the first play from the resulting scrum, Keighran sprinted through a gap and
slid over the line to grab a lifeline for the home side. The try scorer added
the conversion to reduce the arrears to four points with five minutes
remaining.

A knock-on from Wigan on the last play called an end to the
game, Hul KR celebrating a famous win, Wigan dejected.

Hull KR were determined that this would be a defining game
in their season, and they grasped the mettle by mounting a tremendous defensive
effort while taking their chances in attack to win the game and take the two
points which almost certainly puts them too far ahead in the league table for
the chasers to unseat them in the remaining rounds. Wigan seemed overawed by
the occasion, as they have on other occasions in 2025, and they weren’t up to
the task. The Robins now six points clear at the top and needing just three
more wins from their remaining five games against; Leeds, St Helens, Hull FC,
Wakefield and Warrington.

The smart money will be on these two meeting again at Old
Trafford in October.

Wigan Warriors: Field, Miski, Eckersley, Wardle, Marshall,
Keighran (T, G 1/1), Smith, Havard. O’Neill, Byrne, Walters, Farrell (SB on 35), Ellis.
Subs: Mago, Leeming, Dupree, Hill. 18^th Man: Douglas.

Hull KR: Broadbent, Davies, Hiku, Batchelor, Burgess, Lewis,
Mourgue, Sue, Litten, Whitbread, Hadley (T), Martin (G 3/3), Minchella.  Subs: Warea-Hargreaves, Luckley, Tanginoa, Leyland.
18^th Man: Doro.

Half-Time: 0-8.

Full-Time: 6-10.

Score Progression:  0-4,
0-6, (SB), 0-8 : HT: 0-10, 4-10, 6-10 :FT.

Lead Exchanges: KR.

Referee: Liam Moore.