Hull KR stretch lead at top with victory at Wigan

Betfred Super League

Wigan (0) 6

Tries: Keighran Goals: Keighran

Hull KR (8) 10

Tries: Hadley Goals: Martin 3

Hull KR put one hand on the League Leader's Shield with a statement 10-6 victory over closest Super League chasers Wigan Warriors at a pulsating Brick Community Stadium.

In a thrilling encounter between the top two, which kept the crowd guessing until the last moment, the Robins held on under intense late pressure to establish a six-point lead with five games of the regular season to go.

A converted early try from Dean Hadley and two penalty kicks from the boot of Rhyse Martin had looked set to deliver a shutout for the Robins with six minutes to go.

But a battling finish from Wigan, sparked by a try and conversion from Adam Keighran, delivered a thrilling run to the hooter which saw the hosts just fail to avoid a first home defeat to the Robins since 2021.

In truth, it will take a momentous late collapse for Hull KR to let top spot slip from their grasp now given a points differential over Wigan which means they would have to lose four from their next five to let the reigning champions back in.

And on this disciplined performance that is unlikely to happen.

More likely is another meeting between these two before the season ends and if it were to come at Old Trafford in the Grand Final on 11 October, on this showing that would do nicely.

This was a blockbuster occasion and a match which delivered for all that Wigan will look back at handling errors in the double figures with dismay.

It took just 11 minutes for Hull KR to take the lead - Hadley cutting a brilliant line between two defenders to take a delayed pass from Arthur Mourgue from five metres out.

With Martin adding the extras to establish a 6-0 lead the game settled into a high stakes fumble-fest, with Ethan Havard and Zach Eckersley for Wigan and Jack Broadbent and Mikey Lewis all spilling possession.

Another blunder was to come on 34 minutes when Liam Farrell tackled Elliot Minchella off the ball as the Hull KR second row looked to pounce on a grubber kick. Referee Liam Moore awarded a penalty kick instead of a penalty try after the incident went up for a video review, and Hull KR extended the lead to 8-0 with Farrell sent to the sin-bin.

Wigan came out fighting after the interval but another converted penalty from Martin stretched the lead to 10-0.

Hull KR looked lucky to avoid a yellow card of their own when Jared Waerea-Hargreaves led with an elbow on Tyler Dupree only for Moore to wave Wigan claims away.

But with the home side increasingly desperate as the minutes ticked down, Keighran's high kick was spilled by Joe Burgess and from the resulting scrum, Keighran went over from 10 metres out and kicked the extras to take the score to 10-6.

In a deafening finale, with Wigan throwing caution to the wind, it was a final knock-on which brought the curtain down on a spectacle which, if there is any justice, will see an encore before the season is done.

Wigan: Field; Miski, Eckersley, Wardle, Marshall; Keighran, Smith; Havard, O'Neill, Byrne, Walters, Farrell, Ellis.

Interchanges: Mago, Leeming, Dupree, Hill.

Hull KR: Broadbent Davies, Hiku, Batchelor, Burgess; Lewis, Mourgue; Sue, Litten, Whitbread, Hadley, Martin, Minichella.

Interchanges: Waerea-Hargreaves, Luckley, Tanginoa, Leyland.

Referee: Liam Moore.