St Helens second row Jon Wilkin expects intense derby with Wigan Warriors
Monday 30 March 2015 22:26, UK
Ahead of Wigan’s Super League clash with St Helens on Good Friday, Sky Sports News reporter Fraser Dainton speaks to Saints star Jon Wilkin about his derby memories.
I always look forward to Good Friday, because it guarantees good rugby league.
There are derby matches galore - but none more thrilling or intense than Wigan versus St Helens.
The two clubs are just nine miles apart, and yet the rivalry is so strong that the short trip over Billinge Hill seems half a world away.
Having played with Saints for over a decade, Jon Wilkin has appeared in more than his fair share of these encounters.
He’s perfectly qualified to advise the young players who have never played in these matches before, as well as the antipodean imports who have no idea what to expect.
His first piece of advice is simple - shout!
He said: “The atmosphere is that intense, it’s difficult to pass on calls, to talk. There’s a lot of talking that goes on in games that people aren’t normally aware of, to execute your plays, and your defensive plan.
“It’s very difficult to hear on Good Friday - one of the few games barring the Grand Final or Challenge Cup Final where you can’t hear the person next to you.”
Wilkin vividly remembers the moment where it literally hit home as to just how big a deal this game is.
“It was Good Friday at Knowsley Road, 2004. Terry Newton and me got in to a bit of a scuffle, Andy Farrell and Paul Sculthorpe then got in to a scuffle off the back of that.
"I got sin-binned in the fracas - for getting hit on the head about ten times - and as I was walking off the field I looked round.
“There was a packed stadium, and I felt the intensity of the atmosphere, the aggression that was around, and I thought - this is what it’s all about - it’s more than just a game of rugby league.”
As he sat on the sidelines for 10 minutes, it was more than enough time to understand the significance of the fixture in terms of what it means to the fans, the club, and the town.
“It was a landmark moment in my career, because I realised the difference between just existing within Super League and then playing in one of the most competitive environments I have ever witnessed - and it’s still that way today.”
This is the first time the two sides have met in a competitive fixture since last season’s Grand Final. Saints ran out winners after Wigan’s Ben Flower was infamously sent off for punching an unconscious Lance Hohaia.
The teams who are playing in those atmospheres always rise to the challenge. Some of the best games I’ve played in have been in those intense atmospheres, and Wigan v Saints is the most intense.
Wilkin is well aware that players need to keep a lid on their emotions.
“You don’t want to be too pumped up or aggressive,” he added.
“I’ve never been the type of person that growls in to a mirror and has to get psyched up for games, but when you see that happening, I suppose it’s about control.
“We need to be physical and aggressive against Wigan, but we need to control that, and play a controlled game. That’s as important as getting everything else right.”
Whatever the approach, whatever the attitude, there’s no doubting this is the game where both sets of players bring out the best in each other.
“I think both teams thrive off the atmosphere - that creates the intensity,” Wilkin explained.
“The teams who are playing in those atmospheres always rise to the challenge. Some of the best games I’ve played in have been in those intense atmospheres, and Wigan v Saints is the most intense.”
Watch Wigan v St Helens on Good Friday. Coverage begins on Sky Sports 1 HD at 2:45pm.
