Super League Magic Weekend: Wigan 16-14 St Helens - Warriors secure nail-biting victory in ferocious derby battle with Saints

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Highlights of the Super League match between Wigan Warriors and St Helens

Wigan Warriors emerged 16-14 victors after a ferocious derby battle against St Helens which closed out Super League's Magic Weekend at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Saints had a narrow 8-6 lead at half-time following a Jackson Hastings penalty and a Jake Davies try, with Tristan Sailor adding the extras to the four-pointer.

Wigan went over through Adam Keighran, with the centre converting his own try.

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Wigan struck first in the second half through a converted Jai Field try and unconverted Zach Eckersley finish, but St Helens hit back via a converted Jack Welsby try to bring themselves within two points.

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Brad O'Neill and Jack Welsby were sent to the sin-bin as tempers flared

With no time left on the clock, St Helens used their captain's challenge and were awarded a penalty for a pull back on Harry Robertson. However, Hastings missed the conversion from out wide that would have levelled the scores and taken the game to golden point.

It was a contest littered with cards and scuffles, Welsby seeing yellow in the first and second half for a professional foul and then for his part in a bust-up. Wigan's Brad O'Neill was sent to the sin-bin alongside Welsby for the second incident.

The victory for Wigan moves them into second place in the table, with St Helens dropping to sixth.

Wigan come through feisty derby to go second

The build-up to the game had centred around Matt Peet's comments following the last match between the teams, the 32-0 Challenge Cup semi-final victory for the Warriors. The Wigan head coach had stated St Helens had lost their identity.

It was inevitable Saints would therefore come out with all guns blazing, and that they did. In fact, the first penalty of the game came before a tackle had been made as Saints prop David Klemmer ran into the back of O'Neill on the kick chase. The two had exchanged words after the last meeting between the teams.

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Tempers exploded almost instantly as Wigan Warriors and St Helens players were involved in a mass scuffle just 10 seconds after kick-off

In the end, it was Paul Rowley's side who dominated territory and possession early, as Wigan made a number of handling errors and conceded penalties.

Eventually, Saints opted to kick for the lead, with Hastings slotting over a penalty goal.

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Adam Keighran crosses over to put Wigan Warriors into the lead

Saints were creating chances and Welsby went on a superb individual run from deep, but a few plays later he kicked dead and then threw the ball into the stands, stifling Wigan's counter-attack and being sin-binned as a result.

Down a man, Saints went close through Hastings but after a loose ball was picked up by Wigan, they countered through Field. He was brought down but Wigan shifted the ball wide and made use of the spare space, with Keighran diving home in the corner, converting his own try for a 6-2 lead.

But Saints went back ahead before Welsby's return. Hastings provided a drop off ball that young back-rower Davies was able to hit with speed and find a gap in the line to score. Hastings converted.

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Welsby was sent to the sin-bin for throwing the ball away

Injuries dominated the final 10 minutes. Daryl Clark and Owen Dagnall went off for HIAs but passed them and returned, but Wigan youngster Nathan Lowe was not so fortunate as he suffered a ruptured hamstring when being dragged into touch. The player twice passed out on the sidelines.

The second half started much more cagily than the first but a scuffle between the two sides 50 minutes in ignited the stadium into full voice once again. In an attempt to cool tempers, referee Chris Kendal sent O'Neill and Welsby to the sin-bin for their parts in the latest scuffle, Welsby going off for a second 10-minute sit down.

Then Wigan found something out of nothing. After finding space on the right flank for Eckersley to skirt down the touchline, Field was primed in support to race in. Keighran converted to put his side 12-8 ahead.

The battle then ensued and, similarly to the first half, Saints dominated territory and possession as they forced back-to-back goal-line dropouts for Wigan to defend but they could not turn pressure into points and their opportunities faded away.

Wigan then hoped they had scored through Eckersley in the 69th minute but, with a knock-on from each team in the build-up, it was not given.

It did not take long for Eckersley to get his try, though, as off the scrum that followed, Wigan shifted through hands and he had the space this time to walk in at the corner. The Wigan end erupted, with the Saints end solemn.

Saints did not give up, though, and after Welsby sliced through and Hastings converted to put them just two points behind, the game was primed for a huge ending.

That looked like it could be coming when St Helens used their captain's challenge with no time remaining and were awarded a penalty for a pull back on Robertson.

However, Hastings sent his conversion attempt wide to leave the idea of a golden-point showdown just as that as Wigan came out 16-14 winners.

Rowley: You have got to ask the question about refereeing | Peet: Extremely proud of the group

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St Helens head coach Paul Rowley was disappointed with key officiating decisions

St Helens head coach Paul Rowley to Sky Sports:

"Credit to both teams, it was a violent encounter and one that I'm sure everyone enjoyed. Unfortunately for us, we didn't get the result we wanted.

"It's about the performance and the intent. If we look at a lot of the markers, we were there. They owned a couple of moments.

"We won four captain's challenges. You've got to ask a question there. There's something been put on report, where we'd have taken the two. And it's been a six-point swing, because they've gone down the other end to score.

"I'm disappointed with that because when you've got a big screen, why do you put things on report?

"Without going to town on that, the on report these days is a bit of a joke, because you've got a big screen, you've got video review. That is report in itself, so it's a strange thing.

"Clearly contact on the head to Daryl Clark, that should be two points as well. We should be defending it as well, so we'll look at things we did good and bad, disappointed with the result but proud of the players' efforts."

Wigan Warriors head coach Matty Peet to Sky Sports:

"Funny game, not much flow in it. Very stop-start. Extremely proud of the group, some young lads through there and our academy staff deserve so much credit.

"Some of the lads we had playing out there, the minutes they played, some of them out of position, but they understand the characteristics we want."

Super League 2026 - upcoming key dates

• Rivals Round reversed: July 23-July 26
• Elimination Play-offs: September 19-September 20
• Play-off semi-finals: September 26-September 27
• Grand Final: October 3

Sky Sports will show every game of the Super League live this season, including two matches each round exclusively live. The remaining five matches will be broadcast on Sky Sports+.