The four best and funniest moments you missed from the rugby league weekend

Aaron Bower

It was a serious weekend of rugby league action with plenty of talking points: oh, and the first piece of silverware of the new campaign handed out to Wigan Warriors. 

But we at Love Rugby League like to look at the unserious side, as well as the serious one. And with so much happening, it’s entirely possible you’ll have missed some of the funnier, interesting moments of the rugby league weekend. So allow us to take you through them.

Wigan’s flashing posts: +5 IMG points, please

Wigan Warriors certainly put a show on over the weekend – both during and before their World Club Challenge victory against Penrith Panthers.

Now, we know the presence of LED boards gets you bonus points in your IMG score: but the newly-crowned world champions took it to even greater heights on Saturday with actual flashing posts. It was a mini light show every time someone scored or something of note happened and we have to say, we’re big fans.

Petition to make that mandatory across all of Super League? Launched.

Harry Smith and Heather Small: the duo we never knew we needed

They both starred in different ways on Saturday night: Harry Smith on the field, Heather Small on the stage pre-match. But Wigan’s TikTok account have mashed them together in a collaboration we love, with some help from TV series Miranda.

An infamous clip from that show has one of the characters doing her best Small impression, quoting the iconic lyric from her most famous song, Proud. It then cuts to Smith in the aftermath of victory on Saturday night telling everyone exactly what he’s done today that makes him feel proud. Okay, the explanation isn’t great: so have a watch for yourselves:

@wiganwarriorsrl 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 🌎🏆 #wwrl #wiganwarriors #foryou #foryoupage #worldclubchallenge #betfred #betfredworldclubchallenge #superleague #slchampions #rugby #rugbyleague #heathersmall #fyp ♬ original sound – wiganwarriorsrl

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Ross the Ringer

With all eyes on the World Club Challenge on Saturday evening, it was easy to forget there were some other games taking place just before Wigan kicked off against Penrith.

One of those was in the Challenge Cup as Halifax Panthers took on Hammersmith Hills Hoists: and there was a familiar face in the London club’s side: former Keighley Cougars and Bradford Bulls prop Ross Peltier.

Since finishing up in rugby league, Peltier has been playing rugby union for local Halifax side Old Crossleyans, but he returned to league for a one-time appearance at The Shay on Saturday evening. The Halifax commentary even referred to him as a ‘ringer’. Regardless of the circumstances, it was good to see Peltier back on a league field.

You also wonder how Gareth Widdop would have reacted as recently as 12 months ago if someone had told him he’d be playing for Halifax against Hammersmith in the Challenge Cup..

And finally..

Wigan players are no strangers to an F bomb live on TV. Remember Dom Manfredi, anyone?

And they were at it again on Saturday evening, with Harry Smith casually swearing during his post-match interview with Sky Sports. That in itself wasn’t the standout moment: it was coach-turned-pundit for the night Sam Burgess giggling away like a giddy teenager when Smith mentioned how he was, well, unhappy with Bevan French for not staying onside when he he had a try disallowed in the second half.

We’ll let you search for it online but Burgess clearly had an enjoyable evening, he also burst into laughter when, just as Sky were going to cut away from the shot of Brian Carney, Burgess and Sam Tomkins, the stewards dragged a pitch invader right into shot.

Hopefully his Warrington team provide as much enjoyment this year, judging on how much he enjoyed Saturday’s antics.

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