Hull KR 38-28 Wigan: Robins end losing run with home victory
Hull KR set up a mouth-watering final-day clash with city rivals Hull FC with a 38-28 win over an inexperienced Wigan at Craven Park in Super League.
Rovers scored seven tries to the Warriors’ five to go level in the table with their eighth-placed rivals ahead of the final day of the regular season next weekend at the MKM Stadium.
Ethan Ryan claimed two tries for Rovers and there were also scores from Will Tate, Ryan Hall, Korban Sims, Matty Storton and Zach Fishwick, as well as five conversions from Rowan Milnes.
Wigan’s tries came from Oliver Partington, Ben O’Keefe, Jack Bibby, Sam Halsall and Abbas Miski and O’Keefe also kicked four goals.
Match report
Wigan gave debuts to three starters and also had a bench made up of four players who had not played in Super League before in a game which had an end-of-season feel about it, with plenty of mistakes from both sides.
Rovers went ahead in only the fourth minute after Hall was stopped just short of the line on the last tackle but Tate was on hand to claim the released ball and touch down.
Hall got in for the second try when he dived in at the corner to score from a pass by Tate after 12 minutes following an offload by Storton.
Wigan lost captain Partington to the sin-bin midway through the half for a dangerous tackle on Rovers replacement Connor Barley.
Rovers grabbed a third when Sims, making his final home appearance for the club, dropped onto a grubber kick by Milnes to score, with the latter adding the extras to make it 14-0.
Wigan replied with just under 10 minutes of the half to go as Partington, with his first involvement since returning, finished off some good work by Halsall close to the Rovers line. O’Keefe’s kick made it 14-6 to the home side.
Storton forced his way over for Rovers’ fourth try, twisting out of the tackle to score by the left post, and Milnes made it 20-6 to the hosts five minutes before the break.
HT: Hull KR 20-6 Wigan
Sims carried Rovers close to the Warriors line and Albert Vete’s pass put Fishwick over for try number five, Milnes’ extras making it 26-6 with 10 minutes of the second half gone.
A great offload by Sims sent Ryan over as Rovers stretched their lead, Milnes kicking a fourth conversion halfway through the second period.
Wigan replied almost straight away as O’Keefe stretched out of the tackle to touch down wide on the left before converting his own try.
Hall’s offload created a simple try number seven as Ryan was on hand to claim his second with 13 to go, Milnes making it five kicks from seven.
Wigan hit straight back with a try for debutant Bibby before late tries by Halsall and Miski made the final score 38-28 to Rovers.
FT: Hull KR 38-28 Wigan
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