Tipping Competition2024
What's wrong Wigan? - Australian Rugby league News
Back
globalrugbyleague - Sat, 14 Feb 2009 16:13:00 GMTFormer NRL star Amos Roberts is still hunting for his first win in Super League after Hull FC inflicted a second straight loss on Wigan at the KC Stadium.
Booed off their home ground last weekend after falling down 12-6 at the hands of Wakefield, Wigan coach Brian Noble called on his men to respond in a positive fashion to what he termed "a giant kick up the backside."
Unfortunately the boot used for the kicking remains stuck after second half tries to Lee Radford and Peter Cusack pushed Hull FC into a dominant position off the back of some costly opposition errors.
Wigan got off to a terrific start when Phil Bailey crossed over in the 11th minute.But Hull FC responded swiftly by forcing a line drop out in the lead-up to a try by Richard Horne which left the game locked at 6-all by half-time.
The candy cane visitors did regain the lead after Pat Richards collected a Tim Smith kick and scored two minutes after the re-start.
However it was only a matter of time before the black and whites got their opportunity for revenge and this happened in the 57th minute when Danny Tickle stripped the ball from Amos Roberts and handed it to Radford for his first try of the season.
Tickle's conversion put the home side in front for the first time in the game before an excellent sidestep from Peter Cusack ensured Wigan will have to endure another scoreless week of purgatory on the competition ladder.
Roberts - who has averaged 15 tries per season since 2004 in the National Rugby League - is celebrated by many in the game as a special talent famous for his positional versatility, speed, fitness and heartbreaking capacity to cause havoc to opposition clubs in tight games.
He'll be an excellent go-to-man as the season wears on.
But the Warriors faithful may have to ease their expectations of the 28-year-old as he has returned to the field earlier than expected from hand surgery meaning he may not still be at full fitness.
Wigan have not lost back-to-back fixtures this early in the season since 2006.
"I thought we deserved something from the game. I thought it was a really good game," Wigan coach Brian Noble said.
"Sometimes you don't get what you deserve and had our execution been as good as our effort we'd have posted more points."
In other action this weekend Nathan Brown got his Super League career off to a flying start after Huddersfield toppled a full-strength Les Catalans outfit 30-8 at Stade Gilbert Brutus.
Mathew Gidley bagged a double set of tries as part of St Helens' impressive 26-14 routing of Warrington (which is to be replayed on Channel 9 in Sydney at 2pm on Sunday).
Meanwhile Wakefield were taken to the football slaughterhouse after Leeds easily disposed of them 18-4 before 15,643 fans at Headingley Stadium.
Hull FC 18 (Horne, Richards, Cusack tries; Tickle 3 goals) d Wigan 10 (Bailey, Richards tries; Richards goal) at KC Stadium. Referee: I Smith. Crowd: 14,377
Hull FC: Bryne, Calderwood, G Horne, Yeaman, Briscoe, R Horne, C Thorman, Dowes, S Berrigan, Cusack, Burnett, Tickle, Radford. Interchange: Washbrook, Thackray, Manu, King.
Wigan: Roberts, Phelps, Goulding, Carmont, Richards, Smith, Leuluai, Fielden, Riddell, O'Carroll, Hock, Bailey, O'Loughlin. Interchange: J Tomkins, Paleaaesina, Hansen, McIlorum.
- Read More, Here
Booed off their home ground last weekend after falling down 12-6 at the hands of Wakefield, Wigan coach Brian Noble called on his men to respond in a positive fashion to what he termed "a giant kick up the backside."
Unfortunately the boot used for the kicking remains stuck after second half tries to Lee Radford and Peter Cusack pushed Hull FC into a dominant position off the back of some costly opposition errors.
Wigan got off to a terrific start when Phil Bailey crossed over in the 11th minute.But Hull FC responded swiftly by forcing a line drop out in the lead-up to a try by Richard Horne which left the game locked at 6-all by half-time.
The candy cane visitors did regain the lead after Pat Richards collected a Tim Smith kick and scored two minutes after the re-start.
However it was only a matter of time before the black and whites got their opportunity for revenge and this happened in the 57th minute when Danny Tickle stripped the ball from Amos Roberts and handed it to Radford for his first try of the season.
Tickle's conversion put the home side in front for the first time in the game before an excellent sidestep from Peter Cusack ensured Wigan will have to endure another scoreless week of purgatory on the competition ladder.
Roberts - who has averaged 15 tries per season since 2004 in the National Rugby League - is celebrated by many in the game as a special talent famous for his positional versatility, speed, fitness and heartbreaking capacity to cause havoc to opposition clubs in tight games.
He'll be an excellent go-to-man as the season wears on.
But the Warriors faithful may have to ease their expectations of the 28-year-old as he has returned to the field earlier than expected from hand surgery meaning he may not still be at full fitness.
Wigan have not lost back-to-back fixtures this early in the season since 2006.
"I thought we deserved something from the game. I thought it was a really good game," Wigan coach Brian Noble said.
"Sometimes you don't get what you deserve and had our execution been as good as our effort we'd have posted more points."
In other action this weekend Nathan Brown got his Super League career off to a flying start after Huddersfield toppled a full-strength Les Catalans outfit 30-8 at Stade Gilbert Brutus.
Mathew Gidley bagged a double set of tries as part of St Helens' impressive 26-14 routing of Warrington (which is to be replayed on Channel 9 in Sydney at 2pm on Sunday).
Meanwhile Wakefield were taken to the football slaughterhouse after Leeds easily disposed of them 18-4 before 15,643 fans at Headingley Stadium.
Hull FC 18 (Horne, Richards, Cusack tries; Tickle 3 goals) d Wigan 10 (Bailey, Richards tries; Richards goal) at KC Stadium. Referee: I Smith. Crowd: 14,377
Hull FC: Bryne, Calderwood, G Horne, Yeaman, Briscoe, R Horne, C Thorman, Dowes, S Berrigan, Cusack, Burnett, Tickle, Radford. Interchange: Washbrook, Thackray, Manu, King.
Wigan: Roberts, Phelps, Goulding, Carmont, Richards, Smith, Leuluai, Fielden, Riddell, O'Carroll, Hock, Bailey, O'Loughlin. Interchange: J Tomkins, Paleaaesina, Hansen, McIlorum.
- Read More, Here