May 2009 Wigan Warriors season

ahead of 2009 magic weekend fixture against st helens rlfc, thomas leuluai learned not called play in 2009 anzac test, news welcomed brian noble, stated new zealand had, enough southern hemisphere-based kiwis cope. leuluai instead took membership of wigan side recorded third successive league win @ murrayfield stadium on st helens rlfc side including james graham, had complained earlier in week event s location being far away. wigan had lost st helens @ magic weekend event in 2007 , 2008, 34–18 , 57–16 respectively, wigan s captain sean o loughlin scored game s first try after 7 minutes. pat richards scored match s second try following kick o loughlin, , added both conversions give wigan 12–0 lead. further extended after gareth hock scored after 29 minutes. sean long gained try st helens grubber kick rebounded off leuluai, before break sam tomkins fed older brother joel try before half time. 2 minutes after break, wigan kicked penalty stretch lead 26–6, , wigan ended hope of st helens comeback leuluai scored following break down wing richards. st helens scored next 2 tries through leon pryce , paul wellens, long kicking both conversions, richards scored second try , kicked conversion take personal haul twenty-two, , end match 38–18. noble s contract due expire @ end of season, ian lenagan praised him wigan s biggest derby win in 6 years on st helens, refused offer assurances noble s future @ club, after bradford bulls refuted claim wanted replace steve mcnamara noble.

for next match, players again returned belle vue, 2 weeks after league win. wakefield trinity wildcats coached john kear, twice winner of cup head coach, in 2005 hull, , in 1998 when sheffield eagles side defeated wigan 17–8 in final, 3 years after wigan s last of record 8 consecutive challenge cup final victories. match did not start in wigan s favour, danny brough provided passes jason demetriou , tevita leo-latu, , kicked conversion give wildcats 10–0 lead. wigan went in ahead @ half time though. wigan got first points try on wing richards, , try michael mcilorum following gareth hock pass. brough kicked drop-goal give wakefield point lead, cameron phelps scored third wigan try after sean o loughlin broke line own half. wakefield went ahead third time twelve minutes after break, grubber kick brough being gathered tony martin. stuart fielden scored first try in 2 years before sam tomkins finished game try of own making. fourth goal of match meant final scores 17–28; win wigan advanced them quarter-finals. day after, draw next round played 3 weeks later made, wigan receiving home tie against salford city reds.

following run of 4 games, club s next match against hull kingston rovers. preparations boosted news sam tomkins not receive match ban conduct against wakefield in challenge cup tie. goulding extended loan spell @ salford city reds, condition wigan recall him 24 hours notice. match seemed heading towards 6–0 lead wigan @ half-time, after sean o loughlin scored try , richards kicked goal, controversial try scored michael dobson after hooter had sounded awarded referee, richard silverwood. incensed, wigan started second half converted try captain, o loughlin, final score of match. paul cooke collected own kick solo try, , jake webster put hull kr lead, dobson kicking both goals six-point advantage. late penalty kicked dobson 2 ponts, concluding match in favour of hull kr. match ended wigan s run of 4 victories, , placed hull kr temporarily @ top of super league xiv table.

following loan spell @ barrow, lee mossop transferred huddersfield giants on month-long loan. prior wigan s next match against warrington wolves, noble, contract @ wigan due expire @ end of 2009, publicly admitted becoming impatient lack of offer club extend contract, after reports in sydney morning herald linked him coaching role @ sydney roosters. wigan had not won game in warrington since 2003, , despite leading on half match, failed break record. warrington charged down 2 kicks, before kick thomas leuluai on third set of 6 tackles lead cameron phelps scoring match s opening try. poor discipline ben westwood gave penalty, , wigan took advantage when joel tomkins held on try-line in act of scoring former wigan full-back, richie mathers. wigan again launched next attack after forcing goal line drop out, try amos roberts disallowed because of knock-on pat richards. warrington applied sustained twenty minute period of pressure, errors westwood , briers kept them off scoresheet. briers weighted next kick better, matt king out-jumping shaun ainscough score warrington s first try. bridge s missed conversion meant wigan lead 6–4 @ half-time, , penalty kicked richards in second half meant lead increased 2 points. warrington gained lead after 55 minutes after chris riley punished stuart fielden , andy coley giving away successive penalties try in corner. michael monaghan shimmied past 3 wigan defenders finish game off warrington try.

tim smith had been left out of tie against warrington owing family illness, , did not return home country, australia, in time wigan s challenge cup tie against salford city reds, george carmont returned injury. fielden forced miss game, after receiving one-match ban raising knee in tackle during defeat warrington. without smith , fielden, wigan comprehensively beat salford city reds 28–6 advance semi-finals stage of tournament. gareth hock gave home side lead, before salford equalised try luke adamson. wigan replied taking lead george carmont try, , have scored again after hock broke line, sam tomkins knocked-on. knock-on, time richards, denied wigan try. salford launched repeated attacks on wigan line in second half, through mark henry , stefan ratchford, before willie talau pushed touch sam tomkins. penalty richards added 2 more points wigan s total, , scored second try, followed third on 70 minutes second hat-trick in wigan jersey. hock scored final try, second, after tomkins had come close, finish game in favour of warriors. wigan therefore entered first challenge cup semi-final since 2007, when defeated catalans dragons @ halliwell jones stadium in warrington, , warrington wolves drawn 2009 semi-final opponents.