1989-90 season: In stats

After concluding our rewind to the 1989-90 season on Wigan TV this week, Club Historian Keith Sutch provides all the key stats and facts from the year Wigan won the treble. 

General facts

• John Monie was Wigan’s Head Coach 
• Ellery Hanley was Club Captain
• Wigan won the Regal Trophy, Championship title and Challenge Cup during the 1989-90 season

💨 The break from Hampson
🔥 The pace from Hanley
👏 The pass from Edwards
🙌 The touchdown from Preston

😍 Simply World Class.

Miss last night's #WarriorsRewind? Watch our 1990 Challenge Cup Final win over Warrington on Wigan TV 👉 https://t.co/nEuSjg2PzU#WWRL #TheTreble pic.twitter.com/bVvHX95Vgt

— Wigan Warriors 🍒⚪️ (@WiganWarriorsRL) June 6, 2020

• It was the first year the league cup was named as the Regal Trophy (previously John Player Special Trophy) 
  • Wigan played Halifax at Headingley and won 24-12 – Ellery Hanley scored a hat-trick 

🏆 Our next 1989-90 feature game is the Regal Trophy Final against Halifax!

😍 This Ellery Hanley try saw us on our way to lifting our first piece of silverware for the season!

Full game and highlights of the 24-12 win at Headingley 👉 https://t.co/nEuSjg2PzU#WWRL #TheTreble pic.twitter.com/mCOQdUUQXV

— Wigan Warriors 🍒⚪️ (@WiganWarriorsRL) June 5, 2020

• With 20 wins from 26 games in the league, Wigan finished top of the table and won the Championship title – Shaun Edwards was awarded the Man of Steel
• Wigan beat Warrington 36-14 at Wembley to lift the Challenge Cup and complete the treble – Andy Gregory was named the Lance Todd Trophy winner 

R1 vs Hull KR ✅
R2 vs Dewsbury ✅
Q/F vs Wakefield ✅
S/F vs St Helens ✅
Final vs Warrington 🏆

🤩 An hour long special on how Wigan made it to Wembley and the 1990 Challenge Cup Final to win the treble is now available on Wigan TV! 👉 https://t.co/nEuSjgkqrs#WWRL #TheTreble pic.twitter.com/ddEgfnt8Mx

— Wigan Warriors 🍒⚪️ (@WiganWarriorsRL) June 6, 2020

• During the season, Wigan played at four different football stadia 
  • Anfield, Liverpool for the Charity Shield match against Widnes 
  • Hillsborough, Sheffield for a league game against Sheffield 
  • Clarement Road, London for a Lancashire Cup game against Fulham 
  • Old Trafford, Manchester for the Challenge Cup Semi-Final vs St Helens 

• Wigan scored six hat-tricks throughout the season – Mark Preston (x2), Kevin Iro, Shaun Edwards, Andy Goodway and Ellery Hanley all scored hat-tricks
• Wigan’s biggest win of the season came at Barrow in the league on 1^stOctober 1989 – the visitors won 0-66 with Ged Byrne, Shaun Edwards, John Gilfillan and Ged Stazicker all scoring twice, while Dean Bell, Phil Blake, David Marshall and Mark Preston all went over for one each
  • Wigan thrashed Barrow again 14 days later and recorded their second biggest victory of the season – a 62-6 win at Central Park with Mark Preston scoring five tries, Shaun Edwards touching down for four and Les Davidson and Andy Goodway going over for one each
• As part of the Kiwis Tour 1989 series, Wigan hosted New Zealand on 8^thOctober and won 24-14 

Stats

Games (all competitions) 

• 44 games overall 
  • 26 league games
  • Three games in the Lancashire Cup
  • Six games in the Regal Trophy 
  • Five games in the Challenge Cup 
  • Two games in the Premiership Trophy 
  • Charity Shield match (vs Widnes)
  • Tour match (vs New Zealand) 

League stats 

• 26 games 
• Won 20 
• Drawn 0 
• Lost 6
• 40 points  
• Points For: 699
• Pont Against: 349 
• Points difference: 350

🔥 "MARK PRESTON IS GONNA SCORE!"

💨 Blistering pace from Preston to touch down for this try against Leeds at Central Park in April 1990.

📽 Watch the 16-12 win on Wigan TV as we tightened our grip on the league title 👉 https://t.co/nEuSjg2PzU#WWRL #TheTreble pic.twitter.com/eEw9V2lVPl

— Wigan Warriors 🍒⚪️ (@WiganWarriorsRL) June 5, 2020

League table 

1. Wigan 
2. Leeds 
3. Widnes 
4. Bradford Northern
5. St Helens
6. Hull FC
7. Castleford
8. Warrington
9. Wakefield 
10. Featherstone
11. Sheffield 
12. Leigh (relegated)
13. Salford (relegated)
14. Barrow (relegated) 

(Hull KR, Rochdale and Oldham were promoted)

🏆 The W that sealed the Championship title 🤩

💪 Ellery Hanley scored Wigan’s final try against Leigh in the last game of the league season.

Full game and highlights of the 34-6 victory at Central Park available on Wigan TV 👉 https://t.co/nEuSjg2PzU #WWRL #TheTreble pic.twitter.com/5Hf6FAhxAu

— Wigan Warriors 🍒⚪️ (@WiganWarriorsRL) June 5, 2020

Player stats (all competitions) 

• Top tryscorer 
  • Mark Preston: scored 32 tries in 41 games (played most games in Wigan squad)
  • Shaun Edwards came second in the list with 25 tries
• Top goalscorer 
  • Joe Lydon: converted 83 goals
• Top pointscorer 
  • Joe Lydon: scored ten tries and converted 83 goals = 206 points

Wigan’s 30-man squad 

• Dean Bell
• Denis Betts 
• Phil Blake 
• Ged Byrne 
• Phil Clarke 
• Les Davidson 
• Martin Dermott 
• Shaun Edwards 
• Mike Forshaw 
• Ian Gildart 
• John Gilfillan 
• Henderson Gill 
• Andy Goodway  
• Bobbie Goulding 
• Andy Gregory 
• Steve Hampson 
• Ellery Hanley 
• Kevin Iro 
• Nicky Kiss 
• Ian Lucas 
• Joe Lydon 
• David Marshall 
• Gus O’Donnell
• Andy Platt  
• Mark Preston 
• Adrian Shelford 
• Ged Stazicker 
• Shaun Tyrer 
• Shaun Wane 
• Graeme West 

Debutants

• Four players made their debut for Wigan during the season 
  • John Gilfillan  
  • Phil Blake (scored on debut)
  • Les Davidson 
  • Mike Forshaw 

Attendances

• Wigan’s highest attendance for a league home game came against St Helens on Boxing Day 1989 where 27,075 watched at Central Park

🗣 "Marshall in at the corner!"

🤩 @LiamMarshall20's dad, David, finished off this slick move down the right in our Boxing Day clash with St Helens!

Watch the full game and highlights on Wigan TV 👉 https://t.co/nEuSjgkqrs#WWRL #TheTreble pic.twitter.com/49ETwuEaJC

— Wigan Warriors 🍒⚪️ (@WiganWarriorsRL) June 3, 2020

• The Regal Trophy Final saw 17,180 fans in attendance at Headingley
• 77,729 fans were in attendance at Wembley for the Challenge Cup Final