Academy nil Newcastle

• Match report as Wigan Warriors Academy away at Newcastle Thunder.
• Reece Bushell and Tom Ratchford both registered hat-tricks with Harvey Wilson crossing for four
• FT | Newcastle Thunder Academy 0-64 Wigan Warriors Academy.

The Warriors Academy scored 64-points for the second game in a row as they held Newcastle Thunder to nil in a huge win on the road.

Wigan ran in thirteen tries on the night, including hat-tricks for Reece Bushell and Tom Ratchford and four from Harvey Wilson.

Report

Wigan were persistent in the opening ten minutes and they soon got their reward as Reece Bushell crashed over for the opener from dummy half. Bushell added a second just a few minutes later as he doubled his tally with another effort from the back of the play the ball to see the score at 10-0.

Newcastle went close but with the ball dead Wigan raced for the 20m restart, getting themselves just short of half way on the first tackle. Good work saw the Warriors make some fine yards down the middle of the park before a reverse pass inside allowed Harvey Wilson to burst through a gap and score close to the uprights, converted by Myers for 16-0.

Wigan were relentless as Tom Ratchford was over immediately afterwards, throwing the dummy to see himself over the goal line. Maddox Jeffrey was next to get on the score list, Reece Bushell flew through a gap to get Wigan within 10m and a fired out pass to the left wing allowed Jeffrey to ease over for 24-0.

Tom Ratchford rounded off the first half as Wigan were awarded a penalty close to the Newcastle goal line. The first play saw Wigan try the left edge to no avail before bringing it back right to see Ratchford fly through on the angle to finish off a fine effort and see the half time score at 28-0.

Harvey Wilson eased over just after the restart, confirming his second of the afternoon. Ethan Fitzgerald went over in the 44th minute, supporting Junior Nsemba who made the initial yards up to half way for Fitzgerald to race the rest of the way and score in the right corner for 38-0.

Wilson completed his hat-trick almost straight after, some strong build-up play from Harvie Hill saw him get he ball away to Wilson who powered through to score under the sticks, converted by Myers for 44-0.

The Wigan attack did not stop and Wilson was in again for his fourth effort just moments later. Another great bit of support play seeing him over. Bushell confirmed his hat-trick as a good break down the middle left Newcastle stranded and Bushell in support went in under the uprights converted by Myers for 56-0.

Thunder held a sustained period of good defence following the ambush, but Wigan finished off their day with two more quick fire tries. The first came from Billy Myers who sold a dummy pass to add the legs and score, before Tom Ratchford added his hat-trick try late on with a great effort to round the Thunder defence and confirm a 64-0 victory.

Newcastle Thunder: Joe Bradley, Ben Jardine, Sam Murtagh, Andrew Berry, James Snowden, Tom Siddle, Oliver Shaw, Harry Lowery, William Lintin, Oliver Redding, Jacob Rennison, Jack Skelton, Tom Parks.

Interchanges: Keelan Parr, Oliver Bibby, Jordan Webster, Matthew Webster.

Wigan Warriors: Niall Povall, Ethan Fitzgerald, George Hough, Harry Smithers, Maddox Jeffrey, Tom Ratchford, Billy Myers, Ryan Brown, Reece Bushell, Ellis Hobson, Finley Beardsworth, Reece Stanton, Joe Baldwin.

Interchanges: Harvie Hill, Junior Nsemba, Harvey Wilson, Troy Richmond.

Tries: Bushell (10′, 17′, 54′), Wilson (24′, 42′, 47′, 52′), Ratchford (27′, 36′, 78′), Jeffrey (32′), Fitzgerald (44′), Myers (73′)

Goals: Myers 6/12, Ratchford 0/1