Wheelchair Warriors beat Halifax

• Wigan Warriors Wheelchair team kick-started their 2023 season with a win at Robin Park Leisure Centre on Sunday
• The Warriors came from behind to defeat the defending Betfred Wheelchair Super League champions in front of over 100 spectators.
• FT | Wigan Warriors Wheelchair 59-45 Halifax Panthers Wheelchair

The opening game of the Betfred Wheelchair Super League saw Wigan Warriors beat reigning champions Halifax Panthers at Robin Park on Sunday.

Report

The Warriors would take the lead early, with Jack Heggie putting Adam Rigby in at the right corner, but the Panthers hit back immediately with a try of their own through Wayne Boardman.

Back on the attack, Martin Norris set up the next two tries for Wigan when he first released Heggie down the left, before supplying Matt Wooloff with a neat inside pass, allowing his teammate to breeze through a gap in the defence. With two of his three conversions successful, Dec Roberts put Wigan 16-6 in front.

Halifax fought back through Frenchman Jeremy Bourson, scoring back-to-back tries, with Rob Hawkins converting both to put the visitors 18-16 ahead. As both teams traded sets, Dec Roberts slotted over a drop goal to narrow the gap. Halifax would quickly extend their lead, with Bourson completing his hat-trick with a reach for the line from close range.

Coming off the bench to make his Warriors debut, Martin Lane was quickly into the action as he came in from the wing onto a drop-off pass, before waltzing through the broken defensive line. Another Roberts conversion to cut the lead to one point. Following on his success from the tee, Roberts added a penalty and a second drop goal to put Wigan two points in front, with the score now 26-24.

Halifax looked to fight back again, with Seb Bechara crossing the try line to put The Panthers back in front before Hawkins further extended the lead with a try of his own. Roberts was able to cut the deficit for the Warriors, scoring a penalty to leave the score 28-32 going into the break.

The second half started with a Halifax try, with Tom Green latching onto a reverse pass from Bechara to score close to the sticks. Hawkins added the extras to put the reigning champions 10 points up. But Wigan would mount a phenomenal fightback, with back-to-back tries from Wooloff sealing his hat-trick, the first a barging run that knocked the defender back over his own try line, and the second saw him find gap and power through to touch down.

A carbon copy of the first try saw Heggie once again put Rigby in at the corner before Fax got a solitary point on the board with a Bechara drop goal. After some slick handling and off-the-cuff ball play down the centre of the court, Rigby returned the favour and set up Heggie for his second try, leaving Wigan 50-39 up with 20 minutes to go.

Dec Roberts added another try for the hosts, barging through the middle of the Halifax defenders and, despite coming of out his chair, putting the ball down for his first try of the season. After a successful conversion, Roberts then added a third drop goal and a penalty to make it 59-39 with only minutes remaining.

The visitors were able to claw one back, with Boardman going over in the right corner, converted by Hawkins, to take the final score to 59-45.

Coaches Quotes

Head Coach Phil Roberts commented after the game: “We knew that facing the reigning champions would be a tough start to the season, especially with their Catalan players flying in for the game, but we had a strategy that we were confident would work and the team executed it perfectly.

“I’m very proud of the team, but at the end of the day it’s just 2 league points and we face Leeds next, which will be an equally tough game”.

Wigan Warriors: Martin Norris, Jack Heggie, Declan Roberts, Adam Rigby, Matt Wooloff

Interchanges: Martin Lane, Lenny Izzard, Phil Roberts

Tries: Rigby (2), Heggie (2), Wooloff (3), Lane, D. Roberts

Conversions: D.Roberts (10/13)

Drop Goals: D.Roberts (3/4)

Halifax Panthers: Wayne  Boardman, Rob Hawkins, Jeremy Bourson, Nathan Holmes, Kieron Johnson

Interchanges: Seb Bechara, Jordan Holt, Tom Green, Tom Martin

Tries: Boardman (2), Bourson (3), Bechara, Hawkins, Green

Conversions: Hawkins (6/7), Boardman (0/1)

Drop Goals: Bechara (1/1)

You can see the full match as well as highlights of Wigan Warriors Wheelchair’s win over Halifax on Wigan TV! Not a subscriber? Join HERE today from £5.99 per month.