WARRINGTON Wolves were humbled on the big stage in Las Vegas, going down 48-24 to Super League champions Wigan.
The Wolves had no answer to the Warriors’ clinical attack at the Allegiant Stadium in the USA, trailing 42-0 at one point, before finally getting some points on the board to give the travelling fans something to cheer about.
In the opening 15 minutes, there were few signs of the one-sided procession that was to follow. In fact, Warrington felt they should have had an early lead when Toby King pinched the ball out of the hands of Adam Keighran on the floor after he fielded a kick and took it over the try line, only for the video referee to rule it out.
The video referee also ruled out an acrobatic attempt by Liam Marshall at the other end, with replays showing the ball had just slipped from his fingertip grasp as he touched down.
There was perhaps a fitting first try scorer for the occasion, Wigan front-rower Tyler Dupree, the nephew of an NFL Superbowl champion, the gleeful recipient of a Josh Thewlis fumble from a Harry Smith kick.
The lead was doubled on 23 minutes when Abbas Miski did well to finish in the corner, despite the efforts of Matt Dufty.
There was fortune about the third Wigan try, Sam Walters fumbling the ball backwards for Bevan French to walk in for a try, and then his blistering break from dummy half set up Smith for a try and it was 24-0 at half time.
The scintillating Wigan attack continued in the second half, with Jai Field, Jake Wardle and Luke Thompson adding tries within 15 minutes of the restart to take the score to 42-0.
Warrington were battered, bruised and shell-shocked, but in the final quarter, the Warriors took the foot off the gas.
Arron Lindop got the Wolves’ first try on 65 minutes, managing to ground George Williams’ grubber kick before it went dead, and they followed that up with a try for James Harrison.
Dufty, one of a few Warrington players to leave with credit, then scored a solo try in the right corner.
It looked like Wigan had the final say when Marshall crossed for a try, until in the final 30 seconds, Matty Ashton plucked out an interception to a French pass and won the race against the chasers 90 metres to touch down.
Wigan: Field, Miski, Keighran, Wardle, Marshall, French, Smith, Byrne, Leeming, Thompson, Nsemba, Farrell, Ellis. Subs: Mago, Dupree, Walters, Forber.
Warrington: Dufty, Thewlis, Lindop, King, Ashton, Williams, Leyland, Yates, Walker, Vaughan, Fitzgibbon, Russell, Currie. Subs: Powell, Crowther, Harrison, Philbin.
