Round 2
Wigan Warriors 22 l. Castleford Tigers 28

2009 engage English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: engage English Super League

Brilliant Sherwin inspires Tigers as Wigan slump to another loss
Sat February 21, 2009
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Wigan Warrior's crisis deepened after a third successive defeat condemned them to their worst start to a season for 24 years as they fell 28-22 to Castleford Tigers.

As the Warriors left the JJB Stadium with boos ringing in their ears for the second time in three weeks, Castleford fans revelled in their misery, chanting "you're getting sacked in the morning" to underline the mounting pressure on coach Brian Noble.

Wigan actually matched their visitors try for try, including a sensational 50-yard effort from debutant teenage winger Shaun Ainscough, but Australians Amos Roberts and Mark Riddell could manage just one conversion between them from five attempts.

The architect of Wigan's downfall was Castleford's experienced scrum-half Brent Sherwin who had a hand or foot in four of their five tries on his first appearance of the season after recovering from ankle surgery.

The Warriors have never lost their opening three games of engage Super League but they could have no complaints after coming up with another largely uninspiring performance.

There were warning signs for Noble's men when the Tigers had two tries disallowed in the first 10 minutes.

Right winger Kirk Dixon was brought back for putting a foot in touch after only four minutes while left winger Richard Owen was ruled to have made a double movement after he eluded full-back Roberts to touch down.

Castleford had captain Ryan Hudson placed on report for an incident that happened in the immediate aftermath of Owen's disallowed try, but they maintained their early momentum to take a 4-0 lead, courtesy of two penalty goals from Dixon.

Without three first-choice backs, Wigan gave debuts to Karl Pryce and 19-year-old Ainscough, who was one of their best players in the first half.

He had a try disallowed for a forward pass and showed deceptive strength and determination to produce a rare break.

A solo try from scrum-half Thomas Leuluai, who jinked his way over on 25 minutes, actually nudged the home side ahead but Castleford struck back in decisive fashion through the wily Sherwin.

Loose forward Joe Westerman pounced on Sherwin's grubber kick for his side's first try on 34 minutes and just two minutes later the little Australian released dangerous centre Michael Shenton and second-rower Brett Ferres was in support to touch down.

Dixon maintained his accuracy to land a fourth goal and give his side a 10-point cushion as Wigan left the field at half-time to familiar boos from their impatient fans.

Wigan threatened a fightback within four minutes of the re-start after Dixon fumbled Tim Smith's high kick just short of his own line.

Leuluai and Smith worked the ball out wide from the resulting scrum and Roberts showed a touch of class to release Pryce, whose try was his first in engage Super League since he touched down in Bradford Bull's 38-16 win over Wigan at the JJB Stadium in September 2006.

Roberts could not add the goal, though, and Castleford hit back with two more tries in a four-minute spell to open up a 24-10 lead.

Sherwin was once more the architect, hoisting the high kick from which Evans superbly got Dixon in at the corner and then getting Ferres into his stride for him to hand off Smith and touch down for his second try of the match.

Dixon failed with both conversions and Wigan gave themselves renewed hope when centre Darrell Goulding profited from an overlap to score his side's third try on 57 minutes.

And the gap was down to just two points when the resurgent Warriors carved out two more tries in a three-minute spell.

First, second-rower Joel Tomkins caught the Castleford defence napping on the blindside of the ruck after Darrell Goulding had been held short of the line and then Ainscough capped a memorable debut with a 50-yard try, taking Leuluai's pass on halfway and going round full-back Ryan McGoldrick on the outside.

But Castleford made sure of a memorable win when McGoldrick sent the impressive Shenton over for his side's final try deep into stoppage time.


Nobby on the brink? When will Wigan win again?
Sat February 21, 2009
William Hill, official Super League bookmaker, make Brian Noble just 6/4 favourite to be the first top flight coach to leave his post this season after Wigan's 28-22 home defeat to Castleford.

"With Wigan struggling for form and carrying injuries, a few punters had an inkling Cas could go to the JJB and get a result. But whichever way you look at it, Noble's side are underperforming and the pressure must be beginning to mount", said Hill's spokesman Tim Pakyurek.

The architect of Wigan's downfall was Castleford's experienced scrum-half Brent Sherwin who had a hand or foot in four of their five tries on his first appearance of the season after recovering from ankle surgery.

First Super League coach to leave in 2009: 6/4 Noble; 7/1 Lowes; 10/1 Kear; McRae; 14/1 Walters, McNamara; 16/1 Matterson, Morgan, McDermott, Agar, Dixon; 40/1 Brown; 50/1 McLennan; 66/1 Potter; 8/1 No coach to leave. Regular season only.

When will Wigan win their first match?
Harlequins (a) 4/6
Bradford (h) 3/1
Leeds (a) 14/1
Salford (a) 5/1
No win in next four matches 20/1
(matches must be played in scheduled order for bets to stand)

Wigan are 33/1 with Hills to finish bottom of the Super League table after the regular season rounds.

Leeds are 6/4 favourites to win the Grand Final after their win over Hull KR, and 8/11 to win the World Club Challenge.

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