On the night when Wigan Warriors celebrated one of their greatest entertainers, perhaps it was fitting that Matt Peet’s class of 2026 produced a performance Sir Billy Boston would have been proud of on their charge, potentially, towards another Super League title. There are some nights where the result is dwarfed by the occasion. Where sport, in truth, comes second.
This was undoubtedly one of those, as what felt like the entirety of this town where rugby league is more akin to a religion than it is a pastime came together in grief to remember the life and career of their most cherished adopted son. In the week Boston passed away at the age of 92, Wigan’s players were challenged by Peet to deliver a performance rugby league’s first knight would have adored. At times, it was a game that was played in conditions Boston himself would have been familiar with during the sport’s winter seasons; biblical rain and utterly horrendous conditions.
But Wigan, just like Boston did in his own career, made light of those difficulties to register a 13th consecutive Super League victory, extending their own modern era record and returning to the top of the table. Leeds Rhinos will get the chance to return serve on Friday when they face St Helens, but it is obvious it will take some team to stop Wigan this year. It would be remiss not to mention the immense help the Warriors were handed here by Hull KR opting to effectively surrender this game before a ball had been kicked.
The defending champions have been dragged into a battle just to make the play-offs with three rounds remaining, and should the Saints beat Leeds on Friday, they will be level in sixth and seventh. But at the end of a run of four games in 14 days, Willie Peters took many of his key men out of the line of fire, throw in a number of youngsters and hand out a plethora of debuts. The end result was what many feared: a heavy loss for the Robins.
This night alone does not prove they are big outsiders to retain the title, but this is their third consecutive defeat. However, the best teams offer little sympathy to such situations. Wigan also had the added motivation of following on from a wonderful tribute for Boston pre-match, when there was barely a dry eye in the house.
It was difficult not to be moved by the Warriors’ many tributes, including leaving the usual seats of Boston and his late wife, Lady Joan, empty. Few clubs do nights like these like Wigan. And they made good on the promise to honour Boston on the field, leading 28-0 by half-time as they picked Hull KR’s fringe team apart.
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