Five things we learned from Wigan Warriors' victory against Hull KR at Craven Park
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Wigan Warriors started the new Super League season with an away victory against Hull KR.
Matty Peet started life as head coach on the winning side, as his side beat the Robins 24-10 at Craven Park.
Here are five talking points from the game:
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Hide Ad1. Jai Field and his pace will be a real asset to Wigan this season
During pre-season fans were given a preview of what they can expect from Jai Field this season.
The 24-year-old’s first year in England was hugely disrupted by injury, but he quickly showed what he was about in the game against Hull KR.
Of course, the standout moment will certainly be his try.
From a scrum, Cade Cust delivered a superb kick forward, setting Field on his way.
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Hide AdHis speed was unbelievable, as he raced away to cross the line.
The try was just one of the highlights from the entire night for him, as he put in an overall stylish display at fullback.
Matty Peet has already admitted it will be a nice selection headache to have when Bevan French is ready for selection again.
2. Creativity key in attack
Peet has said he wants his side to have a degree of freedom, and that was evident in some of the attacking plays.
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Hide AdField’s try came from a clever kick from Cust, with the former Manly man looking inventive throughout the night.
The other stand out try by Wigan was a quick break by Liam Marshall down the left wing.
These moments demonstrated that the side appear to have re-discovered that dangerous edge to their game, which was lacking at times last season.
Even without having too much field position near the Hull KR line, they kept their opponents on their toes.
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Hide AdHaving the ability to create tries out of nowhere will make them a real threat this season, and an exciting watch.
3. Discipline must be improved
While there were a lot of positives from the opening game, Wigan will still need to improve in certain areas.
They gave away some needless penalties on multiple occasions throughout Friday night, which they could’ve easily been punished for.
It was a similar situation against Warrington in their second pre-season game and is something they will need to be wary of.
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Hide AdHull KR were not at their best and didn’t make the most of the some of the situations they were given, but that doesn’t mean every team will be the same.
It could very be put down to early enthusiasm at the start of season and trying to make an instant impact under a new coach.
No doubt it will be something they will address and cut out of their game.
4. The defence looked solid overall
A positive from a negative is the Warriors defence still remained compact after conceding the penalties.
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Hide AdAt the beginning of the second half a lot of the pressure came from the home side.
It would’ve been very easy for Peet’s side to let one in during that period and invite their opponents back in the game.
Instead, they remained tight and committed, which was a huge part of their game overall.
5. Fans happy with what they have seen
Looking across social media, Wigan fans came away pleased with the performance at Craven Park.
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Hide AdGetting a strong backing behind this squad is going to be hugely important this year, and so far, all the right steps have been taken to ensure that.
Off field activities in the community were a major part of pre-season for the Warriors, helping to reconnect players and supports.
Probably the best thing to increase morale throughout a fanbase is producing a victory and putting in a good performance.
The attacking side of Wigan’s win in particular sent the supporters home happy.
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Hide AdMore than one moment during the match would’ve had them on the edge of their seat.
If this squad can continue to entertain then the backing will grow bigger and bigger throughout the campaign.
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