Super League XIII – Play-off eliminator

Wigan showed no signs of weakness from their move away from the JJB Stadium on Friday night, as they dumped Bradford out of the play-offs with a hard-fought 30-14 win at Widnes' Stobart Stadium.

Wigan Athletic owner Dave Whelan earlier in the week prohibited the Warriors from using the JJB Stadium ahead of Athletic's Premier League fixture on Saturday, but the oval ball outfit proved they didn't need home comforts with this tense victory, as they progressed to the next round of the play-offs.

It was Bradford who opened the scoring with five minutes gone through a Paul Deacon penalty. Ashley Klein spotted an infringement at a Bradford play-the-ball, and captain Deacon quickly obliged with the kick.

The Odsal side thought they had stretched their advantage ten minutes later, when Chris Nero pounced on a loose Semi Tadulala knock-back. A neat Ben Jeffries chip was seemingly dropped backwards by Tadulala, but the video referee controversially judged the winger's touch a knock-on, leaving the score at 2-0.

The visitors did eventually manage to extend their lead midway through the half. Patient build-up play resulted in former Wigan star Terry Newton feeding powerful forward Andy Lynch, who fended off his tackler to touch down just aside of the sticks, giving Paul Deacon an easy conversion to make it 8-0.

The transported Wigan crowd finally got a score to cheer about ten minutes before the interval, when stand-off Thomas Leuluai somehow crashed through three Bradford tacklers to touch down on the whitewash. Super League's top points scorer Pat Richards added the simple conversion to take the score to 8-6.

With two minutes of the half to play, Wigan hit the front for the first time in the game through Harrison Hansen. Trent Barrett, leaving Wigan for Cronulla at the end of the season, was heroically held up by brave Bradford defence, but a costly knock-on just seconds later gave possession straight back to Wigan, and neat passing gave Hansen acres of space to dive over under the posts. Richards added the two to give the "home side" a 12-8 half-time lead.

Five minutes into the second half, Hull FC-bound wingman Mark Calderwood grabbed a crucial try for Brian Noble's side. A lightning breakaway by Leuluai bought Wigan priceless ground, and after slick lateral passing, a neat Barrett grubber kick was pounced on by Calderwood in the corner, who very nearly bombed the chance by slipping out of touch in an attempt to improve the kicking angle. Richards converted anyway to open up a ten-point lead.

The visiting Bradford crowd were then left fuming for the second time in the match, when referee Klein ruled out another try for an alleged knock-on in the build-up. They were soon within reach again, though, when Simon Finnigan finished a period of eternal Bradford possession under the sticks. Deacon added the simple conversion to bring the score to 18-14.

The game then took on a tense edge, with neither side giving an inch or really chancing their arm in attack. Richards uncharacteristically spurned the chance to give Wigan a six-point cushion, after Bradford were penalised for offside.

Within minutes, though, youngster Joel Tomkins had crossed for Wigan. Another inch-perfect grubber by the departing Barrett was picked up well by Calderwood, who intelligently slipped the ball inside for Tomkins. Richards this time sinked the kick to give his side a 24-14 lead.

The game then hit a standstill when recently-signed Australian Cameron Phelps was knocked unconscious after a nasty tackle on Tadulala. Centre Phelps bounced off the tackle awkwardly, and was stretchered off the pitch before later rejoining the Wigan bench. While receiving treatment on the pitch, Wigan fans were heard protesting against former Chairman Whelan.

Fittingly, it was Phelps' immediate replacement Gareth Hock who earned the killer try ten minutes from time. A rapid restart caught the visitors by surprise, and a clever offload by Richard Mathers was caught by forward Hock, who somehow wriggled free of David Solomona to score just right of the posts. Richards grabbed his tenth point of the game with the conversion to make it 30-14.

Brian Noble's men now wait eagerly for the result of tomorrow's clash in the south of France between Les Catalans and Warrington, as they prepare for the next round of play-offs on Saturday.

Wigan - 30

T: Leuluai (29); Hansen (38); Calderwood (44); Tomkins (64); Hock (69)
G: Richards (30, 39, 45, 65, 70)

Bradford - 14

T: Lynch (20); Finnigan (51)
G: Deacon (4, 21, 52)

HT: 12-8

Ref: A Klein

Att: 6,806