2021 Wigan Warriors season
English rugby league season
- Thomas Leuluai
         Home colours |     Away colours |
| ← 2020 | List of seasons | 2022 → |
The 2021 season will be Wigan Warriors's 41st consecutive season playing in England's top division of rugby league. During the season, they will compete in the Super League XXVI and the 2021 Challenge Cup.
Preseason friendlies
On 4 March, Wigan announced a pre-season friendly against Salford Red Devils ahead of the delay start to the Super League.[1]
| Date and Time | Versus | H/A | Venue | Result | Score | Tries | Goals | Attendance | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 March, 16:00 |  Salford Red Devils | A | AJ Bell Stadium | L | 6–20 | Sam Powell | Zak Hardaker | Played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | [2] |
Super League
Regular season
The start of the 2021 Super League season, which ordinarily would have started in late January, was delayed to March due to the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] On 11 February it was confirmed that match week one would commence on Friday 26 March, with Wigan Warriors facing newly promoted local rivals Leigh Centurions in the second fixture of the round.[4] The full fixture list was announced on 26 February.[5]
Matches
Win Draw Loss Postponed
- All fixtures are subject to change
| Date and Time | MW | Versus | H/A | Venue | Result | Score | Tries | Goals | Attendance | TV | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 March, 20:15 | 1 |  Leigh Centurions | N | Emerald Headingley | W | 20–18 | Bibby (2), Hardaker, Bullock | Hardaker (2) | Played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | Sky Sports | [6] |
| 1 April, 18:00 | 2 |  Wakefield Trinity | N | Totally Wicked Stadium | W | 34–6 | Partington, Bibby (3), Hardaker, Bateman | Hardaker (5) | Sky Sports | [7] | |
| 15 April, 19:45 | 3 |  Leeds Rhinos | A | Emerald Headingley | W | 19–6 | Farrell (2), Hardaker, Hastings | Hardaker Drop-goals: Hardaker | Sky Sports | [8] | |
| 22 April, 18:00 | 4 |  Castleford Tigers | H | DW Stadium | W | 22–12 | Hardaker, French (2), Powell | Hardaker (3) | Our League | [9] | |
| 29 April, 19:45 | 5 |  Hull F.C. | H | DW Stadium | W | 16–14 | Hastings, Farrell, Bibby | Hardaker (2) | Sky Sports | [10] | |
| 17 May, 19:45 | 6 | Leigh Centurions | A | Leigh Sports Village | W | 30–16 | Smith, Manfredi, French, Farrell, Bibby (2) | Smith (3) | ~4,000[C] | Our League | [11] |
| 22 May, 13:00 | 7 |  Salford Red Devils | A | AJ Bell Stadium | W | 17–16 | Singleton (2), Farrell | Smith (2) Drop-goals: Hastings | ~4,000[C] | [12] | |
| 29 May, 17:00 | 8 |  Catalans Dragons | A | Stade Gilbert Brutus | L | 0–48 | 1,000[D] | Sky Sports | [13] | ||
| 11 June, 19:45 | 9 |  Huddersfield Giants | A | Kirklees Stadium | Postponed due to positive COVID-19 cases within the Huddersfield squad.[14] | ||||||
| 18 June, 19:45 | 10 |  Hull KR | H | DW Stadium | L | 8–18 | Gildart (2) | ~4,000[C] | [15] | ||
| 24 June, 19:45 | 11 | Wakefield Trinity | A | Mobile Rocket Stadium | L | 6–14 | Hanley | Smith | ~4,000[C] | [16] | |
| 30 June, 19:45 | 12 |  Warrington Wolves | H | DW Stadium | L | 14–40 | Powell, Isa, Gildart | Smith | ~4,000[C] | Sky Sports | [17] |
| 4 July, 19:30 | 13 |  St Helens | A | Totally Wicked Stadium | L | 6–24 | Farrell | Smith | ~4,000[C] | Sky Sports | [18] |
| 11 July, 15:00 | 14 | Huddersfield Giants | H | DW Stadium | W | 16–12 | Marshall, Clark, Smith | Smith (2) | ~4,000[C] | [19] | |
| 16 July, 19:45 | 9 | Huddersfield Giants | A | Kirklees Stadium | W | 14–12 | Clark, Farrell | Smith (3) | ~4,000[C] | [20] | |
| 23 July, 19:45 | 15 | Wakefield Trinity | H | DW Stadium | W | 25–12 | Bibby (3), Shorrocks, Marshall | Smith (2) Drop-goals: Hastings | 5,555 | [21] | |
| 28 July, 19:45 | 16 | Warrington Wolves | A | Halliwell Jones Stadium | L | 8–21 | Marshall (2) | 8,014 | Sky Sports | [22] | |
| 1 August, 15:00 | 17 | Leigh Centurions | H | DW Stadium | W | 50–6 | Leuluai, Hanley (3), Farrell (2), Halsall, Shorrocks, Hastings | Smith (7) | 9,206 | [23] | |
| 6 August, 19:45 | 18 | Salford Red Devils | H | DW Stadium | W | 16–6 | Halsall, Powell | Smith (4) | 9,431 | [24] | |
| 13 August, 19:45 | 19 | Hull KR | A | Hull College Craven Park | L | 14–26 | Marshall, Bibby (2) | Smith | 6,230 | Sky Sports | [25] |
| 20 August, 19:45 | 20 | St Helens | H | DW Stadium | L | 2–26 | Smith | 16,390 | Sky Sports | [26] | |
| 25 August, 19:45 | 21 | Leeds Rhinos | H | DW Stadium | L | 0–14 | 11,390 | Sky Sports | [27] | ||
| 30 August, 17:00 | 22 | Castleford Tigers | A | Mend-A-Hose Jungle | W | 22–0 | Hastings, Marshall, Gildart, Singleton | Smith (3) | Sky Sports | [28] | |
| 5 September, 15:15 | 23 | Warrington Wolves | N | St James' Park | L | 6–10 | Havard | Smith | 25,762 | Sky Sports | [29] |
| 10 September, 15:00 | 24 | Hull F.C. | A | KCOM Stadium | W | 10–0 | Bibby, Hardaker | Hardaker | [30] | ||
| 17 September, 19:45 | 25 | Catalans Dragons | H | DW Stadium | W | 12–8 | Isa, McDonnell | Hardaker (2) | 12,852 | [31] | |
League table
| Pos | Team
| Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PP | Pts | PCT | Qualification[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalans Dragons (L) | 23 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 688 | 398 | 172.9 | 38 | 82.61 | Semi-final |
| 2 | St. Helens (C) | 21 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 548 | 229 | 239.3 | 32 | 76.19 | |
| 3 | Warrington Wolves | 21 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 588 | 354 | 166.1 | 31 | 73.81 | Elimination Semi-finals |
| 4 |  Wigan Warriors | 25 | 15 | 0 | 10 | 387 | 385 | 100.5 | 30 | 60.00 | |
| 5 | Leeds Rhinos | 24 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 556 | 440 | 126.4 | 26 | 54.17 | |
| 6 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 20 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 497 | 458 | 108.5 | 20 | 50.00 | |
| 7 | Castleford Tigers | 23 | 11 | 0 | 12 | 437 | 552 | 79.2 | 22 | 47.83 | |
| 8 | Hull FC | 21 | 8 | 1 | 12 | 409 | 476 | 85.9 | 17 | 40.48 | |
| 9 | Huddersfield Giants | 24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 460 | 516 | 89.1 | 18 | 37.50 | |
| 10 | Wakefield Trinity | 24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 482 | 548 | 88.0 | 18 | 37.50 | |
| 11 | Salford Red Devils | 22 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 402 | 584 | 68.8 | 14 | 31.82 | |
| 12 | Leigh Centurions (R) | 22 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 356 | 870 | 40.9 | 4 | 9.09 | Relegated to the Championship |
Source: [1]
Rules for classification: 1) win percentage; 2) points scored percentage (points scored divided by points conceded).
(C) Champions; (L) League Leaders' Shield Winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) win percentage; 2) points scored percentage (points scored divided by points conceded).
(C) Champions; (L) League Leaders' Shield Winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Teams must have played at least 70% of scheduled fixtures to qualify for the play-offs.
Play-offs
| Date and Time | Round | Versus | H/A | Venue | Result | Score | Tries | Goals | Attendance | TV | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 September, 19:45 | Elimination Play-off | Leeds Rhinos | H | DW Stadium | L | 0–8 | 7,396 | Sky Sports | [32] |
Challenge Cup
| Date and Time | Round | Versus | H/A/N | Venue | Result | Score | Tries | Goals | Attendance | TV | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 April, 19:45 | Round 3[E] |  York City Knights | A | York Community Stadium | W | 26–0 | Hardaker, Smith, Halsall, Hanley, Clubb | Hardaker (3) | Played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | The Sportsman | [33] |
| 8 May, 14:30 | Quarter Finals | Hull F.C. | N | Emerald Headingley | L | 10–20 | Bibby, Manfredi | Smith | BBC Two | [34] |
Transfers
Gains
| Player | Club | Contract | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
 John Bateman |  Canberra Raiders | 4 Years | July 2020[35] |
 Jai Field |  Parramatta Eels | 2 Years | November 2020[36] |
Losses
| Player | Club | Contract | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sean O'Loughlin | Retired | November 2020[37] | |
| Craig Mullen |  Leigh Centurions | 1 Year | November 2020[38] |
 Ben Flower | December 2020[39] | ||
| Joe Burgess | Salford Red Devils | 3 years | December 2020[40] |
| Jack Wells | December 2020[41] | ||
| Jake Shorrocks |  Newcastle Thunder | December 2020[42] | |
| Nathan Wilde | December 2020[43] | ||
| Max Roberts |  Oldham Roughyeds | December 2020[44] | |
| James Barran | |||
| Joe Greenwood |  Huddersfield Giants | 2 years | December 2020[45] |
| Chris Hankinson |  London Broncos | 1 Year Loan | December 2020[46] |
| George Burgess | Released | February 2021[47] | |
Squad
| First team squad | Coaching staff | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
| Head coach Assistant coaches
Updated: 7 December 2020 | ||||||
Notes
- ^ Home attendances only
- ^ Home attendances only; does not include limited capacity or behind closed doors games due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- ^ a b c d e f g h Limited to one quarter capacity or 4,000 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- ^ Capacity capped at 1,000 due to differences in COVID-19 regulation in France
- ^ Equivalent of the tournament's usual Round 6. The structure of the competition was temporarily altered for 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
References
- ^ "Wigan Warriors confirm pre-season friendly". www.wigantoday.net. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
- ^ "A great run out for the lads today, but it's the home side who take the win". www.instagram.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
- ^ "Super League season faces delayed start". 11 January 2021.
- ^ "Super League 2021: Round 1 fixtures confirmed, all six matches live on Sky Sports".
- ^ "2021 fixtures announced - Wigan Warriors". 26 February 2021.
- ^ "Leigh 18-20 Wigan: Warriors rally to deny Centurions a dream Super League return". Sky Sports.
- ^ "Wigan 34-6 Wakefield: Warriors power pass Trinity in Super League". Sky Sports.
- ^ "Leeds 6-19 Wigan: Liam Farrell double helps Warriors spoil Kyle Eastmond's rugby league return".
- ^ "Wigan 22-12 Castleford: Bevan French double helps Warriors to victory".
- ^ "Super League: Wigan Warriors maintain unbeaten record with 16-14 win over Hull FC".
- ^ "Super League: Bevan French inspires Wigan Warriors' 30-16 comeback win over Leigh Centurions".
- ^ "Super League: Jackson Hastings' drop goal seals 17-16 win for Wigan Warriors over Salford Red Devils".
- ^ "Catalans Dragons 48-0 Wigan Warriors: Dragons destroy previously unbeaten Super League visitors".
- ^ "Huddersfield vs Wigan Warriors postponed after seven Giants players test positive for Covid-19". Sky Sports.
- ^ "Wigan Warriors 8-18 Hull KR: Rovers shock Warriors to claim Super League victory".
- ^ "Wakefield 14-6 Wigan: Weakened Warriors fall to third successive loss". Sky Sports.
- ^ "Wigan 14-40 Warrington: Jake Mamo stars as Wolves see off Warriors".
- ^ "Super League: Lachlan Coote helps St Helens seal 24-6 derby win over Wigan Warriors". Sky Sports.
- ^ "Wigan Warriors 16-12 Huddersfield Giants: Hosts rally from 12-0 behind to claim Super League win". Sky Sports.
- ^ "Huddersfield 12-14 Wigan: Warriors claim second win in six days over Giants in fiery clash". Sky Sports.
- ^ "Super League: Jackson Hastings masterclass sets up Wigan Warriors for 25-12 win over Wakefield Trinity". Sky Sports.
- ^ "Super League: Warrington Wolves return to action with 21-8 derby win over Wigan Warriors".
- ^ "Wigan Warriors 50-6 Leigh Centurions: Hosts claim Super League win after double red card".
- ^ "Wigan 16-6 Salford: Warriors make it four wins out of five in Super League".
- ^ "Super League: Hull Kingston Rovers' rise continues with win over Wigan Warriors".
- ^ "Wigan 2-26 St Helens: Saints claim a fiery derby win against Warriors". Sky Sports.
- ^ "Super League: Leeds Rhinos boost play-off hopes with 14-0 win away to Wigan Warriors".
- ^ "Super League: Wigan Warriors back to winning ways with 22-0 victory over Castleford Tigers".
- ^ "Wigan 6-10 Warrington: Wolves edge Warriors at Magic Weekend".
- ^ "Hull 0-10 Wigan: Warriors seal fourth spot in Super League with win over Hull FC".
- ^ "Wigan Warriors 12-8 Catalans Dragons: Wigan gain confidence boost ahead of Super League play-offs". Sky Sports.
- ^ "Super League play-offs 2021: Leeds Rhinos edge out Wigan Warriors 8-0 to book semis spot".
- ^ "Wigan shut out York in Challenge Cup win". BBC Sport.
- ^ "Hull beat Wigan to reach semi-finals". BBC Sport.
- ^ "Bateman rejoins Wigan". BBC Sport.
- ^ "Jai Field joins Wigan". 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Sean O'Loughlin: Wigan Warriors legend to retire after 10 trophies in 19 years". BBC Sport. 13 November 2020.
- ^ Darbyshire, Drew (18 November 2020). "Leigh land promising utility Craig Mullen on permanent deal from Wigan". Love Rugby League.
- ^ "Ben Flower joins Leigh Centurions". www.rugby-league.com.
- ^ Darbyshire, Drew (4 December 2020). "Salford confirm capture of Joe Burgess". Love Rugby League.
- ^ Darbyshire, Drew (16 December 2020). "Salford announce signing of Jack Wells". Love Rugby League.
- ^ "Newcastle bring in Jake Shorrocks from Wigan". Love Rugby League. 22 December 2020.
- ^ Darbyshire, Drew (26 November 2020). "Newcastle sign Wigan youngster as Thunder retain homegrown duo". Love Rugby League.
- ^ "A Second Young Warrior Joins Roughyeds". roughyeds.co.uk. 20 October 2020.
- ^ Darbyshire, Drew (10 December 2020). "Huddersfield sign forward Joe Greenwood from Wigan". Love Rugby League.
- ^ "Chris Hankinson heads to London on loan". www.rugby-league.com.
- ^ "Burgess leaves Warriors". www.superleague.co.uk.
