Hull KR 10 Wigan Warriors 24: Rovers humbled by stylish Wigan

Rather it was Wigan Warriors, ironically one of the most dour sides last term, who turned on the style with some thrilling tries to get Matt Peet’s reign as head coach under way in emphatic fashion.

Things got so bad for Wigan under his predecessor Adrian Lam that, even though they finished fourth, they were kept tryless on four occasions in 2021 and regularly chastised for their lack of attacking intent.

However, with centre Jake Bibby (2), winger Liam Marshall (2) and impressive full-back Jai Field all scoring tries and Australian stand-off Cade Cust pulling the strings on an excellent Super League debut after his move from Manly Sea Eagles, they looked a different beast.

Rovers - who handed out four debuts of their own - were 18-4 behind at the break which seemed harsh but also fortunate at the same time.

It was harsh in the sense they had initially produced plenty of solid football, pressed hard and more than held their own only to gift Wigan two soft tries and be undone by one impressive length-of-the-field effort.

It was fortunate, though, in that Field only managed to convert one of the visitors’ four tries so Peet’s side could easily have been much further in front.

In fairness, Field did not do much else wrong; all eyes were on Rovers’ new No1 Lachlan Coote but it was Wigan’s full-back who stole the show.

And no one can say he did not deserve this sort of edifying display given the luckless Australian missed six months of action after suffering a hamstring injury on his Wigan debut this time last year.

When Field returned in August the former Parramatta Eels ace got injured once more and made just three appearances in total; no wonder he lapped up last night.

In contrast, Sam Wood had a debut to forget for the Robins who attracted a crowd of 9,044.

With Ben Crooks injured, the utility player signed from Huddersfield Giants earned his chance to start on the right wing but endured a miserable evening.

Wood spilled Cust’s high kick backwards in the ninth minute to give Bibby an easy finish and he must have felt deja vu when he suffered the same fate at the end of the first period, stumbling backwards to serve up the Wigan centre’s second.

Experienced team-mates such as Brad Takairangi - who had his own problems given he twice passed into touch - came over to console the 24-year-old but it would have done little to assuage his obvious embarrassment.

In between, Mikey Lewis had replied with a stunning solo try of his own, the young half-back darting through from 20m out in the 17th minute, but they did not score again until Matt Parcell’s consolation late on.

Early on, Wigan’s ill-discipline was so poor that referee James Child had to speak to their captain Tommy Leuluai after just 20 minutes.

But the visitors, who lost ex-Rovers winger Iain Thornley to an ankle injury after just nine minutes, soon got their act together.

Cust showed great invention by kicking downfield directly from a scrum in his own half for the ball to sit up perfectly for a racing Field to cross.

Next, Field did brilliantly to claim Jordan Abdull’s kick near his own goalline and then swiftly turn defence into attack by flicking a pass out for Bibby to race clear and send Marshall on his way for his first.

In the next set, Cust’s hoisted kick drew Wood’s latest error and Bibby was in again, Coote compounding the errors by failing to see his short re-start go ten metres.

Tony Smith’s side did improve at the starter ofd the second period but Wigan showed their defensive steel to repel them and the Robins, strangely, rarely clicked.

Another Field break relieved the pressure and, when he was illegally dragged into touch, Wigan applied the pressure for Marshall to score his second.

Zak Hardaker, who started on the bench, took over kicking duties and duly slotted from the touchline for a 24-4 lead before Parcell crossed.

Albert Vete impressed for KR but he was put on report for a dangerous tackle in the first half.

Hull KR: Coote; Wood, Takairangi, Kenny-Dowall, Hall; Lewis, Abdull; Vete, Litten, King, Linnett, Storton, Sims. Substitutes: Parcell, Keinhorst, Richards, Halton.

Wigan Warriors: Field; Thornley, Pearce-Paul, Bibby, Marshall; Cust, Leuluai; Singleton, Powell, Ellis, Farrell, Bateman, Isa. Substitutes: Hardaker, Mago, Smithies, Byrne.

Referee: James Child (Dewsbury)