Wigan Warriors 42 Hull KR 12: Rovers left with regrets after falling flat on big stage

The Robins did so much right on their way to the Challenge Cup final and a Super League semi-final but this week has shown they still have much to learn.

The build-up to the DW Stadium clash was overshadowed by talk of assistant coach Danny McGuire leaving the club in a surprise exit.

McGuire – an eight-time Grand Final winner with Leeds Rhinos as a player – has been at Rovers since 2018 and only recently declared he was happy and settled in his role as Willie Peters' right-hand man.

The 40-year-old is contracted to the club until 2025 but finds himself on his way out of Craven Park after being told his services are no longer required.

Rovers refused to address the rumours in the week leading up to the semi-final, which only added fuel to the fire.

Rhys Kennedy has been discarded to allow the club to bring in Jai Whitbread from Wakefield Trinity, with Castleford-bound Rowan Milnes also told he is surplus to requirements.

The timing of those decisions will be questioned after the Robins fell flat in their biggest game of the Super League season.

Whether it proved to be a distraction or not, Peters' side were simply not at the races in a one-sided rout.

Rovers found themselves 18-0 down after 13 minutes and conceded four more tries in a 16-minute period at the start of the second half.

After being solid and hard to beat all year barring the odd exception, the Robins were all at sea defensively and made uncharacteristic errors with the ball.

The difference in experience between the clubs at this stage of the season is vast – and it showed.

While Rovers only reached their first semi-final in 2021, Wigan Warriors have a 12th Grand Final to look forward to after showing they learned from last year's loss to Leeds and their defeat to KR at the same stage of the Challenge Cup in July.

The Warriors' reward for a dominant display is an Old Trafford date with Catalans Dragons next Saturday.

Matt Peet's men earned a week off after securing the League Leaders' Shield in the final round and looked like a side refreshed in a blistering start.

Aside from two Brad Schneider kick-offs and a pat down by Ryan Hall, Rovers did not touch the ball as Wigan raced into a 12-0 lead inside seven minutes.

The Warriors looked in the mood from the off, Bevan French forcing Hall to come off his wing and get a hand on a threatening pass.

Wigan inched closer to the KR tryline in the next set and immediately turned territory into points thanks to a strong finish from Liam Marshall after Jai Field motored into space on the left edge.

With Rovers rocking and the Warriors in no mood to turn the ball over, there was a sense of inevitably about what happened next.

Harry Smith sent a reverse kick towards the KR posts and Field finished after being cleared of a knock-on.

In keeping with a sluggish start, Rovers switched off expecting the referee to intervene and were punished when replays showed the ball bounced off Field's shin.

The Robins eventually wrestled the ball from Wigan's grasp but were back behind their posts again after Marshall stepped inside to score his second following a slick move to the left.

It already had the feel of an insurmountable lead but KR awoke from their slumber to belatedly trade blows with their hosts.

After Tom Opacic failed to make the most of a good opportunity at the end of the previous set, Abbas Miski immediately gifted the ball back to Rovers and was made to pay for the unforced error.

Sam Luckley smuggled away an offload close to the line and Matt Parcell put Elliot Minchella over next to the posts.

Schneider reduced the deficit to 12 points but the error-strewn Robins struggled to build any kind of pressure.

Jack Walker denied French just short of the line as Wigan went in search of a killer fourth try before Mikey Lewis got involved in a scuffle in an attempt to get himself going.

Rovers got to the interval without incurring any further damage but it was a case of deja vu at the start of the second half.

The Warriors targeted Shaun Kenny-Dowall in the air in what proved to be the veteran's final game and it brought them two tries within eight minutes of the restart.

Marshall completed his hat-trick after the Robins failed to deal with a kick and were unpicked by a second from French.

Smith then sent a cross-field kick Kenny-Dowall's way and the ball bounced back to French who gave Toby King the chance to outfox Hall in the corner.

Field weaved his way over before laying one on for Miski after Schneider sent the restart out on the full for the second time in the game.

Jez Litten scored a late consolation following a burst by Jordan Abdull but it was a miserable end to a hugely promising season for the Robins.

Wigan Warriors: Field, Miski, King, Wardle, Marshall, French, Smith, Dupree, O'Neill, Ellis, Pearce-Paul, Farrell, Smithies. Substitutes: Powell, Isa, Mago, Hill.

Hull KR: Walker, Senior, Opacic, Kenny-Dowall, Hall, Lewis, Schneider, Hadley, Parcell, King, Batchelor, Linnett, Minchella. Substitutes: Abdull, Litten, Storton, Luckley.

Referee: Liam Moore.