Warriors continue their winning start on other side of the world

WIGAN’S gamble in taking a Super League match outside Europe for the first time paid off as they made it two wins out of two at the start of the new season.

The Warriors, who forfeited home advantage to take the match to WIN Stadium in Wollongong, overcame an injury-hit Hull 24-10 thanks largely to two early tries from winger Liam Marshall.

The match contained a plethora of handling errors in the muggy conditions but also plenty of thrills and drama as the 2017 Challenge Cup finalists beat the drum for Super League in one of Australia’s rugby league heartlands in front of an encouraging crowd of 12,416.

Hull were happy to play their part in the pioneering venture but little went right for them from the start as they lost new signing Bureta Faraimo with a head injury after only two minutes, while skipper Danny Houghton and back rower Mark Minichiello went off in the second quarter.

Utility back Jake Connor moved onto the right wing in place of Faraimo but he was nowhere to be seen when Marshall sped down the flank for his first try after second rower Liam Farrell had split the Hull defence.

And Connor was well off the pace when Marshall raced clear for his second after centre Oliver Gildart had this time come up with the break.

Sam Tomkins added one conversion and struck an upright with another as the Warriors led 10-0 but winger Fetuli Talanao, who scored a hat-trick in Hull’s opening win over Huddersfield Giants, produced an acrobatic finish on 23 minutes to pull a try back.