We’ve just got to keep winning

WIGAN coach Shaun Wane praised the composure of 20-year-old stand-off Josh Woods after his drop goal 22 seconds from the end of a pulsating derby earned his side a dramatic 13-12 victory over Warrington.

The Wolves trailed for most of the game but thought they had secured at least a point when former Wigan favourite Josh Charnley went over for a try four minutes from the end to tie the scores.

But full-back Stefan Ratchford was narrowly wide with the touchline conversion and scrum-half Tyrone Roberts was off target with a drop-goal attempt before Wood kept a cool head to land the decisive score.

“He’s a cool player,” Wane said. “He’s relaxed and laid back, which frustrates me, but he does some good things. He’s playing while George is out and I told him to make me make a decision when George is fit and he is doing. I like what he’s doing.”

Although they were out-scored by three tries to two, Wigan were deserved winners after bossing the game for long periods.

“I’m a big Warrington fan they’re a champion club - but I thought we deserved it at the end,” Wane said.

“We’ll stay in England and prepare for the Warrington game on Thursday.

“If we keep playing well and don’t fall in love with ourselves - there is no danger of that whatsoever - we’ll be OK. We know that, regardless of what happens elsewhere.”

Catalans’ display delighted their manager.

“I thought it was one of our better recent performances because Wakefield is a really tough place to come,” McNamara said.

“They have been very good at home and this was a very hot day, but I thought we handled it really well.

“After we conceded initially, we gained complete control right up until the half-time hooter when they scored, which was a mini-disaster for us.

“We recovered from that, and the sin-binning of Lewis Tierney early in the second half, and managed to win comfortably in the end.

“We were pretty clinical in the first half and took our chances pretty well, which you have to do against good sides like Wakefield.”

McNamara will check on prop Remi Casty ahead of the Warrington

“We were busted before the game started, we had players who shouldn’t have played and we lost Faz and Clubby for long periods but they dug in.

“We’ve got some big players out and to scrag that win in the end, I’m really pleased.”

Wigan led 12-4 at the break thanks to tries from winger Tom Davies and substitute Liam Paisley but ought to trip after he was forced off with a knee problem.

Opposite number Chris Chester was left frustrated by his side’s performance and felt the scoreline flattered Wakefield.

Chester, who saw prop Anthony England forced off with a bicep injury, said: “It’s extremely disappointing.

“I don’t know what was worse, the have been further ahead after dominating the first half.

Centre Toby King scored the Wolves’ first-half try and winger Tom Lineham went over on the hour to bring them back into the contest, but their defeat leaves them four points behind their second-placed opponents, who now face the Giants at the John Smith’s Stadium on Thursday night. attack or the defence. We were terrible in both aspects of the game.

“We need to collectively and individually put things right. We started well but we just couldn’t control or contain their big lads, their middles.

“They just ran harder and tackled harder than us so I’m frustrated and a little bit embarrassed because that performance shouldn’t have happened.”