Shark-like Barba can’t scare Wigan
BEN BARBA scored on his St Helens debut but Wigan had the last laugh by destroying their bitter rivals with a crucial victory in the battle for a top-four spot.
Aussie full-back Barba agreed to join Saints three months ago but had been a frustrated spectator since May as he saw out a 12-match drugs ban.
Barba was sacked by Cronulla Sharks after testing positive for cocaine four days after scoring in last season’s Grand Final win over Melbourne.
Wigan, beaten by Hull in last weekend’s Challenge Cup final, stormed into an early lead with two tries inside the opening five minutes.
Homegrown centre Oliver Gildart scored them both, first finishing off fine work from Sam Tomkins and Joe Burgess before seizing on a mistake by Ryan Morgan to race clear.
George Williams converted both tries and added a penalty to make it 14-0 before Saints steadied themselves.
Zeb Taia had a try disallowed before Barba underlined his predatory instinct when he dived over inside the left channel in the 21st minute.
Tempers flared when Willie Isa floored Saints forward Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook in a three-man tackle.
Anthony Gelling scored a third Wigan try early in the second half when he dived over from Tomkins’ pass before Burgess sent Williams racing clear for a fourth for the visitors.
Taia got one back and Tommy Makinson got another as suddenly we had a game again.
But it was too little, too late and Wigan steadied the ship.
Jacob Miller and Tyler Randell both got two tries as Wakefield beat Salford 43-18, while Castleford scored four tries in their 24-16 triumph over Huddersfield. LONDON IRISH are revved up to prove the doom merchants wrong on their return to the Premiership at Twickenham today.
Even Bristol, with all their cash, could not stay afloat after going up last season and the promoted Exiles take on Harlequins in part two of a London double-header as favourites to go straight back down.
Irish are realists in as much as they know the scale of the challenge ahead – but they are also dreamers, and they have their sights set on more than just survival.
“We’re not thinking that we just want to finish 11th. Our ambitions are way beyond that,” said Topsy Ojo, the club’s former England wing.
“Obviously if you gave us that now we would take it, but if that is our sole focus we are selling ourselves short. We want to pick up as many wins as possible and see where we are at the end of the season.
“The Premiership will definitely be more intense and faster than last time we were in it. The quality across the board is getting better and better. We know that but it’s an exciting challenge and one we’re looking forward to.
“We want to be a competitive team and one that’s difficult to play against and tough to beat.
“We know there will be eyes on us as the team coming up but we’ll embrace that and look forward to getting stuck in.
“The first block of games are big in terms of confidence about the way we are going and to confirm we are on the right path so that any tweaks we need to make are minor, not major.
“Starting with Harlequins in a local derby – there’s almost no better way.”
When Ojo made his Exiles debut in 2005, there was still an Irish thread running through the side with the likes of Bob Casey and Barry Everitt on board.
It may still say Irish on the tin but the Exiles are a global bunch these days.
None of today’s starting line-up was born in the Emerald Isle.
“We do still have some Irishness in this squad but it’s hard in this professional age to maintain it,” said Ojo, the leading tryscorer in the club’s history.
“It’s more a case of the Irishness being present in the spirit of the squad and in the spectators. They are our connection. The good thing about being back in