The 2010 Wigan Warriors season is the club's fifteenth season in the Super League, since its launch in 1996. Wigan Warriors entered the season following their sixth-placed league finish and subsequent play-off knock-out in the 2009 Super League season, as well as their semi-final knock-out in the 2009 Challenge Cup. The 2010 season is the eleventh year in which rugby league has been played at the town's DW Stadium.
Michael Maguire started in his position as the new head coach of the club during this season, following Brian Noble's departure. It is also the first season for Paul Deacon, who signed for the club in November 2009. It was the first season in which the captaincy of the team was allocated through a newly formed leadership team of five players (later expanded to six players).
The season covers the period between 1 November 2009 and 31 October 2010. following three pre-season friendlies, the season started officially with the 38–6 victory over Crusaders RL at the DW Stadium in the Super League XV round 1 fixture on Friday 5 February 2010.
Background
Wigan Warriors' 2009 Challenge Cup campaign ended at the penultimate stage after they lost to Warrington Wolves in the semi-final at Widnes' Stobart Stadium Halton. The club finished sixth in the Super League XIV table, meaning they qualified for the season's play-offs, but in failing to defeat St Helens R.F.C. in their final play-off match, the club's 2009 season ended. Immediately after the match, head coach Brian Noble confirmed that he would be leaving the club via mutual consent with the chairman, Ian Lenagan, at the end of the season for the same post at Crusaders after John Dixon's contract was not extended. The club also confirmed this shortly afterwards, and in a press conference a week later, the incumbent head coach Michael Maguire was unveiled. Although a former assistant coach at Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition, the post at Wigan was Maguire's first experience as head coach.
As with all Super League licensees, the club continued to operate under the league's salary cap which remained unchanged from 2009's GBP£1.65 million limit. As an ever-present club in the Super League format, this season was Wigan Warriors' fifteenth year in the competition, and its second year under the licensing system after the club received a 'B' graded licence. It was the eleventh year of rugby league at the DW Stadium, which the club shares with Wigan Athletic F.C., since its opening in 1999.
Pre-season
The international rugby league season took place between the 2009 and 2010 seasons, with the Four Nations being held in England and France, as well as a warm-up test match against Wales at Bridgend's Brewery Field. Two Wigan Warriors players—captain Sean O'Loughlin and debutant Sam Tomkins—were initially called up for the England squad. Sam Tomkins scored three times and assisted in a further two tries as England defeated Wales. O'Loughlin was forced to withdraw because of a fractured bone in his thumb. Sam Tomkins did not play during England's Four Nations opener against France the week after, but received a starting place against Australia and New Zealand. Thomas Leuluai played hooker for New Zealand, but his Four Nations ended when defeat by England in the final weekend of round robin fixtures meant that England qualified for the final instead of his New Zealand team. Sam Tomkins featured in the final, where England capitulated in the final twenty minutes to finish the tournaments as runners-up. In addition to the Four Nations, the 2009 European Cup also took place across Europe, with Pat Richards playing for an Ireland team which failed to make the event's final. Harrison Hansen continued his Samoa career by playing in the 2009 Pacific Cup qualifying stage. The eventual winners, Papua New Guinea, were coached by Adrian Lam, a former Wigan player.
Wigan had already lost one player before the end of the 2009 season, when Mark Flanagan signed for NRL side Wests Tigers. In late October, George Carmont extended his contract by a year with an additional clause for a possible second year. Two days after the Four Nations final, the club started their transfers with the signing of Wigan-born Paul Deacon, who had spent the last twelve years at Bradford Bulls and led them as captain. Deacon signed as a player for the 2010 season, but also joined as an assistant coach to mentor Sam Tomkins, with the intention of becoming a full-time coach in 2011. A rumour linking James Graham to Wigan amongst other clubs ended after Graham stated he expected to remain at local rivals, St Helens R.F.C. for the coming season. Phil Bailey extended his contract at the club by another year, ending at the close of the 2010 season. Aside from academy products, Deacon was the only player acquired by the club during the off-season, and squad numbers were given on 8 December 2009.
Elsewhere, former Great Britain and Wigan player Kris Radlinski was promoted from his role in Wigan Warriors Youth Development to the new post of rugby general manager at the club, in an assistance role to Maguire. The deadline given to Leganan from the Rugby Football League (RFL) by which he was forced to sell a certain amount of his shares in fellow Super League club, Harlequins RL, was extended owing to the harsh economic climate during the later third of the Noughties. In early February, Wigan announced that Thomas Leuluai, Andy Coley, George Carmont and Phil Bailey would join former captain Sean O'Loughlin in the newly formed leadership team.
On 18 November, the RFL published a full list of fixtures for the 2010 season, and the club learned that its opening Super League fixture would be against Brian Noble's new club, Crusaders RL. The draw for the Magic Weekend fixtures was also made later in the same day, with Huddersfield Giants becoming the resulting opponents. Catalans Dragons requested that their home game against Wigan Warriors be moved to Montpellier as part of their attempts to spread rugby league in the south of France, but Wigan declined this, claiming it was unfair on fans who had already spent money in anticipation of the game being held at Catalans' usual home ground in Perpignan.
Michael Maguire's first match as head coach was abandoned before kick-off. The pre-season friendly was due to be played on 27 December at St Helens RLFC's Knowsley Road, but icy weather over the Christmas period forced safety concerns. Belle Vue therefore became the venue of Maguire's first match as head coach, which itself ended in a come-from-behind 38–40 victory for Wigan against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. A youthful Wigan team containing only Shaun Ainscough and Chris Tuson with any top-flight experience was beaten by Leigh Centurions, a match in which assistant coach Shaun Wane took charge in place of Maguire. Deacon featured for his debut in Wigan's final pre-season friendly—a 12–20 victory for Wigan against Warrington Wolves in Paul Wood's testimonial match.
Legend
Win
Draw
Loss
Opponent Score H/A Date St Helens R.F.C. A–A Away 27 December 2009 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 38–40 Away 17 January 2010 Leigh Centurions 16–14 Away 24 January 2010 Warrington Wolves 12–20 Away 27 January 2010
Season review
As with all Super League XV clubs, the regular season consists of 27 rounds of fixtures against the other thirteen clubs, once home and once away, as well as their Magic Weekend fixture. For Wigan Warriors, this was against Huddersfield Giants. Finishing the regular season in the top eight places means entering the play-offs for those teams concerned, potentially an additional four matches, including the Grand Final itself. The club will also compete in the 2010 Challenge Cup, entering in the fourth round.
February An Amos Roberts brace gave Wigan their first win of the season in the opening round against Crusaders RL, who were led by the Warriors' former head coach Brian Noble. Roberts ran in another two tries as Wigan comfortably won their second match of the season against Hull Kingston Rovers, although Cameron Phelps sustained an ankle injury and was ruled out for up to four weeks. A regathered kick chipped into space by Sam Tomkins set up a move which culminated in his brother Joel Tomkins scoring the match-winning try, to register Wigan's first win against Warrington Wolves at the Halliwell Jones Stadium since it opened in 2004. Adverse weather conditions across the United Kingdom meant Wigan could not travel to Neath to play their friendly match against South Wales Scorpions. Pat Richards scored five tries and nine goals to break the club's record for most points by a player in a single match, breaking Andy Farrell's previous record of thirty-two points, as Wigan whitewashed Catalans Dragons 58–0 to maintain their perfect start to the season.
At the start of February, two Wigan players—Shaun Ainscough and Liam Farrell—were loaned out to Widnes Vikings on a dual-registration arrangement. Ben Davies also moved to Widnes on a three-month loan. On 15 February, the club's president Peter Higginbottom died aged 66. Following criticism about the condition of the DW Stadium's pitch from Wigan Athletic's manager Roberto Martínez, the football club announced it would dig up and relay the surface after the rugby league match against Catalans Dragons, despite the Warriors' head coach Maguire stating he thought the pitch was "pretty good" and looked "alright" to him. Ainscough moved from his dual-registration with Widnes to a month-long loan with Castleford Tigers.
March
In the first match of March, a Matt Orford brace helped to overturn a 0–20 deficit for the Bradford Bulls, meaning Wigan suffered their first loss of the season and the last perfect record of Super League XV fell. Darrell Goulding and Sam Tomkins scored two tries each as Hull F.C. struggled to cope with Wigan's front-row and consequently the Warriors moved two points clear at the top of the league table. Castleford were beaten at The Jungle, as Roberts' good form continued with his first hat-trick for Wigan in two seasons, joining Richards as the league's leading try scorer with ten in seven games. An injury-stricken Leeds Rhinos side were then beaten by Wigan, with Goulding scoring two tries against the defending Super League champions. Having already missed the games against Castleford and Leeds, Harrison Hansen was confirmed as having been injured with a torn shoulder muscle, and was ruled out for up to three months.
Following their loss to Wigan, Castleford signed a month-long loan with Chris Tuson, who made his second first-grade appearance for the Warriors against them. Ainscough's loan at Castleford was extended to last the rest of the season. Joel Tomkins was given a formal caution for using knees in a tackle on Danny Buderus. Lee Mossop quashed rumours that he may leave Wigan for a career in the NRL by signing a five-year contract extension, due to expire at the end of the 2014 season.
April
St Helens R.F.C. fought back in an attempt to overturn a 0–14 deficit at half-time, but Wigan held on with two second-half penalties from Richards to win the final Good Friday derby at the Saints' Knowsley Road. Wigan followed this up on Easter Monday with a 54–14 win over Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, although Roberts sustained a cruciate knee ligament injury and was expected to be out for approximately eight weeks. Richards scored two tries as Wigan comfortably completed a sixth successive win over Salford City Reds. In Wigan's first Challenge Cup fixture of the season, a Richie Barnett hat-trick for the Sheffield Eagles threatened to repeat the Warriors' infamous defeat by them in the 1998 Challenge Cup final, but Sam Tomkins scored a hat-trick of his own to ease Wigan into the fifth round. The seven-match winning streak came to an end, as Harlequins RL rallied from 24–6 down to beat Wigan 26–38.