Wigan Warriors ultimately ran out comfortable winners against Toronto Wolfpack, but the Super League new boys dug in with limited numbers.

Depleted Toronto Wolfpack impress before Wigan claim victory


Toronto Wolfpack's wait for a first Super League win goes on, but their heavily depleted side matched Wigan for almost an hour before the Warriors surged clear to claim a 32-10 victory.

Already desperately short of players, having so far failed to gain dispensation to add to their thin squad, the Wolfpack had to cope without marquee signing Sonny Bill Williams on Thursday, the New Zealander having returned home for the birth of his fourth child.

To make matters worse for Toronto, Jon Wilkin was forced to pull out through injury shortly before kick-off, while James Cunningham and Gadwin Springer sustained injuries in the game that prematurely ended their participation.

Brian McDermott's side nevertheless threatened to pull off a significant shock, but the Warriors eventually punished an understandably tiring defence, with Bevan French and Liam Farrell to the fore.

Toronto completed at 100 per cent in the first quarter and moved ahead through former Wigan back Matty Russell, before tries from Harry Smith and French, who glided on to a smart inside pass from Farrell, earned the Warriors a 10-4 lead at the interval.

The Wolfpack deservedly pulled level when Gareth O'Brien's excellent half-break and offload put Bodene Thompson over for a score Blake Wallace converted.

However, a decisive moment followed when French ruthlessly punished a heavy kick from Josh McCrone. After catching the ball in his in-goal area, French raced to the 20-metre line for a quick restart and found Jackson Hastings, who duly released Joe Burgess to streak down the left and score.

French scored a second try of his own soon after, effectively ending the game as a contest, and Farrell rubbed salt in Toronto's wounds with two late tries after Hakim Miloudi had been sin-binned for a high shot that brought a premature end to Sean O'Loughlin's 400th Super League appearance.