A youthful Hull KR outfit were beaten 46-0 by Wigan at the Brick Community Stadium on a night which saw the Warriors remember rugby league icon Sir Billy Boston following his passing at the age of 92.
Boston, who scored 478 tries in 488 games for Wigan and is widely regarded as the club’s greatest-ever player, died earlier this week – just four days after the funeral of his wife, Lady Joan, to whom he had been married for 70 years.
The Cherry and Whites paid tribute to their former star ahead of their Round 25 clash with Hull KR, with members of the Wigan Past Players Association forming a guard of honour alongside the club’s reserves, academy, scholarship and women’s sides, as well as the coaching staff.
Representatives from Wigan, Hull KR and the Rugby Football League also laid wreaths on the pitch, while renditions of Abide With Me and Jerusalem were performed.
Boston’s son, Stephen, also entered the field ahead of kick-off carrying a shirt in honour of his father – who became the first person in rugby league’s 130-year history to receive a knighthood when he was presented with the honour at Buckingham Palace in 2025.
Wigan’s stars needed little extra motivation as they took control against a youthful Rovers side.
Willie Peters handed out three debuts and rested several established stars after a hectic spell which saw the Robins play four games in 14 days and suffer a number of injuries.
James Batchelor is sidelined for the next three weeks due to a hamstring setback, while Dean Hadley should be available to face Huddersfield Giants in Round 26. Ryan Hampshire is also set for a stint on the sidelines following an operation on a fractured wrist suffered in the defeat against Toulouse Olympique.
Academy product Frankie Dearlove marked his senior debut in the back-row and was only denied a try to mark the occasion by a fantastic Bevan French effort over the whitewash. Dec Murphy and Alfie Woods also marked their debuts late on from the interchange bench.
In the end, the Warriors ran in eight tries, with Liam Marshall grabbing a hat-trick and Zach Eckersley scoring twice.
Jai Field, Adam Keighran and Jake Wardle also crossed, while in-form centre Keighran kicked seven goals from eight attempts.
The fixture also kick-started Rugby League Cares’ Charity Round, raising vital funds for the Seriously Injured Players Fund, formerly known as the Rugby League Benevolent Fund.
Wigan Warriors starting 13: Jai Field, Zach Eckerlsey, Adam Keighran, Jake Wardle, Liam Marshall, Bevan French, Harry Smith, Ethan Havard, Brad O’Neill, Luke Thompson, Kian McDermott, Oliver Partington, Kaide Ellis.
Bench: Sam Walters, Patrick Mago, Taylor Kerr, Shea O’Connor
Tries: Liam Marshall (9′, 33′, 67′), Field (14′), Eckersley (18′, 28′), Keighran (52′), Wardle (71′)
Goals: Keighran 7/8
Hull KR starting 13: Jack Broadbent, Harvey Horne, Louix Gorman, Noah Booth, Lee Kershaw, Arthur Mourgue, Jack Charles, Sauaso Sue, Bill Leyland, Sam Luckley, Rhyse Martin, Frankie Dearlove, Karl Lawton.
Bench: Tom Amone, Zach Fishwick, Declan Murphy, Alfie Woods.
18th: Cobie Wainhouse.