2019 Wigan Warriors season

The 2019 season saw Wigan Warriors compete in the Super League, Grand Final Playoffs, Challenge Cup, and the World Club Challenge.

Wigan Warriors 2019 season
Super League XXIV Rank	2nd
Play-off result	Eliminated in Preliminary Final
Challenge Cup	6th Round
2019 record	Wins: 18; draws: 0; losses: 12
Points scored	For: 699; against: 539
Team information
Chairman	Ian Lenagan
Head Coach	Adrian Lam
Captain	Sean O'Loughlin
Stadium	DW Stadium
Top scorers
Tries	Liam Marshall (17)
Points	Zak Hardaker (243)
Home colours Away colours
← 2018 List of seasons 2020 →

Pre-season friendlies

Date	Opponent	H/A	Result	Scorers	Att.	Ref.
18 January 2019	London Skolars	A	34–6			^[1]^[2]
20 January 2019	Salford Red Devils	A	28–18			^[1]^[2]
26 January 2019	Barrow Raiders	A	18–18			^[1]^[2]

World Club Challenge

Main article: 2019 World Club Challenge

Winners of the 2018 Super League Grand Final, Wigan Warriors qualified to play 2018 NRL champions Sydney Roosters in the 2019 World Club Challenge. Wigan were beaten by the Australian side, retaining the title for the NRL.^[3]

Date	Opponent	H/A	Result	Scorers	Att.
17 February 2019	Sydney Roosters	H	8–20		21,331

Super League

Main article: Super League XXIV

Matches

Wigan's form was split through the season. The previous year's Grand Final champions start the season in poor form winning only once in their first six games. Form improved towards the middle of the season, before a surge of good results towards the end of the season – losing only once in the last three months. Wigan finished second in the league for the second year in a row.^[4][5][6]

 

Wigan entering the field at Anfield during Magic Weekend 2019

Date	Opponent	H/A	Result	Scorers	Att.	Pos.
31 January 2019	St Helens	A	22–12		16,508
8 February 2019	Leeds Rhinos	H	34–16		11,230
24 February 2019	Hull F.C.	H	22–23		10,971
3 March 2019	London Broncos	A	18–16		2,586
8 March 2019	Huddersfield Giants	H	6–14		10,114
15 March 2019	Warrington Wolves	A	12–25		13,106
24 March 2019	Salford Red Devils	A	30–22		4,770
31 March 2019	Catalans Dragons	H	42–0		11,106
5 April 2019	Castleford Tigers	A	28–38		6,830
12 April 2019	Wakefield Trinity	A	20–30		5,694
19 April 2019	St Helens	H	10–36		22,050
22 April 2019	Salford Red Devils	A	30–26		4,017
27 April 2019	Castleford Tigers	H	6–4		10,058
2 May 2019	London Broncos	H	18–8		9,907
18 May 2019	Catalans Dragons	N	16–33		31,555
25 May 2019	Warrington Wolves	N	14–26		30,057
8 June 2019	Hull KR	A	19–18		8,010
14 June 2019	Leeds Rhinos	A	23–14		13,105
21 June 2019	Huddersfield Giants	A	38–22		5,578
28 June 2019	Salford Red Devils	H	28–12		12,066
5 July 2019	Hull KR	H	52–10		11,042
12 July 2019	St Helens	A	10–32		17,088
18 July 2019	Wakefield Trinity	H	46–16		10,203
1 August 2019	Hull F.C.	A	15–14		10,153
9 August 2019	Hull KR	H	36–18		10,702
18 August 2019	Warrington Wolves	H	20–6		12,555
1 September 2019	Wakefield Trinity	A	24–16		5,805
6 September 2019	Catalans Dragons	H	46–12		10,804
12 September 2019	Castleford Tigers	H	26–8		11,001

League table

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	St. Helens (C, L)	29	26	0	3	916	395	+521	52	Semi Final
2	Wigan Warriors	29	18	0	11	699	539	+160	36	Qualifying Final
3	Salford Red Devils	29	17	0	12	783	597	+186	34
4	Warrington Wolves	29	16	0	13	709	533	+176	32	Elimination Final
5	Castleford Tigers	29	15	0	14	646	558	+88	30
6	Hull F.C.	29	15	0	14	645	768	−123	30
7	Catalans Dragons	29	13	0	16	553	745	−192	26
8	Leeds Rhinos	29	12	0	17	650	644	+6	24
9	Wakefield Trinity	29	11	0	18	608	723	−115	22
10	Huddersfield Giants	29	11	0	18	571	776	−205	22
11	Hull KR	29	10	0	19	548	768	−220	20
12	London Broncos (R)	29	10	0	19	505	787	−282	20	Relegated to Championship

Source: [1]
(C) Champions; (L) League Leaders' Shield Winners; (R) Relegated

Grand Final Playoffs

Main article: Super League XXIV § Playoffs

Finishing second in the league, Wigan qualified for the Grand Final Play-offs. The Warriors won the qualifying final, but lost in the semifinal and the preliminary final to finish third in the play-off series.

Date	Match	Opponent	H/A	Result	Scorers	Att.
20 September 2019	Qualifying Final	Salford Red Devils	H	18–12		9,247
27 September 2019	Semi-final 1	St Helens	A	10–40		14,508
4 October 2019	Preliminary Final	Salford Red Devils	H	4–28		9,858

Challenge Cup

Main article: 2019 Challenge Cup

As a "Super 8s" team of the 2018 Super League, Wigan Warriors entered the 2019 Challenge Cup in the sixth round where they were subsequently knocked out by Warrington Wolves.^[7]

Date	Round	Opponent	H/A	Result	Scorers	Att.
12 May 2019	Sixth Round	Warrington Wolves	A	24–26		7,086

Transfers

In

Player	From	Contract	Date	Ref.
Joe Bullock	Barrow Raiders	3 Years	June 2018^[a]	^[8]
Zak Hardaker	Free Agent^[b]	4 Years	June 2018^[c]
Jarrod Sammut	London Broncos	2 Years	November 2018

Out

Player	To	Contract	Date	Ref.
Sam Tomkins	Catalan Dragons	3 Years	July 2018	^[8]
John Bateman	Canberra Raiders	Undisclosed	August 2018
Ryan Sutton	Canberra Raiders	2 Years	August 2018
Joe Bretherton	Toulouse Olympique	Undisclosed	September 2018
Declan O'Donnell	Leigh Centurions	Undisclosed	November 2018
Jack Higginson	Leigh Centurions	Undisclosed	November 2018
Lewis Heckford	Dewsbury Rams	1 Year	December 2018
Josh Ganson	Released	—	May 2019
Liam Forsyth	Leigh Centurions	Undisclosed	June 2019
Taulima Tautai	Released	—	June 2019

Loans Out

Player	To	Contract	Date	Ref.
Josh Woods	Leigh Centurions	1 Year	December 2018	^[8]
Caine Barnes	Workington Town	1 Year	December 2018
Harry Smith	Swinton Lions	1 Month	May 2018

Squad

2019 Wigan Warriors Squad

First team squad								Coaching staff
1 Morgan Escare – FB   2 Tom Davies – WG   3 Dan Sarginson – CE, FB, WG   4 Oliver Gildart – CE   5 Joe Burgess – WG, CE   6 George Williams – SO, SH, HK   7 Thomas Leuluai – HK, HB, SO   8 Tony Clubb – PR, LF, CE, SR, WG   9 Sam Powell – HB, HK   10 Ben Flower – PR, LF   11 Joe Greenwood – SR   12 Liam Farrell – SR, LF   13 Sean O'Loughlin (c) – LF, SO		14 Romain Navarette – PR   15 Willie Isa – LF, SR, CE, WG   16 Gabriel Hamlin – LF, PR   17 Liam Marshall – WG   20 Zak Hardaker – FB, CE, WG   21 Dominic Manfredi – WG   22 Joe Bullock – PR   23 Chris Hankinson – CE   24 Oliver Partington – PR   25 Craig Mullen – FB, WG   26 Josh Woods – SO, SH		27 Jake Shorrocks – SH   28 Jack Wells – SR   29 Liam Paisley – SR   31 Liam Forsyth – CE, WG   32 Samuel Kibula – PR, LF   33 Callum Field – SR, CE   34 Caine Barnes – SO, SH   35 James Worthington – CE, FB   36 Liam Byrne – PR   37 Jarrod Sammut – SH, SO, FB, HK				Head coach   Adrian Lam Assistant coaches   Paul Deacon   Kris Radlinski Legend: (c) Captain(s) (vc) Vice-captain(s) Updated: 22 November 2018 Source(s): 2019 Squad Numbers

Notes

1. Whist signing For Wigan Warriors in the middle of the 2018 season, Bullock did not start playing for the club until the 2019 season.
2. Most recently played for Castleford Tigers.
3. Whist signing For Wigan Warriors in the middle of the 2018 season, Hardaker did not start playing for the club until the 2019 season.

References

1. . wiganwarriors.com. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020.
2. . wiganwarriors.com. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020.
3. "Wigan Warriors 8-20 Sydney Roosters: NRL side win World Club Challenge". 17 February 2019 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
4. "Bounce Back?! Wigan Warriors 2019 Season Review". 23 October 2019.
5. "Wigan Warriors - Scores & Fixtures - Rugby League". BBC Sport.
6. "Super League (Sky Sports)".
7. "Coral Challenge Cup - Scores & Fixtures - Rugby League". BBC Sport.
8. Shaw, Matthew (15 November 2018). "Confirmed Super League signings for 2019".