Wigan Warriors: Five things we learned from the Magic Weekend defeat to St Helens

1. A stunning game of rugby league

First things first, the clash between the two sides was a great advert for the sport.

As usual, Wigan and Saints delivered in terms of providing a match of high intensity and pure drama.

There’s a reason why they both sit at the top end of the Super League table, and it was certainly apparent at St James’ Park.

Both sides produced wonderful bits of quality.

Standout moments included, Jai Field and Bevan French linking up superbly for the winger’s second try of the afternoon, while down the other end Joe Batchelor produced an excellent light kick through for himself to cross the line.

2. Singleton’s red card was harsh

The decision to send Brad Singleton off with 15 minutes remaining has created a lot of debate.

People’s verdicts on it may very well come down to which team they support, but the neutrals also appear to be split on it.

It was a poor challenge, you can’t argue against that.

Some form of punishment is to be expected when going in with the shoulder in that situation, but a yellow would’ve been sufficient.

Of course caution has to be taken concerning contacts to the head, but every challenge isn’t black and white.

It looks far worse on slow motion replays than in real time.

There’s no doubting it was a terrible technique by Singleton but the colour of the card does seem harsh.

3. Wigan resilient during periods

Even a St Helens side with notable absentees is a tough opponent.

During large periods of the game, especially in the first half, Wigan did well to cope with what Kristian Woolf’s side were throwing at them.

The way they defend as a unit is admirable, and really frustrated their opponents at times, with the improvement of the Warriors really clear to see from the Good Friday meeting.

4. Devastating ending for the Warriors

To lose a game in the final moments is always a tough one to take.

Having retaken the lead late on, maybe they should’ve been able to hold on, but with only 12-men on the pitch, it was a tough ask.

Wigan will now need to ensure they bounce back in the correct manner.

There are plenty of things they can learn from this game, which will only help to make them better.

5. St James’ Park remains the perfect Magic Weekend venue

The majority of rugby league fans are probably in agreement, Newcastle is the best place to host the Magic Weekend.

There’s something special about a city centre stadium.

St James’ Park is part of a fantastic skyline as you drive off the motorway and across the Tyne.

The streets were buzzing throughout Newcastle ahead of the first game on Saturday, with fans spread out from the quays to the fan zone outside the stadium itself.

A great thing about any Magic Weekend is seeing fans of all the clubs in Super League, and beyond, come together as one.

While normally divided, plenty of rival fans enjoyed the day together.

There was something great about seeing Wigan and Saints fans together walking through the city before the start of the proceedings; although it might’ve been a more tense journey home.