General ESL 2025
- Thread starter WahsaurusRex
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NZWarriors.com
Records broken, golden point required in tryless Super League opener
You’d be forgiven for thinking this was a soccer scoreline.
Less than half a year after their grand final win, the Wigan Warriors have found themselves once again etched into Super League record books.
Unfortunately for them though, the record isn't quite as flattering as they would like.
In a grueling battle that saw the Wigan Warriors lose their first game of the season, the Leigh Leopards have come away victorious in a 1-0 win over the reigning Super League champions.
The match was 0-0 by the end of the game's regulation, the first nil-all draw in the competition's 29-year history. Both sides were relentless and gritty, with neither giving in an inch on either side of the ball.
It wasn't until three minutes into overtime that a point was scored, which came off the boot of Gareth O'Brien to ensure the 2024 grand finalist's first defeat of the season. The 33-year-old drop-goal secured Leigh's first win in Wigan since 1983.
Although it was a deflating defeat for the reigning champions, Warriors head coach Matt Peet was full of praise in his post-match interview.
"I hope it's spoken about for years to come and credit to Leigh, they didn't come here and fluke or nick a win, they earned a win and fair play to them," Peet told BBC Radio Manchester.
This bizarre occurrence is a first in Super League history, and the records don't stop there. This match is the first time a side hasn't scored a try in the league's existence, and in turn sets the record for the lowest scoring, the previous being 4-0.
While the 1-0 win for Leigh is a first for Super League fans, the same cannot be said for Australian professional rugby league.
In 1973, the defense-minded Newtown Jets defeated the St. George Dragons by the same margin, solidifying themselves as the only team in the competition's history to record this outrageous scoreline.
This, however, is surprisingly not the lowest-scoring match to be recorded in Australia. That snippet of history belongs to the Canterbury Bulldogs and Newtown Jets in 1982, who scored no points in a Round 5 nil-all thriller.
While most rugby league fans salivate at the idea of a high-scoring match of footy, the Wigan Warriors and Leigh Leopards have set a defensive-minded tone that the rest of the Super League will need to follow if they also wish to topple the reigning champions.
Keighran faces nervous wait after historic opening night
Super League’s opening night was full of surprises - and not just because Las Vegas-bound Wigan were toppled by local rivals Leigh who scored their first win in the town for 42 years.
www.nrl.com
Ex Warrior Adam Keighran facing suspension that might see him miss Las Vegas for Wigan Warriors
NZWarriors.com
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