Wigan Warriors vs Warrington Wolves match report: Teenager Joe Burgess stays up late to send Wigan into final

Wigan Warriors 16 Warrington Wolves 12

Joe Burgess scores the last-minute winning try for Wigan (GETTY IMAGES)

Teenager Joe Burgess scored with two minutes left of a rip-roaring semi-final to keep alive Wigan’s hopes of securing back-to-back Super League titles thanks to a nail-biting win over Warrington.

After the Wigan and Warrington half-backs missed five drop goals between them in a frantic last 12 minutes, it was the 19-year-old who broke the deadlock, taking a pass from his skipper Sean O’Loughlin to score the most important try of his fledging career and set up a Wigan–St Helens showdown in next Saturday’s Grand Final at Old Trafford.

It will be a repeat of the 2000 and 2010 finals, but spare a thought for Warrington, who played their part in an epic battle fought out amid a tremendous atmosphere.

It means there will be no fairytale finish for the Wolves co-captain Michael Monaghan, who hung up his boots at the end of the game.

Refreshed by a week off, Wigan set off at a furious pace and ought to have had more than two points to show for all their enterprise and territorial domination.

Warrington wingers Joel Monaghan and Rhys Evans demonstrated their threat with counter-attacking runs, but the pressure on the Wolves’ line told on 23 minutes when Joel Tomkins went over for the game’s first try.

Warrington enjoyed some fortune when scrum-half Richie Myler’s attempted cut-out pass hit a team-mate’s head and Joel Monaghan pounced for the try.

Wolves were level five minutes into the second half when Gareth O’Brien touched down for their second try. O’Brien also kicked the goal to edge his side in front, but Wigan roared back through Anthony Gelling’s try.

The drama continued when Dan Sarginson had a try disallowed for a forward pass by Gelling, but it all came good for Wigan when Burgess produced his storming finish.

Wigan: Bowen; Charnley, Gelling, Sarginson, Burgess; Green, Smith; Flower, McIlorum, Crosby, Tomkins, L. Farrell, O’Loughlin. Substitutes used: Powell, Pettybourne, Clubb, Bateman.

Warrington: Ratchford; J Monaghan, C Bridge, Atkins, R Evans; O’Brien, Myler; Hill, M Monaghan, England, Laithwaite, Waterhouse, Harrison. Substitutes used: Higham, Asotasi, Currie, Russell.

Referee: P Bentham (RFL)