Wigan Warriors 2024 season review

Overview

Wigan were simply magnificent in 2024, and it’s difficult to put into words just how good they’ve been.

They became the first team in the Super League era to win all four trophies in a calendar year, and bear in mind they came into the season as reigning champions and League Leaders’ Shield holders as well.

Their season started with a dominant 4-32 win at Castleford in round one, but it was the following weekend when things really got going. A 16-12 win over Penrith Panthers in the World Club Challenge was the first of their historic quadruple in 2024, and they returned to league action the following week with three straight wins.

A 12-4 loss at St Helens on Good Friday was their first setback of the campaign, and it looked as though the two of them would be the front runners at that point.

Their next defeat came in late April when eventual runners-up Hull KR beat them 26-10, but that was their last loss until late July as they swept all before them, including Warrington in the Challenge Cup Final for trophy number two.

When the next loss did come, it was a surprising one at strugglers Hull, and the following week the Warriors were hammered 4-40 at home by Warrington, which really opened things up at the top of the table.

Wigan bounced back to win their next two, before another big defeat, 30-10, at Leeds in early August. That was the last time they tasted defeat though, as they won their final six games of the regular season to clinch the League Leaders’ Shield.

Come play-off time, they routed Leigh 38-0 in the semi-final, before their historic vixtory over Hull KR in the Grand Final, 9-2, to put the seal on a mightily impressive year.

Highs

Four trophies out of four says it all really.

Individually, Junior Nsemba had an outstanding breakout season, which was topped off with the Young Player of the Year Award, while Liam Marshall finished as Super League’s top try scorer with 27.

Four players were named in the Dream Team, including the two mentioned, plus Jake Wardle and Luke Thompson.

There were some dodgy results along the way, but when it came to the big moments, Wigan delivered every time.

Among all the celebrations at the end of the year, this stat was maybe overlooked a little as well, but the Warriors didn’t concede a try in their final four games of the season. In fact, the only points they conceded were from a Mikey Lewis penalty, which came in vain during the Grand Final.

That’s some defensive effort, especially when you consider that two of those games were a play-off semi-final and a Grand Final.

Lows

Wiagn only lost five times in 32 games across all competitions, so low points were few and far between. However, some of the defeats were pretty bad when they did come.

Their 24-22 loss at Hull FC in July sounds a lot closer than it was, as the Black and Whites were 22-4 up with 20 minutes to go and by far the better team. Given that it was one of only three wins they picked up all year, it wasn’t a good loss for Wigan.

The following week was even worse, as Warrington rolled into town and destroyed them 4-40, and at that point it looked as though the wheels might be falling off.

There was the 30-4 defeat at Leeds a few weeks later as well, but as I said earlier, when it came to the crunch, Wigan delivered when they needed to, so with four trophies in the bag, the odd bad performance can be forgiven.

Reasons to be positive in 2025

This writes itself really. With all four trophies in their cabinet, the Warriors are the team to beat heading into 2025, and there are no big names heading out the exit door as things stand, which should mean a settled squad.

As they seem to do every year, the Warriors brought plenty of promising talent into the team from their academy as well in 2024, with Jack Farrimond and Zach Eckersley looking particularly strong when called upon, so expect to see more of them next year.

My 2024 prediction – 1st

Final 2024 position – 1st

No prizes for getting this right. The only surprise to me was that it was Hull KR and Warrington who were tight on their tail, and not St Helens.