Wigan Warriors’ Jake Wardle gives honest verdict on controversial try against Penrith
England centre, 25, talks through THAT controversial try that delivered Super League champions the World Club Challenge against NRL premiers Penrith Panthers
It’s been dubbed one of the worst decisions in rugby league history but Wigan matchwinner Jake Wardle is having none of it.
The England centre’s hugely controversial 57th minute try proved the difference as they pipped Penrith in Saturday night’s glorious World Club Challenge. When he latched onto Jai Field’s kick, he landed short of the goalline under pressure from desperate Panthers Brian To’o and Dylan Edwards.
But official Liam Moore sent it up as a attempt – and video arbitrator Chris Kendall couldn’t discover any conclusive prove to demonstrate something else. However Wardle, man of the coordinate in Wigan’s Super Alliance Fantastic Last win to set up this epic bout, demanded:
“I really do think I got it down.
“It was never a double-movement. I think I had the tip of the ball down on the line. And he gave it. That’s all that matters.”
In spite of the fact that NRL premiers Penrith were charitable in vanquish, the choice from the English arbitrator had bounty of Aussies heaving. That was particularly so as Moore sent Taylan May’s last-second exertion to level a firecracker of a diversion up as a no-try. Aussie full-back Field delivered a brilliant try-saving handle on the Penrith middle – his moment of a exciting challenge.
Kendall couldn’t discover a clear point of the ball touching the whitewash so that was ruled out to take off Wigan breathing a gigantic murmur of alleviation. It fair highlights what a dumb run the show it is making the on-field arbitrator basically figure at a choice. But it didn’t take absent from an elating occasion as Wigan got to be World Club champs for a record-equalling fifth time.
Wardle and co connect the heroes of 1987, 1991, 1994 and 2017. Star-studded Penrith, with brilliant boys Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo incapable to create the pivotal breakthrough, head domestic still on a duck after a fourth misfortune. But Wardle conceded:
“It’s likely one of the hardest recreations I’ve ever played.
“I do not think the concentrated dropped at all. Ordinarily in recreations you get that drop of escalated here and there. But Penrith never let us off with anything and fair kept coming and coming. Fortunately the boys mixed well – that appeared at the conclusion with that tackle.”
Wigan trailed 12-10 at the break with Penrith-born Abbas Miski and Kruise Leeming crossing, Cleary and the brilliant Edwards scoring for the NRL monsters. After St Helens beat Penrith in Sydney final year, this was another paramount night for Super Association. With theory developing that the cash-rich NRL is planning an offer to purchase the European competition, the cost tag has certainly gone up.
And the World Club Challenge might conclusion up in Las Vegas in 2025. Wardle, 25, said:
“We have to be get it as huge because it can get. There was a sold-out swarm [24,091] here and it was a gigantic occasion. When both groups are taking it as genuinely as we both were there’s no reason it can’t be a enormous occasion each year.”
