1997 Wigan Warriors season

Last updated
1997 Wigan Warriors season
Super League II Rank4th
Play-off resultWon Premiership Final
Challenge Cup 4th round
1997 recordWins: 14; draws: 0; losses: 8
Points scoredFor: 683; against: 398
Team information
Stadium Central Park
  1996 List of seasons 1998  

The 1997 Wigan Warriors season was the 102nd season in the club's rugby league history and the second season in the Super League. Coached by Eric Hughes, the Warriors competed in Super League II and finished in 4th place, but went on to win the Premiership Final at Old Trafford against St. Helens. The club also competed in the 1997 Challenge Cup, and were knocked out in the fourth round by St Helens.

Contents

Background

The inaugural Super League season in 1996 was a disappointing year for Wigan. Although they finished the year with a victory in the 1996 Premiership final, the club ended the league season as runners-up to rivals St Helens, the first time since 1989 that they had failed to win the league, and their nine-year unbeaten run in the Challenge Cup had come to an end. From the start of the 1997 season, the club became known as Wigan Warriors. [1]

The club was struggling with financial problems, and was reportedly over £3 million in debt. Dave Whelan, owner of the town's football club Wigan Athletic, had offered to buy the rugby club's ground, Central Park, which would be redeveloped into an all-seater stadium and shared by both clubs. In January 1997, Wigan Warriors' shareholders voted in favour of accepting the offer, [2] but two months later the board instead decided to sell the ground to Tesco, who had offered considerably more money than Whelan, and the club intended to share the newly built Reebok Stadium with Bolton Wanderers until it could build its own new stadium. [3] The decision led to the departure of director John Martin, who had backed Whelan's proposal. [4] The shareholders, unhappy that the club was being moved out of town, demanded the resignation of two of the club's board members, Jack Robinson and Tom Rathbone. [5] Following months of continuous protests by shareholders and supporters, Robinson and Rathbone resigned in August, with Arthur Thomas taking over as chairman. [6] Thomas resigned in October, and the club was taken over by Mike Nolan, a local businessman and former rugby league player with Rochdale Hornets and St Helens. [7] The plan to move in with Bolton Wanderers was dropped, and the club announced they would share a proposed new stadium at Robin Park with Wigan Athletic as of the start of the 2000 season. [8]

Prior to the start of the league season, The Independent wrote that Wigan's squad was "thin on genuine quality", and predicted that the team would finish third. [9]

Match results

Challenge Cup

Wigan were drawn against St Helens in the fourth round of the Challenge Cup. Wigan lost 12–26 against their local rivals, with the result eventually leading to the departure of coach Graeme West a week later. [10]

RoundDateOpponentVenueScoreTriesGoalsAttendance
Fourth8 February 1997 St Helens Away12–26RadlinskiFarrell (4)12,262

World Club Championship

Wigan were in Pool A for the 1997 World Club Championship.

Group stage

GameDateOpponentVenueScoreTriesGoalsAttendance
19 June 1997 Canterbury Bulldogs Away22–18Robinson (2), Haughton, A. JohnsonFarrell (2), Paul10,680
216 June 1997 Brisbane Broncos Away0–3414,833
322 June 1997 Canberra Raiders Away22–56Radlinski (2), Connolly, HallFarrell (3)9,098
420 July 1997 Brisbane Broncos Home4–30Farrell (2)13,476
528 July 1997 Canterbury Bulldogs Home31–24Connolly, Cowie, Farrell, Radlinski, RobinsonFarrell (5, 1dg)10,280
63 August 1997 Canberra Raiders Home10–50HaughtonFarrell (3)12,504

Knockout stage

RoundDateOpponentVenueScoreTriesGoalsAttendance
Quarter-final3 October 1997 Hunter Mariners Home18–22Ellison (2), RadlinskiFarrell (3)9,553

Table

PosTeamPldWDLPFPAPDPtsRelegation
1 Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls (C)222002769397+37240
2 Broncoscolours.png London Broncos 221534616418+19833
3 Saintscolours.svg St Helens 221417592506+8629
4 Wigancolours.svg Wigan 221408683398+28528
5 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 221318544463+8127
6 Redscolours.svg Salford Reds 22110114284956722
7 Faxcolours.svg Halifax Blue Sox 2282125245492518
8 Sheffeagles colours.svg Sheffield Eagles 22901341557415918
9 Wolvescolours.svg Warrington Wolves 22801443764721016
10 Castleford colours.svg Castleford Tigers 22521533451518112
11 France colours.svg Paris Saint-Germain 22601636257221012
12 Oldhamcolours.svg Oldham Bears (R)2241174616311709Relegated to Division One
Source: Rugby League Project
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Points difference; 3) Number of points scored;
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated

Squad

Source: [11]

Players marked * left the club during the season.

NoPlayerAppsTriesGoalsDGsPoints
1 Kris Radlinski 33150060
2 Jason Robinson 31200080
3 Va'aiga Tuigamala *10000
4 Gary Connolly 28150060
5 Rob Smyth 00000
6 Henry Paul 2774036
7 Shaun Edwards *10000
8 Neil Cowie 272008
9 Mick Cassidy 332008
10 Terry O'Connor 281004
11 Simon Haughton 31150060
13 Andy Farrell 3391464332
14 Craig Murdock 1840016
15 Andy Johnson 31160064
16 Danny Ellison 12100040
17 Stephen Holgate 310000
18 Stuart Lester 80000
20 Nigel Wright 142019
21 Daryl Cardiss 1630012
22 Paul Johnson 102008
23 Ian Sherratt 00000
24 Sean Long *40000
25 Gaël Tallec 2830012
26 Doc Murray 80000
27 Martin Hall 1821010
28 Paul Koloi 51004
29 Lee Hansen 250000
30 Tony Smith 23160064
31 Ian Talbot 31004
32 Neil Baynes 20000
33 Lee Gilmour 10000
34 Jon Clarke 91004

Transfers

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References

  1. "New name for Wigan". The Times. 31 October 1996. p. 45.
  2. Hadfield, Dave (12 January 1997). "Rugby league : Wigan vote to stay at home". The Independent. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  3. Hadfield, Dave (6 March 1997). "Rugby League: Wigan exiled by £12m Central Park sale". The Independent. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  4. Hadfield, Dave (26 February 1997). "Resignation adds to Wigan's troubles". The Independent. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  5. "Wigan chief under fire". The Bolton News. p. 14 March 1997. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  6. Hadfield, Dave (19 August 1997). "Rugby League: Reviled Robinson steps down at Wigan". The Independent. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  7. "Rugby League: Takeover saves Wigan from going to the wall". The Independent. 31 October 1997. p. 32.
  8. Hadfield, Dave (19 November 1997). "Rugby League: Wigan plan to ground-share with football neighbours Athletic by year 2000". The Independent. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  9. "Rugby: Club-by-club guide to the Super League". The Independent. 13 March 1997. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  10. Hadfield, Dave (17 February 1997). "Rugby League: West resigns at Wigan after refusing new role". The Independent. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  11. Fletcher, Raymond; Howes, David (1998). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1998. London: Headline. p. 137. ISBN   978-0-7472-7683-8.