Rugby League John Player Special win to Wigan

Press, 12 January 1987, Page 24

Rugby League John Player Special win to Wigan

NZPA staff correspondent PETER O’HARA London Former Kiwi coach, Graham Lowe’s Wigan team ended a 14-match winning run by Warrington when the “Riversiders” took the John Player Special Trophy by 18-4 at Bolton. New Zealand centre Dean Bell scored the final try as Wigan outlasted the rugged Warrington forwards and spun the ball wide, to become the first team to retain a trophy which is second only to the Challenge Cup in importance to British rugby league. Worth $NZ33,000 to the club, the John Player Special Trophy sits alongside the Lancashire Cup which Lowe has also brought to Wigan’s Central Park since he arrived four months ago. Skippered by Kiwi, Graeme West, who has been moved forward to prop and who had a gruelling game against un-

compromising Australian, Les Boyd, and New Zealand’s Kevin Tamati today, the cherry-and-white hooped Wigan side scored first when Bell broke the line and sent Henderson Gill across. But Warrington struck back after Tamati swung the ball inside in a move which produced a try on the touchline for wing, Mark Forster. A fourth Kiwi on the field, Joe Ropati, had no luck with his goal-kicking for Warrington and the half-time score was 4-4. Gill carved through the Warrington defence in the second spell to score an outstanding individual try and fellow British international, Andy Goodway, intercepted to seal the match with a try after running from halfway. i When Gill converted, Wigan were well in command at 14-4. Bell’s lastminute try completed the | revenge for Warrington’s J two previous wins over Wigan this season. 1