Match Report | Sheffield Eagles 12-48 Wigan Warriors
07/02/2025
Sheffield Eagles were defeated for the first time in 2025 on Friday evening as they fell to a 12-48 defeat to Wigan Warriors in the Betfred Challenge Cup 3rd Round at Olympic Legacy Park.
After a two-week break from our last outing, the Eagles returned to action against the reigning World Champions under the Olympic Legacy Park lights.
Craig Lingard made a couple of changes to his side from the one that featured against West Bowling last time out. Jack Walker made his full debut for the club, starting at full-back, whilst Alex Foster also moved into the starting thirteen from the interchange bench.
Full of international starts, Wigan travelled to South Yorkshire for their first competitive outing of 2025, and they took the lead after only three minutes after a breakthrough the Eagles line and a kick through saw Jai Field race through and touch down for the game’s opening score.
It didn’t take the long as the Eagles responded in the sixth minute through captain Joel Farrell, who made a dart for the line from close-range and he spotted a gap in the Wigan line to ground the ball to level the game.
Wigan went back ahead twelve minutes into the game as Liam Marshall’s inside run saw him play a pass to the supporting Bevan French, who raced through the gap to score under the sticks.
Sheffield put up a strong first half display against the World Champions, but they were undone twice more in the last ten minutes of the first half as scores by Liam Byrne and Zach Eckersley saw them edge 6-24 ahead at the break.
It was another quick-fire double inside the opening eight minutes of the second half that edged Wigan further ahead. Sam Walters opened the scoring in the second half with a finish, before Adam Keighran grounded the ball following a kick through the Sheffield defence for 6-36.
Lingard’s men responded in only a matter of minutes as a strong attack down the left saw Walker play in Matty Dawson-Jones into the corner to score in the 51st minute.
Wigan secured the win late on with further tries from Junior Nsemba and Kaide Ellis, which books the reigning World Champions’ place in the hat for the fourth round of the Betfred Challenge Cup.
The Eagles are back in action next Sunday afternoon when we take on Halifax Panthers at Olympic Legacy Park in the opening round of the 2025 Betfred Championship (3pm KO). Get your tickets now and join us next weekend.
Sheffield Eagles: Walker, Jones-Bishop, Welham, Glover, Dawson-Jones, Aston, Bussey, Broadbent, Farrell, Dickinson, Roberts, Foster, Gwaze
Interchanges (all used): Battye, Millar, Matongo, Hodgson
18th Man: Mallinson
Tries: Farrell (6’), Dawson-Jones (51’)
Goals: Aston 2/2
Wigan Warriors: Field, Eckersley, Farrell, Keighran, Marshall, French, Smith, Thompson, Leeming, Hill, Nsemba, Walters, Ellis
Interchanges: Mago, Byrne, Dupree, Forber
18th Man: Farrimond
Tries: Field (3’), French (12’), Byrne (34’), Eckersley (37’), Walters (45’), Keighran (48’), Nsemba (69’), Ellis (78’)
Goals: Keighran 8/8
Attendance: 1,274
Man of the Match: Joel Farrell
Referee: J.Smith
