THE BIG winners of Super League round 16 on Sunday were leaders Wigan without even having to kick a ball. They watched the sides below them crash and burn after their 50-8 crushing of champions Leeds on Friday. Warrington Wolves, immediately below them, succumbed to Michael Dobson's late drop goal in a 23-22 loss to Hull KR and fourth-placed Huddersfield Giants lost for a fourth successive game as Widnes Vikings climbed off the bottom of the table in dramatic fashion.
Results left Wigan three points clear at the top, with Warrington enduring their fourth defeat from a position 22-6 ahead at Craven Park. Dobson's 77th minute one-pointer completed Rovers' second comeback in eight days after they had retrieved a similar deficit in beating rivals Hull on the button at the Magic Weekend event. This win was all the more remarkable for its achievement without Blake Green, who pulled a hamstring in training on Saturday, with Craig Hall shifting from the wing as a makeshift stand-off.
Warrington coasted to an 18-point lead through tries by Gareth O'Brien, Ben Westwood and Chris Riley. Following a penalty conceded by Chris Hill, Josh Hodgson raced under the posts from acting half-back in opening Rovers' account. Riley's second try, though, put the visitors comfortably in control. Too comfortable, as it turned out. Dobson was sent clear from close range by Lincoln Withers after 50 minutes. Sam Latus followed him over and the home side drew level when Hall backed himself to score and Dobson converted. Dobson's angled 20-metre drop goal decided the contest and Lee Briers missed the chance for a draw in drifting a drop goal attempt wide to the left.
Widnes ended their eight-match losing run and climbed above London Broncos with a last minute try by full-back Cameron Phelps. The Vikings had led after a burst of tries in the opening 11 minutes by Patrick Ah Van, Rhys Hanbury and Ben Cross, but saw their advantage whittled away. Dale Ferguson pulled the first try back for Huddersfield. The Giants made their extra man pay when Steve Pickersgill was sin-binned for a professional foul with a try by New Zealand World Cup winner David Fa'alogo.
A high tackle by Michael Lawrence on Hanbury allowed Ah Van to land a simple penalty two minutes after the restart to edge Widnes further in front at 18-12 and the wing further stretched the lead to eight points before the Giants set up a stirring finale. Scott Grix crossed for a try in the 67th minute and a Danny Brough conversion and two penalties edged the Giants ahead for the first time five minutes from the siren before Phelps' winner.