It is 20 years since St Helens and Wigan Warriors met in one of the most infamous Good Friday derbies of the Super League era. Two decades on from that clash at Knowsley Road, the rivalry remains as intense as it did before or since.
The game itself ended in a dramatic 21-21 draw, with Sean Long’s late drop goal earning Saints a share of the spoils and cancelling out an earlier one-pointer from Wigan icon Andy Farrell.
Yet it is the second-half all-in brawl, which erupted when Jon Wilkin and Terry Newton started scrapping after a tackle, that has proven to be the most enduring memory.
It is also a moment which has been used to encapsulate the rivalry between the two teams from the opposite sides of Billinge Hill ever since and St Helens head coach Paul Wellens, who lined up for his hometown club at full-back that day in 2004, knows as well as anyone what these games mean.
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Check out some of the 10 most memorable moments from Good Friday derbies between St Helens and Wigan Warriors, including the infamous 2004 brawl
“It’s Wigan on Good Friday – it sells itself,” Wellens said ahead of this year’s showdown at the Totally Wicked Stadium. “Fans and players can’t wait for the game to come around.
“It’s the fixture you draw a circle around at the start of every year, and we are always excited about the challenge.
“It’s two teams who have achieved a lot of success in recent history, and a lot of that comes from knowing how to handle big games and big moments, and how to channel your emotion in the right way.
“This is the big game in British rugby league. We have Grand Finals and Challenge Cup finals, but after those showpiece occasions, I think Saints against Wigan on Good Friday is the game everyone wants to watch.”
Head coaches Matt Peet and Paul Wellens ahead of last year’s Good Friday derby between Wigan and St Helens
Wellens played the unlikely role of peacemaker back in 2004, breaking up Great Britain captain Farrell and team-mate Paul Sculthorpe after they decided to settle a minor disagreement during that brawl as well.
For Sculthorpe, the encounter summed up how the intensity goes up a level for both teams during the Good Friday derby games.
“I would always say the Good Friday games were like a Test match,” Sculthorpe told Super League’s official website. “They were a step up from the regular Super League game.
“I always think that one, Good Friday, is extra-special.”
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Highlights of last year’s Betfred Super League Good Friday derby which saw Wigan Warriors edge out St Helens 14-8 at the DW Stadium
…. to be continued
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