1997 Wigan Warriors season

Rugby league team season

1997 Wigan Warriors season

Super League II Rank| 4th
Play-off result| Won Premiership Final
Challenge Cup| 4th round
1997 record| Wins: 14; draws: 0; losses: 8
Points scored| For: 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.

## Background[edit]

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[edit]

### Challenge Cup[edit]

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]

Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Score | Tries | Goals | Attendance

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Fourth | 8 February 1997 | St Helens | Away | 12–26 | Radlinski | Farrell (4) | 12,262

### World Club Championship[edit]

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

Group stage

Game | Date | Opponent | Venue | Score | Tries | Goals | Attendance

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1 | 9 June 1997 | Canterbury Bulldogs | Away | 22–18 | Robinson (2), Haughton, A. Johnson | Farrell (2), Paul | 10,680
2 | 16 June 1997 | Brisbane Broncos | Away | 0–34 |  |  | 14,833
3 | 22 June 1997 | Canberra Raiders | Away | 22–56 | Radlinski (2), Connolly, Hall | Farrell (3) | 9,098
4 | 20 July 1997 | Brisbane Broncos | Home | 4–30 |  | Farrell (2) | 13,476
5 | 28 July 1997 | Canterbury Bulldogs | Home | 31–24 | Connolly, Cowie, Farrell, Radlinski, Robinson | Farrell (5, 1dg) | 10,280
6 | 3 August 1997 | Canberra Raiders | Home | 10–50 | Haughton | Farrell (3) | 12,504

Knockout stage

Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Score | Tries | Goals | Attendance

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Quarter-final | 3 October 1997 | Hunter Mariners | Home | 18–22 | Ellison (2), Radlinski | Farrell (3) | 9,553

## Table[edit]

Pos | Team

* v
* t
* e

| Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Relegation

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  Bradford Bulls (C) | 22  | 20  | 0  | 2  | 769  | 397  | +372  | 40  |
2  |  London Broncos | 22  | 15  | 3  | 4  | 616  | 418  | +198  | 33
3  |  St Helens | 22  | 14  | 1  | 7  | 592  | 506  | +86  | 29
4  |  Wigan | 22  | 14  | 0  | 8  | 683  | 398  | +285  | 28
5  |  Leeds Rhinos | 22  | 13  | 1  | 8  | 544  | 463  | +81  | 27
6  |  Salford Reds | 22  | 11  | 0  | 11  | 428  | 495  | −67  | 22
7  |  Halifax Blue Sox | 22  | 8  | 2  | 12  | 524  | 549  | −25  | 18
8  |  Sheffield Eagles | 22  | 9  | 0  | 13  | 415  | 574  | −159  | 18
9  |  Warrington Wolves | 22  | 8  | 0  | 14  | 437  | 647  | −210  | 16
10  |  Castleford Tigers | 22  | 5  | 2  | 15  | 334  | 515  | −181  | 12
11  |  Paris Saint-Germain | 22  | 6  | 0  | 16  | 362  | 572  | −210  | 12
12  |  Oldham Bears (R) | 22  | 4  | 1  | 17  | 461  | 631  | −170  | 9  | Relegated 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[edit]

Source:[11]

Players marked * left the club during the season.

No | Player | Apps | Tries | Goals | DGs | Points

|
|
|
|
|
|

1 | Kris Radlinski | 33 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 60
2 | Jason Robinson | 31 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 80
3 | Va'aiga Tuigamala * | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
4 | Gary Connolly | 28 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 60
5 | Rob Smyth | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
6 | Henry Paul | 27 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 36
7 | Shaun Edwards * | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
8 | Neil Cowie | 27 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8
9 | Mick Cassidy | 33 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8
10 | Terry O'Connor | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4
11 | Simon Haughton | 31 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 60
13 | Andy Farrell | 33 | 9 | 146 | 4 | 332
14 | Craig Murdock | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16
15 | Andy Johnson | 31 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 64
16 | Danny Ellison | 12 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 40
17 | Stephen Holgate | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
18 | Stuart Lester | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
20 | Nigel Wright | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9
21 | Daryl Cardiss | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12
22 | Paul Johnson | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8
23 | Ian Sherratt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
24 | Sean Long * | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
25 | Gaël Tallec | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12
26 | Doc Murray | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
27 | Martin Hall | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10
28 | Paul Koloi | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4
29 | Lee Hansen | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
30 | Tony Smith | 23 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 64
31 | Ian Talbot | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4
32 | Neil Baynes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
33 | Lee Gilmour | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
34 | Jon Clarke | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4

## Transfers[edit]

| Player | Pos | From | Fee | Date

|
|
|
|

Tony Smith | Scrum half | Castleford Tigers | £150,000 | March 1997
Lee Hansen | Prop forward | Widnes Vikings | Exchange | April 1997
Paul Koloi | Centre | Canterbury Cardinals |  | May 1997
Denis Betts | Second-row | Auckland Warriors |  | May 1997
Tony Mestrov | Prop forward | London Broncos |  | November 1997
Mark Bell | Winger | St. George Dragons |  | November 1997
Robbie McCormack | Hooker | Hunter Mariners |  | November 1997
Danny Moore | Centre | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles |  | December 1997

Out

| Player | Pos | To | Fee | Date

|
|
|
|

Kelvin Skerrett | Prop forward | Halifax | Free | January 1997
Va'aiga Tuigamala | Centre | Newcastle Falcons (RU) | £500,000 | February 1997
Shaun Edwards | Scrum half | London Broncos | Undisclosed | March 1997
Sean Long | Scrum half | Widnes Vikings | Exchange | April 1997
Matthew Knowles |  | Widnes Vikings | Exchange | April 1997

## References[edit]

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.

## External links[edit]

* Wigan Warriors Rugby League Fan Site
* Super League II 1997 Wigan Warriors - Rugby League Project

* v
* t
* e

Wigan Warriors

Est. 1872 in Wigan, England

The Club|

* History
* Players
* Seasons
* Internationals

Home grounds|

* Folly Field (1872–1877; 1879–1886)
* Prescott Street (1877–1879; 1886–1901)
* Springfield Park (1901–1902)
* Central Park (1902–1999)
* Brick Community Stadium (1999–present)

League|

* Rugby Football Union
* Rugby Football League
* Super League

Titles|

* RFL/Super League Championship: 1908–09
* 1921–22
* 1925–26
* 1933–34
* 1945–46
* 1946–47
* 1989–90
* 1990–91
* 1991–92
* 1992–93
* 1993–94
* 1995–96
* 1998
* 2010
* 2013
* 2016

* World Club Challenge (4): 1987
* 1991
* 1994
* 2017

* Challenge Cup: 1924
* 1929
* 1944
* 1948
* 1951
* 1958
* 1959
* 1965
* 1985
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 2002
* 2011
* 2013

Seasons|

* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

Culture|

* NRFU Founder
* Super League Founding Member
* Rivalry with St Helens

Affiliation|

* Rugby Football League (1895)
* Wigan Warriors Women
* Wigan Warriors Wheelchair

* v
* t
* e

1997 in rugby league

« 1996

1998 »

Super League International Board|

* World Club Championship
* Super League World Nines
* Anzac Test
* Australia tour of Great Britain
* Oceania Cup

British Rugby League|

| Competitions|

* Super League
* Division One
* Division Two
* Challenge Cup
* Final
* Premiership
* Divisional Premiership

|

SL Teams|

* Bradford Bulls
* Castleford Tigers
* Halifax Blue Sox
* Leeds Rhinos
* London Broncos
* Oldham Bears
* Paris Saint-Germain
* Salford Reds
* Sheffield Eagles
* St Helens
* Warrington Wolves
* Wigan Warriors

Australian Rugby League|

| Competitions|

* State of Origin
* ARL season
* Queensland Cup

|

By club|

* Balmain Tigers
* Illawarra Steelers
* Gold Coast Chargers
* Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
* Newcastle Knights
* North Sydney Bears
* Parramatta Eels
* Sydney Roosters
* St. George Dragons
* South Queensland Crushers
* South Sydney Rabbitohs
* Western Suburbs Magpies

Super League Australia|

| Competitions|

* Tri-series
* Super League

|

By club|

* Adelaide Rams
* Auckland Warriors
* Brisbane Broncos
* Canterbury Bulldogs
* Canberra Raiders
* Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
* Hunter Mariners
* North Queensland Cowboys
* Penrith Panthers
* Perth Reds

Other domestic competitions|

* France
* New Zealand

*[Pos]: Position
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Pld]: Played
*[W]: Won
*[D]: Drawn
*[L]: Lost
*[PF]: Points for
*[PA]: Points against
*[PD]: Point difference
*[Pts]: Points