The final game of the opening day of the Dacia Magic Weekend saw a repeat of last seasons Grand Final as champions Wigan Warriors took on runners-up Warrington Wolves.

Wigan had Sean O’Loughlin and George Williams back in their starting line-ups giving some much needed ball-playing skills against a resurgent Warrington Wolves. Both sides progressed through last weeks Challenge Cup ties but in the last round of Super League it was a good win for the Wolves over Saints while Wigan went down to the Salford Red Devils.

The Wolves were slight favourites with the bookies but there was very little to choose between the sides. On paper it looked like the most competitve match of the weekend and a dress rehearsal for the upcoming Challenge Cup quarter final.

Despite Wigan missing ten first-team regulars, they got the first try of the game after eight minutes when Liam Marshall took a Sean O’Loughlin long pass which was tipped into his hands by Matty Russell for him to cross the line and improve the angle. Josh Woods added the extra two for a great start for the Warriors.

On fourteen the Wolves were back level. When Chris Hill had the ball stolen on the Wigan line Daryl Clark picked up the loose ball to dive over from a metre out. Stefan Ratchford added the extras for 6-6.

A twenty-third minute breakaway try for Marshall saw him pick up his second try of the evening when he intercepted a Kevin Brown pass to go eighty metres, outpacing the chasing Atkins, to cross. George Williams added the extra two to re-establish the six point lead.

Ratchford went close after a forty metre break on thirty-six, but Lewis Tierney held down in the tackle, seeing yellow from referee Thaler but the twelve man Wigan managed to hold out the Wolves until the interval.

On forty-five, still down to twelve men, Marshall picked up his own ricocheted kick though to stretch and ground on the line. Williams kicked the conversion for 18-6 as Tierney returned from the sin-bin.

Warrington scored a superb try on fifty-one when Ratchford caught a Brown chip to hand off Tierney and jink past the attempted tackles to go over under the sticks. He hit the upright with his conversion attempt to leave his side still eight adrift.

On fifty-six a strong run down the wing from Tom Lineham saw him use upper body strength to reach for the line before being dragged into touch. Ratchford kicked the conversion from the touchline for 16-18 to signal a nervy last twenty minutes for both sets of supporters.

On sixty the game turned nasty when Michael McIlorum and Kurt Gidley took exception to one another but the referee failed to punish either. On sixty-five a Sean O’Loughlin tackled Brown around the neck and Ratchford kicked the penalty to level the scores with fourteen minutes to play.

On seventy Warrington obstructed a kick chase and Williams kicked the penalty, in off the far upright for 20-18.

When Ryan Sutton coughed up possession on half way on seventy-three, the Wolves used their tackles and on the fourth Jack Hughes took a Ratchford pass to step off his right foot and dive over the line to put his side into the lead for the first time in the game. Ratchford added the extra two for 24-20.

Inside the last minute Joe Burgess collected a Sean O’Loughlin kick into the Wolves goal area and falling to the ground he grabbed a four pointer. Williams failed to add the conversion as the final hooter sounded leaving the sides all square at 24-24.

Neither side will be happy with the point, but both will be delighted that they didn’t lose this close fought match between two sides who both looked low on finesse but made up for it with effort. The Wolves are into the top eight for the first time in 2017, jumping over the Catalans Dragons who play tomorrow while the Warriors lift themselves to just two points behind a top four spot.

What the game lacked in skill it made up for in excitement and was a suitable end to the first day of the Dacia Magic Weekend.

Wolves: Ratchford (T, 4G), Russell, Hughes (T), Atkins, Lineham (T), Brown, Gidley, Hill, Clark (T), Cooper, Jullien, Westwood, Westerman. Subs: Dwyer, King, Crosby, Philbin.

Warriors: Tierney (SB), Davies, Forsyth, Burgess (T), Marshall (3T), Williams (3G), Woods (G), Nuuausala, McIlorum, Sutton, Isa, Farrell, O’Loughlin. Subs: Tomkins, Tautai, Wells, Field.

Referee: Ben Thaler.

Half-Time: 6-12.

Full-Time: 24-24.

Attendance: 35,000+.