Probably the most intriguing fixture of the round was the battle for fourth place as Hull Kingston Rovers hosted the Wigan Warriors as the Robins looked to pull clear of Hull FC in sixth and closer to their opponents on the league ladder.
Wigan had Liam Farrell and Oliver Gildart back in their squads but were without John Bateman who missed out with illness while Ethan Ryan was back for KR and Ryan Hall made his 400th career appearance.
Hull KR won the fixture between the two sides in June by 18-8, but despite being away from home the bookies were favouring a Wigan win and had given KR a twelve-point start on the handicap coupon.
The warriors lost Sam Powell early on and as they were recovering on five minutes Albert Vete took the ball at first receiver and crashed over for the opening try of the game. Ben Crooks added the conversion for a 6-0 lead, no less than the home side deserved.
Great hands by the Robins saw them get their second on ten minutes through a Wigan defence at sixes and sevens. The try was scored over fifty metres with Rowan Milnes being the man on hand to take a bounce pass from Brad Takairangi and run through a massive gap to score by the right upright. Crooks added the extras for 12-0.
The Robins were in dreamland when they went in for their third try on sixteen with Ethan Ryan fielding a pinpoint Matt Parcell kick to the corner and dotting down. Crooks slid his conversion across the front of the sticks.
Jake Bibby grabbed a Wigan lifeline on twenty-three with a terrific diving one-handed score in the right corner. Harry Smith was unable to add the extras from the touchline, the visitors still trailing by 16-4.
Within four minutes the Warriors were in again when Crooks failed to deal with a kick and Liam Marshall took a fast pass to round the tacklers and score. Smith found the target with his kick, the difference between the two sides just one converted try.
Four minutes from time Marshall grabbed his second try, a carbon copy of his first, as he leapt for the corner and scored one-handed while airborne. Smith was unable to add the conversion but from being sixteen points behind the Warriors went into the interval trailing by just two.
Milnes had a try ruled out on forty-eight for an offside in the build up but on fifty-five Kane Linnett took a Ryan Hall pass and ran the angle to stretch the Warriors defence and score. Crooks hit the far upright from the left touchline, the Robins six points ahead.
KR returned the kick-off straight down the middle with Jez Litten on hand to take the final pass and jink through a broken defensive line to send the large home crowd into raptures. Crooks added the conversion, the home side pulling away from a tiring Wigans.
A KR drop goal was the right choice on sixty-five, but the Milnes effort was a poor attempt as it dipped underneath the crossbar.
As the game entered the last ten minutes Wigan redoubled their efforts and on seventy-three Jackson Hastings had a try turned down by the video referee for a knock-on in the build-up.
Takairangi was sin-binned on seventy-nine for a professional foul but with the win already in the bag it would bear no influence on the outcome and with seconds remaining hostilities broke out and Liam Farrell was sin-binned and joined by Matt Parcell.
This was a fantastic and deserved win for Hull KR over a Wigan side who are really struggling for any type of form and consistency. It is the first Hull KR double over the Warriors in the Super League era and increases the gap between the win percentages of the two Hull sides, KR now with a big advantage.
Hull KR: Crooks (3G), Hall, Kenny-Dowall, Minikin, Ryan (T), Milnes (T), Takairangi (SB on 79), Vete (T), Parcell (SB on 79), King, Linnett (T), Johnson, Lawler. Subs: Sims, Litten (T), Storton, Maher.
Wigan Warriors: Hardaker, Marshall (2T), Gildart, Isa, Bibby (T), Hastings, Smith (G), Clubb, Powell, Havard, Farrell (SB on 79), Pearce-Paul, Smithies. Subs: Bullock, Byrne, Field, Shorrocks.
Half-Time: 16-14.
Full-Time: 26-14.
Referee: Scott Mikalauskas.
Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 10-0, 12-0, 16-0, 16-4, 16-8, 16-10, 16-14 : HT : 20-14, 24-14, 26-14, (SB), (SB), (SB) : FT.
