# 2008 Wigan Warriors season

The 2008 Wigan Warriors season saw the club compete in Super League XIII as well as the 2008 Challenge Cup tournament.

## Season preview

Wigan will be looking to continue their return to the top of Super League after finishing 6th in 2007. During 2008 Wigan will continue to rebuild their squad under coach Brian Noble but they will have a new owner and chairman in Ian Lenagan from 1 December 2007 after Maurice Lindsay retired and Dave Whelan decided to sell the club.

## Full squad

| No | Player | Position | Weight (kg) | Height (m) | Age | Overseas | Previous club |
| 1 | Richie Mathers | Full back | 96 | 1.88 | 24 | No | Gold Coast Titans |
| 2 | Mark Calderwood | Right wing | 86 | 1.85 | 26 | No | Leeds Rhinos |
| 3 | Darrell Goulding | Right centre | 90 | 1.82 | 19 | No | Wigan Warriors Academy |
| 4 | George Carmont | Left centre | 91 | 1.80 | 29 | Yes | Newcastle Knights |
| 5 | Pat Richards | Left wing | 99 | 1.91 | 25 | Yes | Wests Tigers |
| 6 | Trent Barrett | Stand off | 94 | 1.82 | 30 | Yes | St George Illawarra Dragons |
| 7 | Thomas Leuluai‡ | Scrum half | 85 | 1.71 | 22 | No | Harlequins RL |
| 8 | Stuart Fielden | Prop | 108 | 1.91 | 28 | No | Bradford Bulls |
| 9 | Mickey Higham | Hooker | 86 | 1.73 | 27 | No | Bradford Bulls |
| 10 | Iafeta Paleaaesina | Prop | 118 | 1.87 | 25 | Yes | New Zealand Warriors |
| 11 | Gareth Hock | Second row | 92 | 1.88 | 24 | No | Wigan Warriors Academy |
| 12 | Phil Bailey | Second row | 93 | 1.89 | 27 | Yes | Cronulla Sharks |
| 13 | Sean O'Loughlin | Loose forward | 93 | 1.87 | 25 | No | Wigan Warriors Academy |
| 14 | Liam Colbon | Right wing | 92 | 1.87 | 23 | No | Wigan Warriors Academy |
| 15 | Andy Coley | Prop | 108 | 1.89 | 29 | No | Salford City Reds |
| 16 | Harrison Hansen‡ | Second row | 89 | 1.84 | 22 | No | Wigan Warriors Academy |
| 17 | Michael McIlorum | Hooker | 79 | 1.74 | 20 | No | Wigan Warriors Academy |
| 19 | Paul Prescott | Prop | 99 | 1.90 | 21 | No | Wigan Warriors Academy |
| 20 | Karl Pryce | Centre | 118 | 1.98 | 21 | No | Gloucester RU |
| 21 | Cameron Phelps | Centre | 89 | 1.78 | 23 | Yes | Canterbury Bulldogs |
| 22 | Joel Tomkins | Second row | 95 | 1.88 | 20 | No | Wigan Warriors Academy |
| 23 | Ben Kavanagh (On loan To Widnes Vikings) | Second row | 107 | 1.84 | 20 | No | Wigan Warriors Academy |
| 24 | Eamon O'Carroll | Prop | 103 | 1.80 | 20 | No | Wigan Warriors Academy |
| 25 | Thomas Coyle (On loan to Halifax) | Scrum half | 83 | 1.71 | 20 | No | Wigan Warriors Academy |
| 26 | Nicky Stanton | Right wing | 85 | 1.80 | 21 | No | Wigan Warriors Academy |
| 27 | Lee Mossop | Prop | 104 | 1.85 | 19 | No | Wigan Warriors Academy |
| 28 | Mark Flanagan | Loose forward | 90 | 1.74 | 20 | No | Bradford Bulls |
| 29 | Sam Tomkins | Stand off | 77 | 1.80 | 19 | No | Wigan Warriors Academy |
| 30 | Chris Tuson | Second row | | | 18 | No | Wigan Warriors Academy |
| 31 | Shaun Ainscough | Left wing | 86 | 1.73 | 18 | No | Wigan Warriors Academy |
| 32 | Tim Smith | Scrum half | 92 | 1.80 | 23 | Yes | Parramatta Eels |
| 40 | Sam Reay† | Full back | | | 23 | No | Wigan Warriors Academy |
† Added to the squad for pre-season friendlies. †† Added to the squad on 27 May 2008. ‡ Qualify as non-quota players because they were playing in the British Federation before they were 21 years of age.

## Transfers

Transfer for 2008 (in)
| Name | Transferred from | Fee | Date signed |
| Andy Coley | Salford City Reds | Free transfer | September 2007 |
| Richie Mathers | Gold Coast Titans | Free transfer | November 2007 |
| George Carmont | Newcastle Knights | Free transfer | November 2007 |
| Karl Pryce | Gloucester Rugby Union | Free transfer | December 2007 |
| Cameron Phelps | Canterbury Bulldogs | Free transfer | May 2008 |
| Tim Smith | Parramatta Eels | Free transfer | May 2008 |
Transfer for 2008 (out)
| Name | Transferred to | Fee | Date released |
| Bryan Fletcher | Retired | N/A | September 2007 |
| David Vaealiki | Manly Sea Eagles | Released | October 2007 |
| Shane Millard | Retired | N/A | October 2007 |
| Danny Hill | Widnes Vikings | Released | November 2007 |
| Ben Kavanagh | Widnes Vikings | Free transfer | June 2008 |
| Nicky Stanton | Leigh Centurions | Free transfer | September 2008 |
2008 loans (out)
| Name | Loan to | Loan started | Loan ended |
| Ben Kavanagh | Widnes Vikings | February 2008 | June 2008 |
Super League XIII :
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | St. Helens (L) | 27 | 21 | 1 | 5 | 940 | 457 | +483 | 43 | Semi-final |
| 2 | Leeds Rhinos (C) | 27 | 21 | 0 | 6 | 863 | 413 | +450 | 42 | Semi-final |
| 3 | Catalans Dragons | 27 | 16 | 2 | 9 | 694 | 625 | +69 | 34 | Elimination semi-finals |
| 4 | Wigan Warriors | 27 | 13 | 3 | 11 | 648 | 698 | −50 | 29 | Elimination semi-finals |
| 5 | Bradford Bulls | 27 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 705 | 625 | +80 | 28 | Elimination semi-finals |
| 6 | Warrington Wolves | 27 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 690 | 713 | −23 | 28 | Elimination semi-finals |
| 7 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 27 | 11 | 1 | 15 | 564 | 713 | −149 | 23 | |
| 8 | Wakefield Trinity Wildcats | 27 | 11 | 0 | 16 | 574 | 760 | −186 | 22 | |
| 9 | Harlequins | 27 | 11 | 0 | 16 | 569 | 763 | −194 | 22 | |
| 10 | Huddersfield Giants | 27 | 10 | 1 | 16 | 638 | 681 | −43 | 21 | |
| 11 | Hull F.C. | 27 | 8 | 1 | 18 | 538 | 699 | −161 | 17 | |
| 12 | Castleford Tigers | 27 | 7 | 1 | 19 | 593 | 869 | −276 | 15 | |

## Fixtures/results

| Competition | Round | Opponent | Result | Score | Home/away | Venue | Attendance | Date |
| Friendly | N/A | Warrington Wolves | Lose | 30–22 | Away | Halliwell Jones Stadium | 6,573 | 13 Jan 2008 |
| Friendly | N/A | Bradford Bulls | Win | 16–28 | Away | Grattan Stadium | 5,036 | 20 Jan 2008 |
| Friendly | N/A | Widnes Vikings | Win | 18–42 | Away | Halton Stadium | 5,106 | 27 Jan 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 1 | Harlequins RL | Win | 28–47 | Away | Twickenham Stoop | 8,041 | 9 Feb 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 2 | Castleford Tigers | Win | 28–16 | Home | JJB Stadium | 16,667 | 15 Feb 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 3 | Hull | Lose | 24–22 | Away | KC Stadium | 13,226 | 22 Feb 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 4 | Bradford Bulls | Win | 28–14 | Home | JJB Stadium | 15,444 | 1 Mar 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 5 | Warrington Wolves | Lose | 32–20 | Away | Halliwell Jones Stadium | 13,024 | 8 Mar 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 6 | Huddersfield Giants | Win | 19–20 | Away | Galpharm Stadium | 8,417 | 16 Mar 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 7 | St. Helens | Lose | 46–10 | Away | Knowsley Road | 17,500 | 21 Mar 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 8 | Hull Kingston Rovers | Win | 18–12 | Home | JJB Stadium | 16,457 | 24 Mar 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 9 | Wakefield Trinity Wildcats | Win | 8–4 | Home | JJB Stadium | 12,933 | 28 Mar 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 10 | Leeds Rhinos | Win | 10–14 | Away | Headingley Carnegie Stadium | 18,769 | 5 Apr 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 11 | Catalans Dragons | Lose | 24–26 | Home | JJB Stadium | 13,044 | 11 Apr 2008 |
| Challenge Cup | Rnd4 | Pia Donkeys | Win | 74–4 | Home | JJB Stadium | 4,423 | 20 Apr 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 12 | Bradford Bulls | Lose | 26–12 | Away | Grattan Stadium | 11,894 | 27 Apr 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 13 | St Helens | Lose | 57–16 | Away | Millennium Stadium | 32,516 | 4 May 2008 |
| Challenge Cup | Rnd5 | Whitehaven | Win | 106–8 | Home | JJB Stadium | 3,814 | 12 May 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 14 | Warrington Wolves | Win | 38–14 | Home | JJB Stadium | 15,537 | 16 May 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 15 | Wakefield Trinity Wildcats | Win | 38–30 | Away | Atlantic Solutions Stadium | 6,370 | 25 May 2008 |
| Challenge Cup | QF | Leeds Rhinos | Lose | 23–16 | Away | Headingley Carnegie Stadium | 10,129 | 1 June 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 16 | Huddersfield Giants† | Postponed | N/A | Home | JJB Stadium | N/A | 6 Jun 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 17 | Catalans Dragons | Lose | 45–38 | Away | Stade Gilbert Brutus | 9,125 | 14 Jun 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 18 | Castleford Tigers | Draw | 22–22 | Away | The Jungle | 7,048 | 22 Jun 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 19 | Harlequins RL | Win | 38–20 | Home | JJB Stadium | 11,453 | 27 Jun 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 20 | Leeds Rhinos | Win | 23–22 | Home | JJB Stadium | 14,911 | 5 Jul 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 21 | Hull Kingston Rovers | Lose | 39–22 | Away | Craven Park | 8,481 | 13 Jul 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 22 | St Helens | Lose | 46–12 | Home | JJB Stadium | 19,958 | 18 Jul 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 16 | Huddersfield Giants† | Lose | 34–4 | Home | JJB Stadium | 12,216 | 25 Jul 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 23 | Hull FC | Win | 66–6 | Home | JJB Stadium | 12,842 | 1 Aug 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 24 | Catalans Dragons | Draw | 16–16 | Away | Stade Gilbert Brutus | 9,535 | 9 Aug 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 25 | Wakefield Trinity Wildcats | Win | 32–22 | Home | JJB Stadium | 12,319 | 15 Aug 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 26 | Leeds Rhinos | Lose | 16–52 | Home | JJB Stadium | 14,778 | 22 Aug 2008 |
| Super League XIII | 27 | St. Helens | Draw | 16–16 | Away | Knowsley Road | 14,113 | 5 Sep 2008 |
| Super League XIII Playoffs | Week 1 | Bradford Bulls‡ | Win | 30–14 | Home/Neutral | The Stobart Stadium Halton | 6,806 | 12 Sep 2008 |
| Super League XIII Playoffs | Week 2 | Catalans Dragons | Win | 26–50 | Away | Stade Gilbert Brutus | 9,985 | 20 Sep 2008 |
| Super League XIII Playoffs | Week 3 | Leeds Rhinos | Lose | 14–18 | Away | Headingley Carnegie Stadium | 13,112 | 26 Sep 2008 |
* † Wigan Warriors against Huddersfield Giants on 6 June 2008 was postponed due to resurfacing work at the JJB Stadium. The match was re-arranged for 25 July 2008.
* ‡ Match was originally due to take place at the JJB Stadium but the venue was changed due to the unavailability of the Stadium on that date.

## Statistics

| Statistic | Total |
| Total Tries | 109 |
| Total Points | 648 |
| Total Goals | 105 |
| Drop Goals | 2 |
| Metres | 34324 |
| Carries | 5111 |
| Tackles | 7412 |
| Offloads | 316 |
| Attacking Kicks | 282 |
| Runs From Dummy Half | 744 |
| Tackle Busts | 667 |
| Maker Tackles | 857 |
| Clean Breaks | 149 |
| Forty Twenties | 1 |
| Kicks in General Play | 497 |
| Missed Goals | 31 |
| Missed Tackles | 31 |
| Errors | 270 |
| Penalties | 229 |
| Red Cards (Sent Off) | 4 |
| Yellow Cards (Sin Binned) | 4 |
| Player name | Appearances |
| Andy Coley | 36 |
| Thomas LeuLuai | 35 |
| George Carmont | 35 |
| Pat Richards | 34 |
| Harrison Hansen | 34 |
| Player name | Tries |
| Pat Richards | 17 |
| George Carmont | 15 |
| Harrison Hansen | 14 |
| Thomas LeuLuai | 14 |
| Joel Tomkins | 12 |
| Player name | Goals |
| Pat Richards | 157 |
| Cameron Phelps | 4 |
| Sean O'Loughlin | 4 |

## Staff

Management board
* President – Peter Higginbottom
* Owner and chairman – Ian Lenagan
* Chief executive – Mick Hogan
Rugby
* Performance director – Joe Lydon
* Head coach – Brian Noble
* Assistant coach – Phil Veivers
* Strength & conditioning coach – Mike Forshaw
* Reserve team coach – Shaun Wane
* Academy team coach – John Pendlebury