Wigan Warriors' youthful squad suffered a setback in their 2026 pre-season opener, falling 34-22 to the North Wales Crusaders. The Cherry and Whites, led by assistant coach John Duffy, traveled to Eirias Stadium with a young team, featuring only a few players with top-tier experience. Despite their efforts, the Crusaders dominated, scoring seven tries, including a hat-trick by Ollie Brookes. The League 1 champions, preparing for their Championship return under Dean Muir, proved too strong for Wigan's inexperienced side, with Tiaki Chan, Tom Forber, George Hirst, and new signing Jonny Vaughan among the most seasoned players. Brookes opened the scoring, but Wigan briefly took the lead with a crash ball by Tiaki Chan, followed by Nathan Lowe's conversion. The Crusaders quickly regained the advantage, with Brookes scoring again in the 11th minute and Junior Westwood, Jayden Hatton, and Luke Forber all touching down in succession. Leo Wadsworth's try for Wigan just before halftime provided a glimmer of hope, but Brookes' hat-trick in the 49th minute sealed the Crusaders' victory. New signing Dayon Sambou and full-back Noah Hodkinson contributed in the second half, but North Wales' Tom Forber added a second try in the final minutes, finishing with a stadium record crowd of 1,509. The Warriors will look to bounce back against Hull FC in Liam Marshall's testimonial match in three weeks, while the Crusaders, having recently lost to Barrow Raiders, head into their Challenge Cup second round with renewed confidence.
