Warrington's 2013 play-off campaign started with a 40-20 home win over last season's Grand Final winners, Leeds Rhinos with Ben Westwood scoring four tries. The result, coupled with Wigan's win over the league leaders Huddersfield, meant that Warrington would be the team to choose in the Club Call. On Sunday 22 September, Warrington opted to play Huddersfield Giants in the Qualifying Semi Final instead of a re-match against Leeds. Warrington's coach Tony Smith did not have any say in the choice of opponent, after describing the Club Call as "a ridiculous gimmick". Warrington's choice proved fruitful, as they ran out 30-22 winners against Huddersfield to send Warrington into their second Grand Final in two years, having never reached the final before the 2012 final.
Wigan Warriors
Following a poor run of results towards the end of the regular season, Wigan slipped down from first to fourth in the table, forfeiting home advantage in the first round of the play-offs as a result. Despite being drawn away in their Qualifying Play off game, Wigan went to Huddersfield's John Smith's Stadium and won 22-8 with two tries for Josh Charnley and two drop-goals from Matty Smith. Following the Club Call decision by Warrington, Wigan met Leeds in the Qualifying Semi Final at the DW Stadium at the same stage and same venue as the 2012 play-offs. However, Wigan would be successful in 2013, winning 22-12 in what would be the last home match for Sam Tomkins, Pat Richards and Lee Mossop.
Match details
First Half
A cagey opening to the game saw little in the way of notable action aside from 3 minutes into the game when Wigan stand off Blake Green was tackled and Warrington second rower Ben Westwood punched a prone Green in the face. The referee only put Westwood on report for the incident. After receiving treatment, Green was able to carry on. Wigan took the lead on 11 minutes when Pat Richards booted a penalty kick to put Wigan 2-0 up. Green kicked a 40/20 shortly after to give Wigan a prime opportunity to extend their lead but they couldn't take it. On 21 minutes, Warrington took the lead when winger Joel Monaghan plucked a Lee Briers kick out of the air but the Stefan Ratchford couldn't nail the conversion, 4-2 to Warrington. 3 minutes later the Wire extended their lead after the Warriors kicked out on the full from the kickoff. They gained territory from the set and Simon Grix took Micky Higham's pass to crash over the line. Ratchford converts to make it 10-2. Warrington scored again on 26 minutes as Ben Westwood charged over from close range after great work from Briers with Ratchford kicking the extras to make it 16-2 and put Warrington in the driving seat. As the game inched closer to half time, a turning point came when Joel Monaghan paid the ultimate price for halting Warriors winger Pat Richards' charge to the corner as he knocked himself out preventing Richards from going over for a try. After he was stretchered off, Wigan showed there were still signs of life when the Josh Charnley-Darrell Goulding combination that had been so great all season, but so wasteful in this game up until this point, finally clicked when Sam Tomkins sent Goulding over in the corner. Richards was unable to convert as the score at half time was 16-6.
Second Half
The next try was going to be a pivotal one whichever way it went and it went to Wigan on 49 minutes as Michael McIlorum threw a dummy at the play the ball which fooled Warrington's defence and he was able to scoot over the line with Richards' conversion reducing the deficit to 16-12. Warrington would then lose Ratchford to injury as they began to run out of bodies. Wigan tied the game on 53 minutes as Goulding played a grubber kick behind the Warrington line and Charnley was quickest to react as he won the race to the ball and went over; Richards kicking the extras to give Wigan a slender 18-16 lead. The Warriors then extended their lead with 15 minutes left as Green, sporting a black eye after the punch he took earlier in the game, sold Adrian Morley a dummy before diving under the posts to give Richards an easy conversion to put Wigan 24-16 up. With six minutes left, Richards ended a glittering 8 season career at Wigan with one more try and conversion as he plucked a looping pass from Sean O'Loughlin to touch down in the corner and convert his own try to make it 30-16. This win sealed the Super League and Challenge Cup double for Wigan, the Warriors becoming the first team to achieve that feat since St Helens in 2006 and ensured that Sam Tomkins, Pat Richards, and Lee Mossop would all leave for the NRL on a high. It was heartbreak though for Lee Briers, who retired at the end of this season, and outgoing Wolves players Adrian Morley, Gareth Carvell, and Michael Cooper.
By winning this match the Warriors had qualified for the World Club Challenge, to be played early in the 2014 season against the winners of the 2013 NRL Grand final, the Sydney Roosters.
