When Ellise Derbyshire picked up a loose ball and dived over for a try after just two minutes, it was clear this would not be St Helens' night. The Wigan Warriors went on to thrash their rivals 44-6 in the first match of the brand-new Super Four format in the Women's Super League on Saturday, August 8, at the BrewDog Stadium.
The final score of 44-6 tells only part of the story. Wigan scored nine tries altogether, with Derbyshire and Eva Hunter each crossing twice. Other tries came from Anna Davies, Molly Jones, Remi Wilton, Jenna Foubister, and Mary Coleman. Izzy Rowe kicked four conversions, keeping her team's momentum going all night.
This was no ordinary win. It marked Wigan's fifth straight victory over St Helens in just twelve months, including their devastating 54-6 win in the Challenge Cup final at Wembley. The defending champions showed exactly why they are the team everyone else is trying to catch.
"Whatever the format, though, there is no doubt that Wigan are the standard-bearers for the rest to catch," acknowledged the match report.
Hunter's second try was a particular highlight. She caught the ball inside her own half and simply ran past everyone, showing what coaches call "power, pace and sidestepping" to score all by herself. Earlier, young Saints fullback Liv Leach had a tough night — she dropped a tricky kick into the sun in the first set, which gave Derbyshire an easy opening try, and she was later carried off injured.
St Helens managed only one bright moment: a try from Luci McColm just before halftime. But any hope of a comeback faded when Molly Jones scored on her return from a knee injury.
The Super Four format itself is new for 2026. After seven rounds where all teams played each other once, the league now splits into a top four and bottom four — but teams keep all their points. Over the next six weekends, each team plays the others in their section twice, home and away. The top team goes straight to the Grand Final. Second and third place face a playoff to decide who else gets there, while fourth place misses out entirely.
For teams ranked fifth through eighth, a separate Shield competition runs alongside, with the bottom finisher competing against National Championship winners for the final Super League spot in 2027.
Wigan now face weeks of tough games against Leeds Rhinos and York Valkyrie, but after Saturday's display, they look ready for whatever comes next.