After all the effort he invested in getting a visa to fly to Las Vegas in the first place, Sam Burgess might well have been left wishing he had not bothered following Warrington Wolves’ 48-24 defeat to Wigan Warriors.
The Betfred Super League’s first game on American soil ended in a dominant win for reigning champions Wigan, who were 42-0 with not even an hour gone at Allegiant Stadium before a late flurry from the Wolves.
Tries from Arron Lindop, James Harrison, Matt Dufty, and Matty Ashton on the final play of the game could not mask an otherwise lacklustre showing from Warrington, though, which head coach Burgess was at a loss to explain.
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“It’s the first time in my time at the club we’ve not been in the game,” Burgess told Sky Sports.
“We’ve been in every contest we’ve played, so it’s a new one which I’m going to have to figure out.
“The players have got to find some answers as well.”
The result marked the Wolves’ first defeat of the Super League season after beginning the campaign with hard-fought wins over Huddersfield Giants and Catalans Dragons, and the first time they had conceded that number of points since Burgess took charge.
The 36-year-old pinpointed the end of the first half as the key moments where the game slipped away from his team and was frustrated by the way they struggled to live with Wigan on a historic night for the competition.
“We missed an opportunity on the big stage and a big moment,” Burgess said.
“We weren’t willing to do the hard stuff at the back end of the first half.
“We showed a bit of spirit, but 48 points is really disappointing.”
