Readying ahead of the Sharks venture to the DW Stadium next month, the Wigan Warriors downed Super League counterparts Catalans Dragons 26 points to 22 in a trial match overnight.
Surging out to a 20 points to 6 half time front, the Super League champions managed to hold off a resurgent Dragons outfit in France’s Perpignan.
A double to former Roosters and Rabbitohs winger Joe Burgess set Wigan into motion early, before a second-half brace to ex-NRL journeyman Krisnan Inu had the hosts right back in the thick of the contest.
Though unable to run in a score despite their efforts late, the Dragons were consigned to a 4-point defeat, with Wigan set to take plenty of confidence out of the tight win.
The Warriors will now turn their attentions to their opening fixture of the Super League season when travelling to Salford on February 11, ahead of the World Club Challenge fixture against the Sharks some eight days later.
