Brian McDermott admitted he was concerned after Leeds endured yet another defeat. Never before had the reigning champions lost seven successive league games in the modern era, and it did not take long herefor it to become apparent the Rhinos were about to create an unwanted record.
This defeat leaves them hovering above the competition’s bottom four, who will split from the rest in a month’s time to fight against relegation with the Championship’s best in the Qualifiers. In 2016 Leeds’s presence in that mini-league was shocking. To be there two years from the past three would be unthinkable.
But it is perhaps the nature of this defeat to second-placed Wigan which will be most concerning. Leeds had improved of late but by half-time they were 22-4 behind after being comprehensively outplayed, and matters only got worse.
Such was the nature of their performance it prompted the usually positive McDermott to tell it like it was. “I could give you some cliches and they would be true – but if you’re asking me if I’m concerned then yes, for sure,” he said.
Though Leeds took the lead through Brett Ferres’s early try, by half-time two tries for Liam Marshall and another for Josh Woods – the teenage half-back who was magnificent for the home side – had established a commanding advantage which Wigan did not surrender.
The Rhinos’ performance only worsened after the interval. The moment Liam Farrell strode through a huge gap in Leeds’ defence to touch down underlined the gulf between the two sides, before the Rhinos topped that by throwing two wild passes in midfield in the final moments which were picked off by Wigan players and eventually finished by Marshall and Tom Davies.
There were moments of promise for Leeds, Joel Moon’s late try among them. But the champions are running out of excuses as well as time. On this form Leeds may need the sides below them to keep losing should they wish to avoid the Qualifiers this summer.
Wigan Tomkins; Davies, Bateman, Gildart, Marshall; Woods, Powell; Clubb, Leuluai, Navarrete, Isa, Farrell, O’Loughlin. Interchange Hamlin, Greenwood, Escare, Tautai.
Tries Marshall 3, Woods, Farrell, Leuluai, Davies. Goals Tomkins 9.
Leeds Walker; T Briscoe, Sutcliffe, L Briscoe, Hall; Moon, Myler; Garbutt, Parcell, Oledzki, Smith, Ferres, Cuthbertson. Interchange Ormondroyd, Golding, Walters, Singleton.
Tries Ferres, Moon.
Referee B Thaler. Attendance 10,645.
