In this most unpredictable of Super League seasons perhaps the only thing we should expect is the unexpected, as the headline-grabbing fragilities of heavyweights such as Leeds and Huddersfield are being matched by the unthinkable exploits of those more accustomed to life at the bottom.
In the beginning it was only Widnes who were scripting an unfathomable fairytale but days like these have been so few and far between for Wakefield that it is hard to do anything but call this one of the greatest wins in their recent history. Victories against Wigan are traditionally hard to come by for the Wildcats, who have beaten them only seven times in the Super League era, but wins of this magnitude are unheard of.
When Wakefield’s players walked round Belle Vue to soak up the applause after the match, it was hard to gauge the sense of disbelief at what everyone had just seen, as the records tumbled in West Yorkshire. It was not only Wigan’s biggest league defeat in over a decade. It was Wakefield’s biggest ever Super League win against Wigan.
But this extraordinary season means that despite winning by 62 points and picking up their fourth win on the bounce under their new coach, Chris Chester, Wakefield are still not in the top eight. If they keep performing like this for the remainder of 2016, though, it will be only a matter of time before they usurp some of those above them. “Clearly I wasn’t expecting that scoreline,” Chester said. “It shows what belief does for a group of players; they were outstanding and it’s been a good few weeks but we need to keep grounded.”
Wigan were without 10 of their front-line stars, as well as being ravaged by an illness in the camp in the days leading up to this match. But defeats of this significance make that mitigation look fairly weak – even if the Wigan coach, Shaun Wane, refused to panic. “I am not stressed one little bit,” he said. “I don’t want to take anything away from Wakefield – if they want to book their coaches to London, let them – but I know what I’ve got in my club, how we can play and that result doesn’t stress me in the slightest.”
Almost a year to the day since the Wildcats were beaten 80-0 at Warrington a fourth straight victory looked likely early on. Four tries in the opening half laid the platform for victory and they were all of high quality. Nick Scruton’s thunderous charge over the line initially broke the deadlock before the afternoon’s star, Jacob Miller, scored the first of his personal hat-trick.
The exciting young winger Tom Johnstone made it six tries in four games soon afterwards before Miller scored the try of the game – and there were enough to pick from. Johnstone’s offload to Joe Arundel split open the Warriors’ defence before the centre stepped and passed right for Miller, who raced home unchallenged.
At 22-0 it seemed imperative Wigan scored first in the second half to give themselves a chance. They did not. When Liam Finn stepped over the line eight minutes after the restart, the result felt safe against a youthful Warriors side with no answer to Wakefield’s panache. Miller’s hat-trick on 52 minutes was the conclusion of another scintillating move that displayed speed, skill and flair to the extreme before a brace of tries for the captain, Danny Kirmond, broke the 40-point barrier.
They weren’t done, either; Ben Jones-Bishop made it 50 before late scores for Max Jowitt and a second for Scruton neatly rounded off a remarkable afternoon. There have been jokes that Johnstone, the most exciting product to emerge from Wakefield’s academy in years, is being dubbed the Mayor of Wakefield by his team-mates. But if Chester continues to take Wakefield on this upward curve, he might have a genuine shot at that title himself.
Wakefield Jowitt; Johnstone, Arundel, Lyne, Jones-Bishop; Miller, Finn; Scruton, Moore, England, Tupou, Kirmond, Sio.
Interchange Molloy, Simon, Ashurst, Arona.
Tries Scruton 2, Miller 3, Johnstone, Finn, Kirmond 2, Jones-Bishop, Jowitt. Goals Finn 9.
Wigan Sarginson; Charnley, Higginson, Gildart, Tierney; Gregson, Smith; Clubb, Powell, Mossop, Tomkins, Isa, Sutton. Interchange Tautai, Burke, Bretherton, Wells.
Referee G Hewer
