Wigan Warriors ended their hoodoo in West Yorkshire by overcoming the bottom side, Wakefield, to move up to second on the ladder. The Warriors had not won a Super League game in the county in more than 19 months, with their last victory coming against Huddersfield Giants in a play-off match back in their 2013 title-winning season. Away defeats by Bradford, Leeds and indeed Wakefield had followed since then but they finally snapped their jinx against a spirited but ultimately outclassed Wildcats side.
A hat-trick for the NRL-bound wing Joe Burgess and a 16-point haul for the scrum-half Matty Smith laid the platform for Wigan’s fifth win in six games and their third in succession. Still without a host of senior players due to injury, Wakefield slipped to their ninth league defeat in succession and could be as many as six points adrift at the foot of the table by the end of the weekend.
Despite some heavy defeats in 2015, Wakefield have not lacked belief and that was summed up by them racing into an early lead. From the first set of the match, the full-back Craig Hall supported a Matt Ryan break to race home from 40 metres and leave Wigan stunned.
However, that score seemed to wake the Warriors up and they responded with a blistering spell of three tries in 15 minutes to surge into a commanding lead. First, they drew level when Dom Crosby crossed for his first try in over two years to level the game up before a sensational break from the England international Smith had the Wakefield defence in ribbons, and he strolled home to put Wigan in front.
Wigan had evidently nudged up the pace of the game and it was too hot for Wakefield to handle at times. Dan Sarginson’s offload freed Burgess down the left wing soon after that Smith try and he rounded Hall to finish off another impressive Wigan score. Coupled with the 80 points Wakefield conceded in the final hour at Warrington two weeks ago, it meant the last 100 minutes of league action had seen the Wildcats ship 98 points.
However, they stemmed the tide somewhat when their captain, Danny Kirmond, crossed for a much-needed score, before both sides lost a player six minutes from the break. A skirmish broke out when Wakefield’s Tim Smith lashed out at Wigan’s Sam Powell, and after the dust had settled, the referee, Robert Hicks, showed each man a yellow card.
The lead would remain at six points at the break but only after a try from both teams in the closing stages of the half. After Dom Manfredi crossed for his seventh try in three games, Pita Godinet struck on half-time for Wakefield to leave it finely poised at 24-18 in Wigan’s favour.
The second period threatened an equally close 40 minutes of action with a try for each side early on, as Wakefield refused to give in. Burgess crossed for his second to push Wigan’s lead out to 12, but to their credit, the Wildcats hit back again. It was an error from the former Wakefield man Taulima Tautai that created the chance, and the Wildcats pounced when Chris Riley struck to once again halve the lead. Wigan then clicked up a gear, though, and closedthe game out with another brace of tries. The prop Lee Mossop charged over with a barnstorming effort to put the lead out to 14, before Burgess completed his hat-trick, diving over from close range after a brilliant sequence of passing from the visitors.
Wakefield Hall; Owen, Ryan, Lyne, Riley; Godinet, T Smith; Scruton, McShane, Kavanagh, Washbrook, Kirmond, Crowther. Interchange Lauitiiti, D Smith, Kirke, Simon.
Tries Hall, Kirmond, Godinet, Riley Goals Hall 3
Wigan Hampshire; Manfredi, Gelling, Sarginson, Burgess; Williams, Smith; Mossop, McIlorum, Crosby, Tomkins, Farrell, Bateman. Interchange Powell, Tautai, Flower, Clubb.
Tries Crosby, Smith, Burgess 3, Manfredi, Mossop Goals Smith 6
Referee R Hicks
