Super League: Wigan 46-6 Salford

New Salford coach Brian Noble endured a painful return to Wigan as the Super League leaders ran in eight tries to thrash his new side.

Sam Tomkins and Josh Charnley, who also kicked five goals, both crossed twice.

There were also tries for Ben Flower, Anthony Gelling, Liam Farrell, Lee Mossop and Blake Green.

Only a last-minute try for interchange Adam Walne, improved by Marc Sneyd, prevented Salford from being "nilled" by Wigan for a second time this season.

Wigan won 42-0 when the two sides last met, at the City of Salford Stadium, on the opening day of the season. But any frustration Wigan coach Shaun Wane might have felt at that was left fuming by what he thought was a blatant second-half shoulder charge on Salford old boy Matty Smith, which could leave him without his first-choice scrum-half for a number of weeks.

And Wigan also lost winger Gelling with a shoulder injury he received in scoring his first-half try.

Noble, up against the club he coached between 2007 and 2009, recalled on-loan St Helens utility back Lee Gaskell after three matches out through injury, the only change to the side that last week beat bottom club Castleford, after which the Reds were charged with fielding 14 men.

And, although kit has been well documented that Reds owner Dr Marwan Koukash has the money to spend to bring in new players, Noble insists that he wants to take his time to spend it wisely.

VIEW FROM THE DRESSING ROOM

Wigan coach Shaun Wane:

"I was impressed tonight. I thought we did really well and scored some great tries considering the ruck speed was painfully slow.

"But Matty Smith has badly damaged his shoulder, so I wasn't impressed with that. It looked like a shoulder charge and it went on report.

"Anthony Gelling will have a scan on his shoulder. He landed awkwardly scoring the try. I feel sorry for him. He is a good kid. He is fit and strong and then he does that,

"Epalahame Lauaki was another plus for us. He played longer than expected and he actually played better than we expected considering the length of time he has been out."

Salford coach Brian Noble:

"Compliments to Wigan. That is the bar that we have to aspire to. They are physically very good and had too much prowess physically and skilfully.

"I fully understand where we are at and where we need to go to. I'm confident we will make strides both this year and particularly next year.

"I won't be spending money now for two reasons. One is the availability of the right players has to be right and secondly I gave a commitment to the current players to both look at them and not bring players in that are worse than what are here already.

"I wouldn't want a short term fix. Whoever comes to the club needs to be here for a while. We have to work with what we have got."

FRIDAY'S LINE-UPS

Wigan: S Tomkins; Charnley, Goulding, Thornley, Gelling; Green, Smith; Flower, McIlorum, Mossop, Hansen, Farrell, O'Loughlin.

Replacements: Hughes, Lauaki, Taylor, Crosby.

Salford: Sneyd; Broughton, Gleeson, Gaskell, D Williams; McGoldrick, Fages; Griffin, Godwin, Emmitt, Ashurst, Dixon, Wild.

Replacements: Foran, James, Neal, A Walne.

Attendance: 12,489.

Referee: James Child (Dewsbury).