Super League: Wigan go top with eight-try hammering of Huddersfield

Liam Marshall scored the second of his three tries just before the break at the John Smith's Stadium

Ruthless Wigan ran in four tries inside 10 minutes against 12 men either side of the break as they cashed in on Aidan Sezer's sin-binning to go top of Super League by beating Huddersfield.

Wigan trailed 10-4 when Sezer was shown a yellow card on 34 minutes for a high tackle on scrum-half Tommy Leuluai.

But hat-trick man Liam Marshall scored two of his three tries in six minutes, either side of one from Sam Powell.

Dom Manfredi, Oliver Partington, George Burgess and Willie Isa also crossed.

Six-times Super League champions Wigan's fourth win in five matches lifts them ahead of second-placed Castleford on better points difference, two points clear of St Helens, Leeds and Huddersfield, whose three-match winning start came to an abrupt end.

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After Sezer's early penalty, Isa went in for the game's first try to put Wigan in front, only for a second Sezer penalty to tie it up at 4-4.

Sezer then converted Adam O'Brien's try to put the Giants back in front at 10-4 before the game turned on Sezer's high shot which removed Leuluai from the fray.

Marshall immediately took full advantage of the Giants' overstretched defence to score in the corner, before Powell plunged over from close range two minutes later, to which Zak Hardaker added his first of five conversions.

But, with the half-time hooter about to sound, there was still time before the break for a try of the season contender from Marshall. Collecting the restart inside his own 20-metre area, he kicked deep, then won the race to re-gather before finishing off in the corner.

Within two minutes of the restart, and with Sezer still in the bin, Wigan then added a fourth score inside Sezer's time in the sinbin.

Manfredi touched down before, with Sezer now back on. Marshall went in to complete a 13-minute hat-trick.

Partington then eased over from 20 metres before fellow prop Burgess - available for the first time since the opening weekend - claimed his first try for the club following his winter move from South Sydney Rabbitohs with three minutes left.

Huddersfield now go to champions St Helens on Friday night (19:45 GMT), while Wigan are back in action when they host Hull KR next Sunday (15:00 GMT).

Wigan coach Adrian Lam:

"Liam Marshall was sensational. He can do some amazing things. There's no doubt he's one of the best wingers in the competition right now.

"If he carries on like that, there's no reason why he can't feature for England later in the year. I was pleased for him, and I was pleased for the whole team.

"There was also the added bonus that we got a fair number of points on the board, which meant we've gone to the top of the league.

"I know it's still very early days, but we've got to be relatively pleased with the start we've made. The key now is obviously to keep building on it."

Huddersfield coach Simon Woolford:

"It was a pretty tough call, but that doesn't excuse the way we defended our line while we were a man down.

"We were clearly a bit off and that spell when they scored those four tries pretty much summed up our day.

"After the start we've made to the season, this has come as a bit of a blow to us. But we can't dwell on this.

"We've got to make sure we dust ourselves down and get ready for our next challenge - fortunately, that's away to St Helens on Friday night!"

Huddersfield: McGillvary; Jake Wardle, Turner, Gaskell, Sezer; O'Brien, Matagi; Joe Wardle, Lawrence, English, Murphy, I Senior, Wood.

Interchanges: Wilson, Edwards, Ta'ai, Clough.

Sin Bin: Sezer (35).

Wigan: French; Manfredi, Hardaker, Hankinson, Marshall; Hastings, Leuluai; Clubb, Powell, Partington, Isa, Farrell, Smithies.

Interchanges: Bullock, G Burgess, Byrne, Smith.

Referee: James Child.