Super League: Wigan Warriors 25-12 Wakefield Trinity - Jake Bibby hat-trick gives hosts win
- Published
Having slipped from top to sixth, Wigan have now won three successive games
Betfred Super League |
|---|
Wigan (9) 25 |
Tries: Bibby 3, Shorrocks, Marshall Goals: Smith 2 Drop-goal: Hastings |
Wakefield (0) 12 |
Tries: Batchelor, Pitts Goals: Lino 2 |
Wigan Warriors sealed a third Super League win in a row courtesy of Jake Bibby's hat-trick as they beat Wakefield Trinity.
Bibby's double put Wigan ahead with Jackson Hastings' drop-goal giving them a nine-point half-time lead.
Early in the second half, Bibby completed his hat-trick while Joe Shorrocks put more points on the board.
Liam Marshall sent Wigan 25-0 ahead before James Batchelor and Jay Pitts ran in two late Wakefield tries.
The win means Wigan remain fourth in the table courtesy of their 10th win of the season, while Wakefield slip a place to 10th following their 11th defeat of the campaign.
Wakefield welcomed back Alex Walker and Chris Green from injury, while Joe Arundel and Ryan Hampshire returned from suspension but they struggled in a lacklustre first half.
Hastings returned from a one-match ban himself, and he made his impact felt, assisting each of Bibby's three tries and kicking a drop-goal on the verge of half-time.
Wakefield won their home fixture against Wigan last month 14-6, however their form has tailed off since, with Batchelor and Pitts' tries coming too late.
A comfortable Wigan performance could have seen them win by a larger margin, were it not for Harry Smith's inconsistent kicking.
Wigan Warriors head coach Adrian Lam told BBC Radio Manchester:
"I think when you're going through difficult times you've just got to go your way and the boys are gaining confidence.
"In the first game against Huddersfield a couple of weeks back, we got a bit of confidence back and what we've done is train hard, and work hard for each other.
"I was confident we could turn it around by sticking to what we're doing but we've got the confidence going now."
Wakefield boss Chris Chester told BBC Radio Leeds:
"I thought it was an even contest in the first half. I think the biggest difference tonight was the guy at full-back [Hastings], he caused us a lot of problems.
"I'm really disappointed with the start of the second half. I don't think it was that Wigan were playing particularly well, it was our errors from some of our senior guys which is what is disappointing.
"They scored three tries off the back of one error. It is a frustrated group at this moment of time."
Wigan: Hastings, Bibby, Isa, Gildart, Marshall, Smith, Leuluai, Singleton, Powell, Clubb, Farrell, Pearce-Paul, Partington.
Interchanges: Clark, Havard, Shorrocks, O'Neill.
Wakefield: Hampshire, Kershaw, Lyne, Arundel, Senior, Miller, Lino, Fifita, Walker, Tanginoa, Pitts, Ashurst, Battye.
Interchanges: Kay, Batchelor, Aydin, Green.
Referee: T Grant.