Super League: Wigan Warriors 32-6 Warrington Wolves - Liam Marshall scores hat-trick
- Published
Liam Marshall took his tally of tries in all competitions this season to 22
Betfred Super League |
|---|
Wigan (4) 32 |
Tries: Halsall, Bibby, Marshall 3, Field Goals: Smith 4 |
Warrington (6) 6 |
Tries: Currie Goals: Ratchford |
Liam Marshall ran in a hat-trick as Wigan eventually overpowered Warrington to close the gap on Super League leaders St Helens to two points.
The hosts were made to graft in the opening 40, with Sam Halsall's score at the back end of the half replying to Ben Currie's Wire opener.
Jake Bibby gave Wigan the lead before Marshall moved into scoring mode with his treble as Warrington tired.
Jai Field, who along with Bevan French was key, added a late sixth score.
Defeat leaves Warrington just four points above bottom club Toulouse, as Daryl Powell's side slipped to a 15th defeat from 22 games in 2022.
Matt Peet's Warriors showed genuine character to fight their way back into this game on home turf, where they had won their past nine matches in all competitions.
They also showed composure too, eventually taking the sting out of a high-energy and physical Warrington attack and defence in the second half to pour on the points.
Meanwhile, Marshall's three-try haul was his second in successive matches, following his salvo in the win over Hull KR.
It might have been worse for Wigan than the Currie try in the first period - conceded after French was beaten in the air to a George Williams kick - had Matty Ashton scooped up a loose ball and Josh Thewlis taken a short pass from Williams.
Yet after Halsall finished off a sliding move on the right with a rare chance late on in the first half, Wigan flicked a switch after the break and took full control.
Bibby waltzed in for a score created by Kai Pearce-Paul's offload, and after Field stopped a runaway Ashton with a superb cover tackle, Wigan took the ball up the other end and Marshall nabbed his first try.
Kicks to the corner were finished off to bring up Marshall's second and third, before a stop-start, buzzing Field carved his way through a static defence to add gloss to the win.
For Powell and Warrington, though, there was no lack of effort but the result remains the same during a tough first year in charge for the head coach.
Wigan head coach Matt Peet:
"In my gut at the moment I feel proud, we beat a determined team with loads of good players but I thought our effort and desire when things didn't go our way was what made me proud.
"We were confident that the lads wouldn't give in and they didn't. They kept fighting for one another.
"Them scoring didn't concern us too much, what's important is our reaction to it and I thought it was a positive one."
Warrington boss Daryl Powell:
"I think this is different [to last week against Huddersfield - losing from a winning position], if you look at the first-half we could easily have been 18-4 up, we drop the ball, George [Williams] goes straight through, could have scored himself if he runs but the pass goes forward, Matty Ashton tries to pick the ball up. But it's not. We're not taking our chances.
"If you look at what they did in the second half, they did take their chances. We had another two chances, Matty Ashton gets away on the intercept and they pinch the ball. There's nothing in the game, look at the scoreline - it's not that game.
"It's not a lack of effort game, and I'll fight anyone that says it is. Because the boys have worked so hard there and they've got a couple of players that have done things to us there that blow the score out."
Wigan: Field; French, Halsall, Bibby, Marshall; Cust, Smith; Cooper, Shorrocks, Byrne, Isa, Pearce-Paul, Smithies.
Interchanges: Singleton, Mago, Ellis, Partington.
Warrington: Thewlis; Wrench, Mata'utia, Wardle, Ashton; Ratchford, Williams; Mulhern, D Clark, Harrison, Currie, Nicholson, Holmes.
Interchanges: J Clark, Bullock, Walker, Mikaele.
Referee: Jack Smith.
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