Super League: Wigan Warriors 22-6 Wakefield Trinity - Warriors go top of table
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Five of Liam Marshall's nine Super League tries in 2023 have been scored against Wakefield
Betfred Super League |
|---|
Wigan (18) 22 |
Tries: Marshall, Miski, Havard, French Goals: Smith 3 |
Wakefield (0) 6 |
Try: Pitts; Goal: Lino |
Wigan Warriors climbed to the top of Super League with a comfortable home victory over bottom club Wakefield.
Liam Marshall followed his four tries against Trinity in February with the opening score from Bevan French's pass.
Abbas Miski and Ethan Havard also went over before half-time for an 18-0 lead.
Jay Pitts crossed for Wakefield while Wigan forward Willie Isa was in the sin bin, but full-back French touched down for his 100th career try to send the visitors to a 10th consecutive defeat.
Of French's career century of tries, 65 have come for the Cherry and Whites since his debut in 2019.
Wigan thrashed Wakefield 60-0 earlier in the season and they again proved too strong for a Trinity side that remains without a league point in 2023 and four points adrift of Castleford immediately above them in the table.
The hosts were not at their clinical best in attack but were rarely troubled defensively, only conceding points while temporarily reduced to 12 men following Isa's yellow card for a tackle on Harry Bowes.
The Warriors were responsible for Warrington's first defeat of the campaign in their previous outing and, following the Wire's loss at St Helens on Thursday, Matty Peet's side got the victory they required on Sunday to replace Daryl Powell's team as Super League leaders heading into the international break.
There are no Super League fixtures scheduled until 4 May as England face France in a mid-season international on Saturday.
Wigan head coach Matty Peet told BBC Radio Manchester:
"It's pleasing [to be top] because it shows we're doing some good things, but it doesn't count for very much in the big scheme of things.
"We'll just keep trying to enjoy our work and learn. When we've had some tough days like [losses to] Hull KR and Catalans, we've learned some lessons and I expect there will be more of them in the future.
"Not every game ends up as perfect or as pretty as you want it to be. What I do know is the fans are happy with where we're at, they're happy with our performances and results in the past month or two and on the whole we've had more good days than bad."
Wakefield head coach Mark Applegarth told BBC Radio Leeds:
"I thought we coughed up too many yardage errors in the first half and it felt like we were constantly defending our try line. Against a team of Wigan's quality, you can't afford to be doing that.
"I've just said [in the changing room] that I can't fault the lads in terms of the desire to work hard for one another, but those individual errors are currently hurting us.
"You can see they're fighting hard for one another, there's a few lads playing to capacity and giving it everything they've got. We've just got to stick at it and have that belief that we can turn it around."
Wigan: French; Miski, King, Wardle, Marshall; Shorrocks, Smith; Byrne, Powell, Havard, Isa, Pearce-Paul, Smithies.
Interchanges: Mago, O'Neill, Hill, Nsemba.
Sin bin: Isa (51)
Wakefield: Kay; Kershaw, Lyne, Langi, Taufua; Milnes, Lino; Whitbread, Bowes, Proctor, Hewitt, Ashurst, Pitts.
Interchanges: Battye, Eseh, Atoni, Bowden.
Referee: Aaron Moore