Super League: Catalans Dragons 0-34 Wigan Warriors - Leaders stunned at home

Abbas Miski scored his fourth hat-trick of the season to take his tally to 20

Abbas Miski's hat-trick helped Wigan to a thumping win over Super League leaders Catalans Dragons that narrows the gap at the top to just two points.

Wigan moved up to second, as Catalans failed to register a single point.

Bevan French's kicking game, deceptive running and passing skill created tries for Miski and Toby King, while he also scored himself in a virtuoso display.

Jake Wardle got the final score and the margin could have been greater but for Harry Smith's goalkicking.

Catalans came into the game on the back of four straight wins, including triumphs over in-form St Helens, Challenge Cup winners Leigh and and play-off seeking Salford.

However, they never got going in this game as Wigan came out with intent early on and did not relent.

There had been much talk about the searing temperatures in the south of France in the build-up, with heights of 40C, and yet it was Matt Peet's Warriors who brought the heat with their intensity.

On the back of the Wigan pack's brutality, against an equally muscular Dragons unit, half-backs Smith and in particular French exposed space and severed the defensive line with an array of runs, kicks and passes.

Miski was the main beneficiary of the defensive spooking that French's gliding runs provide, and was also teed up when full-back Jai Field got in on the creator's act as the Dracs defence was expecting a different receiver.

The success was made all the sweeter by the fact they had failed to score on their last two visits to the Stade Gilbert Brutus, and inflicted a first scoreless loss on Catalans since a 42-0 thrashing in March 2019.

Despite featuring a strong line-up containing four former Warriors players, as well as Wigan-bound Adam Keighran, Catalans were extremely off colour, summed up by winger Tom Johnstone who had to come off through illness.

Catalans remain top, but both Wigan and a resurgent St Helens are now just two points behind with four rounds to go.

Catalans coach Steve McNamara:

"We got beat in every department by Wigan. I have to admit I didn't see that coming. The opposition played well and we were a long way off.

"We were poor, they were great and make us look even worse - we couldn't match them in one aspect.

"It's very disappointing in front of a big home crowd. We're licking our wounds now. We got dominated in every aspect, our defence was poor and they controlled the ruck.

"It's a night we would like to forget but we have to review it closely and find out what went wrong."

Wigan coach Matt Peet:

"That was our best performance of the season. We did everything right, but we won't be getting carried away. We haven't won anything yet.

"But it was good to reward the supporters for their trip to France, I'm sure they will have a good night in Perpignan. They spend their hard-earned money coming over here and they deserve to celebrate.

"We've had that kind of performance in us all season but for some reason or other it hadn't clicked. But the players can be proud of themselves because they got virtually everything right.

"It seems like a heavy scoreline but really it's fine margins. Catalans won't be happy with their start and whichever team gets control of that period can produce a score like that. We just had more discipline with the ball, more energy and our kicking game was excellent."

Catalans: Tomkins; Davies, Romano, Keighran, Johnstone; May, Pearce; McMeeken, McIlorum, Navarrete, Whitley, Seguier, Garcia.

Interchanges: Mourgue, Bousquet, Taukeiaho, Ma'u.

Wigan: Field; Miski, King, Wardle, Marshall; French, Smith; Ellis, O'Neill, Byrne, Pearce-Paul, Farrell, Smithies

Interchanges: Powell, Mago, Nsemba, Dupree.

Referee: Liam Moore.

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