Douglas runs in hat-trick as Wigan thrash Salford

Betfred Super League

Salford (0) 6

Tries: Connell Goals: Morgan

Wigan (22) 46

Tries: Field 2, Douglas 3, Eckersley, Keighran, Farrimond Goals: Keighran 7

Jacob Douglas racked up a hat-trick of tries as Wigan Warriors kept up the pressure at the top of Super League with a comfortable win over struggling Salford Red Devils.

Jai Field ran in from distance to send Wigan in front and set up Douglas, before touching down again himself from Adam Keighran's kick.

Winger Douglas ran in for his second before the break, while Zach Eckersley and Keighran went over in the second period.

An impressive Douglas hat-trick was completed with ease while Nathan Connell ran in an emphatic try for the hosts late on to prevent a scoreless humbling, shortly before Jack Farrimond's late effort for Wigan.

Victory for the Cherry and Whites meant they remain two points behind leaders Hull KR, who beat St Helens on Friday.

For bottom club Salford, their miserable 2025 continued as they slipped to a 12th defeat from 13 league games.

Prior to their defeat by Wigan, BBC Radio Manchester reported Salford's players had been paid wages for May as the club continue to battle off-field financial issues.

The hosts had just 17 players available but earned some pride courtesy of Connell's score which ensured they would not be on the receiving end of a confidence-shaking blank at home.

Wigan hit the ground running in style inside the first 10 minutes as Field received the ball from a wayward Salford kick deep inside his own half and ran in from almost the length of the field to get them on the board.

He then sent Douglas through for his first Super League try of the season at the corner.

But the visitors' best try of the half was still to come - Keighran sent in a sumptuous, perfectly weighted kick with the outside of his left boot while running down the wing, allowing an onrushing Field to touch down.

Douglas' second was much like Field's first and came via a Salford mistake inside their own 10, with Farrimond picking up the ball from Ryan Brierley's poor kick to send him through from long range.

Salford held Wigan off for almost 10 minutes after the restart but they could not deal with Liam Marshall's speed on the wing as he offloaded for Eckersley to score his fifth try of the campaign, while Keighran added a try to his points tally to put Wigan out of sight.

Debutant Sam Hill thought he has restored some pride for Salford when he went in on the hour mark, but the pass from Brierley was judged to be forward.

Junior Nsemba set up Douglas' third and Farrimond finished off a classy move right before the hooter. But there was just enough time for Connell to go over and provide some cheer for the home fans as they try to deal with a difficult season.

Jacob Douglas (left) opened his try-scoring account for Wigan Warriors this season while the league's top scorer Jai Field (right) padded out his own tally

Salford Red Devils boss Paul Rowley told BBC Radio Manchester:

"There's some really good moments and things to be proud about, in particular Sam Hill. It was a real pleasure to give him his debut. I'm really happy with his performance and I'm really happy that Nathan Connell got a try.

"I just thought, as always, they had a dig. In particular in the first half we killed ourselves a little bit and there were three tries from transition where we didn't transition on our terms.

"I said to them before the game and at half-time, if you're willing to defend you might find yourself 20 or 30 minutes in with a bit of a battle. But I thought the manner of the transition tries in the first half didn't do justice to the effort we put in or the quality we put in."

Wigan Warriors head coach Matt Peet told BBC Radio Manchester:

"I'm relatively pleased. It was a tricky game for loads of reasons. Salford are really desperate at the moment.

"Because we've rotated and given some players their debut or an opportunity, we were really excited for it tonight and I thought that showed up in our defence and physicality.

"We probably left a few points out there which let us down at times but Salford played with plenty of spirit and I'm sure Paul is really proud."

Salford: Connell; Hill, Vaughan, Stone, Hankinson; Marsters, Brierley; Ormondroyd, Morgan, Bullock, Foster, Shorrocks, Wilson.

Interchanges: Sangare, Glover, Chan, Warren.

Wigan: Field; Douglas, Keighran, Eckersley, Marshall; Farrimond, Smith; Byrne, O'Neill, Dupree, Nsemba, Havard, Ellis.

Interchanges: French, Mago, Hill, McDermott.

Referee: Tom Grant.