Wigan secured the premier position in the Betfred Super League with a club‑record twelfth consecutive win, dispatching a determined Wakefield side 26‑12 at the Brick Community Stadium. Matt Peet’s outfit capitalised on a cascade of handling mistakes from the visitors, building a 20‑point cushion by halftime and then sealing the triumph with Jai Field's spectacular length‑of‑the‑field interception just after the hour mark. The timing of Wigan’s ascent to the top of the table sends a clear warning to their rivals, especially long‑time leaders Leeds, who now face a critical showdown in York on Sunday.
Peet lauded his players’ resilience, noting, “I’m very pleased with how the game unfolded. The first half was intense and went set for set for a long time and we came out the other side of that. In the second half we got a little bit sloppy but we had to defend for the most part and it probably did us good. Wakefield throw so much threat at you and they never stop asking questions.” For Wakefield, the loss marked a fourth straight defeat.
They began brightly and were denied an early try when Oliver Pratt appeared to ground the ball for Max Jowitt, only for the referee to rule a knock‑on in the process. Earlier, Wakefield had benefited from a rare mis‑play by Bevan French, who inadvertently sent Zach Eckersley over in the corner from a forward pass, keeping the scores level for a brief period.
Wigan’s dominance was evident as they turned Wakefield’s errors into points. French punished a careless pass from Jowitt by sprinting over the halfway line for the opening score.
Six minutes later, a penalty pass set up Kian McDermott, whose deft delivery allowed Liam Marshall to dive into the corner for the second try. Marshall’s effort was quickly followed by another Wigan try after a second handling lapse by the hosts, with Adam Keighran’s three kicks and a late‑game penalty sending the visitors into the break with four scores to their name. The second half saw Wakefield refuse to surrender without a fight. At the 52‑minute mark, Jake Trueman’s clever kick slipped past French, giving Corey Hall the opportunity to cross the line and narrow the gap.
A subsequent penalty and another set-piece gave Wakefield a chance to get even closer, but Hall’s foot slipped into touch as he attempted to flick the ball back for Jowitt, thwarting the effort. The final blow came when a loose ball from Mike McMeeken was scooped up by Jai Field, who raced the length of the field to score Wigan’s fourth try.
Wakefield’s Ky Rodwell added a late consolation score, making the final tally a respectable 26‑12. After the match, Wakefield head coach Daryl Powell expressed frustration with the officiating, stating, “I do think the refereeing department have to ask themselves a couple of questions. There’s two teams that were top class but there’s other parts of the game that weren’t.
I’ll be asking my team to get better from tonight and I think [the officials] should be doing the same.” In a separate fixture, Leigh Leopards continued their playoff push with a crushing 62‑10 victory over the Bradford Bulls. Adam Cook was the star, racking up 30 points by converting all 11 kicks and scoring two tries. Leigh piled on 48 points in a dominant second half after a relatively close first period.
Robbie Mulhern opened the scoring for Leigh in the 12th minute, with Cook adding the conversion and a penalty. A handling error from Leigh allowed Bradford’s Waqa Blake to score in the corner, but the hosts quickly re‑established control.
Louis Brogan added a second try before halftime, setting the tone for an onslaught after the break. Bradford’s kickoff fumble handed Innes Senior a corner try, and Leigh’s attack never slowed. Lachlan Lam initiated a move in the 48th minute that culminated in Cook’s second try, followed by Senior’s second score. Umyla Hanley finished a brilliant long pass from Lam, and Joe Ofahengaue completed a flowing sequence with a try just over ten minutes remaining.
Cook later broke away for his second try, and Lam capped his outstanding individual display with another score, while Bradford’s Eliot Peposhi managed a consolation try at the end. Leigh’s victory marked their fourth consecutive win, following a triumph over Leeds Rhinos the previous week.
Head coach Adrian Lam praised his side, saying, “Really happy with it, obviously a lot of confidence from last week’s win. I thought throughout that second half especially we were unbelievable. Cook kicking at 100 per cent certainly helps. He’s been under pressure during the season at times but a nice week for him to find his form.” Bradford, hampered by injuries, fell to the bottom of the table.
Coach Kurt Haggerty reflected on the defeat: “It was a very tough night. We competed for 40 minutes like we have done for the majority of the season.
We got to a point where we were so many bodies down but some of the defence wasn’t acceptable that we tossed up in the second half. We won’t feel sorry for ourselves, I won’t let the group feel sorry for ourselves.
We’ve got three tasty games to go and we’ll keep scrapping.” The Super League schedule continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with two matches each round shown exclusively live and the remaining fixtures available on Sky Sports+. The league’s excitement remains high as teams battle for playoff positions and the coveted top spot.