Wigan secured the leading position in the Betfred Super League with a club‑record twelfth consecutive win, comfortably defeating a resilient 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 advantage by the break and then cementing the result with a spectacular length‑of‑field interception by Jai Field just after the hour mark. The timing of Wigan’s surge to the top of the table sends a clear warning to their rivals, especially long‑time leaders Leeds who now face a crucial encounter at York on Sunday.
Peet praised his players’ determination, 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." Wakefield, on the other hand, endured their fourth straight defeat.
They began brightly and were denied an early try when Oliver Pratt appeared to have grounded the ball, only for officials to rule a knock‑on. Moments later, a rare mistake from Bevan French saw Zach Eckersley touch down in the corner after a forward pass, allowing Wakefield to stay level. Wigan’s dominance unfolded in a series of phases.
Early on, Luke Thompson threatened to breach the line, while Wakefield’s defense was tested repeatedly. Two critical Wakefield errors in quick succession gave Wigan the platform for three tries within ten minutes, creating an almost insurmountable lead. French punished a careless pass from Max Jowitt by sprinting over the halfway line for the opening score.
Six minutes later, Kian McDermott’s precise penalty pass set up Liam Marshall for a corner try. Marshall’s second try came almost immediately after another handling slip by Wakefield, and three successful kicks from Adam Keighran, combined with a late‑half penalty, left Wigan with four scores at the interval. The second half saw Wakefield refuse to surrender without a fight. At the 52‑minute mark, Jake Trueman’s clever kick slipped past French, enabling Corey Hall to touch down and narrow the deficit.
A subsequent penalty and a repeat set gave Wakefield another opportunity, but Hall’s foot drifted into touch as he attempted to flick the ball back for Jowitt, thwarting the chance. The visitors’ hopes were finally crushed when a loose ball from Mike McMeeken was scooped up by Jai Field, who sprinted the length of the pitch to score Wigan’s fourth try. A late effort from Wakefield’s Ky Rodwell added a consolation point, making the final scoreline a respectable 26‑12.
Wakefield head coach Daryl Powell was vocal about 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 standout, amassing 30 points by converting all 11 attempts and crossing for two tries, while Leigh piled on 48 points in a dominant second half.
Robbie Mulhern opened the scoring for Leigh in the 12th minute, with Cook adding the conversion and a penalty before a handling lapse allowed Bradford’s Waqa Blake to score in the corner. Leigh’s momentum intensified after the break.
A fumble on the kickoff gave Innes Senior a corner try, and the hosts kept the pressure relentless. Lachlan Lam initiated and finished a move in the 48th minute before setting up Cook, who chased down his own kick. Senior added a second try, Umyla Hanley completed Lam’s long pass, and Joe Ofahengaue finished a flowing sequence with more than ten minutes remaining. Cook later broke away for his second try, and Lam capped his brilliant individual performance with a second score, while Bradford’s Eliot Peposhi managed a late consolation.
It was Leigh’s fourth consecutive win, following a victory over Leeds Rhinos the previous week. Head coach Adrian Lam told Sky Sports, "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, remain at the bottom of the table.
Coach Kurt Haggerty reflected, "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 five available on Sky Sports+. Fans can also follow the latest league table, purchase tickets, and listen to the Bench podcast with Jenna and Jon for in‑depth analysis of the season's developments.