Wigan secured the premier position in the Betfred Super League standings by recording a club‑record twelfth consecutive win, comfortably dispatching a resilient Wakefield side 26‑12 at the Brick Community Stadium. The Warriors, under the guidance of Matt Peet, capitalised on a cascade of handling mistakes from the visiting team to build a commanding 20‑point lead at the break. A decisive interception by Jai Field just after the hour‑mark quashed any lingering hopes of a comeback and sealed the triumph for Wigan. The timing and manner 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 added pressure as they travel to York on Sunday.
Peet lauded his squad’s 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 defeat marked a fourth consecutive loss. 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 still, a rare mishap from Bevan French saw Zach Eckersley cross in the corner after a forward pass, allowing Wakefield to stay level for a brief period. Wigan’s dominance was evident early.
After a tight opening quarter‑hour with no points scored, the Warriors pounced on two Wakefield errors to score three tries in ten minutes, establishing an almost unassailable lead. French, playing for Wakefield, punished a careless pass from Jowitt by powering over the halfway line to open the scoring for his side. Six minutes later, a penalty pass set up Kian McDermott, whose exquisite delivery allowed Liam Marshall to touch down in the corner for the Warriors’ second try. Marshall’s strike was quickly followed by a third try, again stemming from a handling lapse by the visitors.
Three successful kicks from Adam Keighran and a late‑game penalty sent Wigan into the halftime interval 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 evaded French, giving Corey Hall the opportunity to dive over for a try that narrowed the gap. A subsequent penalty and another set‑piece gave Wakefield a chance to further reduce the deficit, but Hall’s foot slipped into touch as he attempted to flick the ball back for Jowitt, nullifying the opportunity.
Wigan’s final try came from a spectacular length‑of‑the‑field run by Jai Field after a spill from Mike McMeeken. The interception run was the crowning moment of a match that otherwise featured solid defensive work from both sides. Wakefield’s Ky Rodwell managed a late score, making the final tally a respectable 26‑12. Following 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 push for a playoff berth with a crushing 62‑10 victory over the Bradford Bulls. Adam Cook was the standout performer, amassing 30 points by converting all 11 of his goal attempts and crossing for two tries.
Leigh piled on 48 points in a one‑sided second half, underscoring their attacking potency. Robbie Mulhern opened the scoring for Leigh in the 12th minute, with Cook adding the conversion and a penalty before a handling error from the Leopards allowed Bradford’s Waqa Blake to score in the corner.
Louis Brogan restored Leigh’s momentum before the break, making it 14‑4 at halftime. The second half began with Bradford fumbling the kickoff, enabling Innes Senior to dash over in the corner. From there, tries came in rapid succession: Lachlan Lam initiated a move that culminated in a try, then set up Cook, who chased down his own kick for a second score.
Senior added another, while Umyla Hanley finished off Lam’s sweeping long pass, 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 brilliant individual display with a second effort. The Bulls managed a consolation try through Eliot Peposhi, but the result was a decisive win for Leigh.
Leigh’s head coach Adrian Lam praised his side’s performance, 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, plagued by injuries, remain at the bottom of the table. Head coach Kurt Haggerty reflected on the defeat, noting, "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 continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports throughout the season, with two matches each round shown exclusively live and the remaining five available via Sky Sports+.
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