Wigan secured the top spot on the Betfred Super League ladder with a club‑record twelfth consecutive win, comfortably defeating a resilient Wakefield side 26‑12 at the Brick Community Stadium. From the first whistle, Matt Peet’s men took advantage of a string of handling mistakes by the visitors, building a commanding 20‑point lead by halftime. A crucial interception by Jai Field just after the hour mark halted Wakefield’s spirited comeback and sealed the win for Wigan. The timing of Wigan’s rise to pole position 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 praised his squad’s grit, noting, “I’m very pleased with how the game unfolded. The first half was intense, set‑for‑set, and we emerged on the other side of that. In the second half we got a little 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 endured their fourth straight defeat. They began brightly and were denied an opening try when Oliver Pratt appeared to ground the ball, only for officials to rule a knock‑on. Earlier, a rare error from Bevan French allowed Zach Eckersley to dive over in the corner from a forward pass, keeping the scores level for a brief period.

Wigan capitalised on Wakefield’s errors, scoring three tries in ten minutes to create an almost unassailable lead. French punished a careless pass from Max Jowitt by powering over the halfway line for the first try.

Six minutes later, a penalty pass set up Kian McDermott, whose deft ball fed Liam Marshall for a second try in the corner. Marshall added a third shortly after, again benefitting from a handling lapse.

Three successful kicks from Adam Keighran and a late‑minute penalty sent the hosts into the break with four scores to their name. Despite the looming defeat, Wakefield showed character in the second half. At the 52‑minute mark, Jake Trueman’s clever kick slipped past French, allowing Corey Hall to cross for a try that narrowed the gap.

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, who then scored. The visitors’ hopes were finally crushed when a spill from Mike McMeeken allowed Jai Field to sprint the length of the field and touch down for Wigan’s fourth try. A late effort from Wakefield’s Ky Rodwell added a consolation point, bringing the final tally to 26‑12. Wakefield head coach Daryl Powell criticised the officiating after the match, stating, “I do think the refereeing department have to ask themselves a couple of questions.

There are two teams that were top class but there are 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 thumping 62‑10 victory over the Bradford Bulls.

Adam Cook was the standout, racking up 30 points by converting all 11 goal attempts and scoring two tries. Leigh piled on 48 points in a dominant second half, underscoring their attacking firepower. Robbie Mulhern opened the scoring for Leigh in the 12th minute, with Cook adding the conversion and a penalty. A handling mishap by Leigh allowed Bradford’s Waqa Blake to cross in the corner, but the hosts quickly re‑asserted control.

Louis Brogan added a second try before halftime, putting Leigh ahead 14‑4 at the break. The second half began explosively when Bradford fumbled the kickoff, giving Innes Senior a chance to score in the corner.

Leigh responded with a flurry of tries: Lachlan Lam initiated a move that culminated in a try, then set up Cook, who chased down his own kick for a score. Senior added a second, Umyla Hanley finished a brilliant long pass from Lam, and Joe Ofahengaue completed another flowing movement with more than ten minutes remaining. Cook later broke away for his second try, and Lam capped off his superb individual performance with a second try of his own.

Bradford’s lone consolation came from Eliot Peposhi. Leigh’s victory marked their fourth consecutive win, following a triumph 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 percent 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, slipped further toward the bottom of the table.

Coach Kurt Haggerty reflected on the night, saying, “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 broadcast every match live this season, with two games each round shown exclusively on Sky Sports and the remaining five available via Sky Sports+. Fans can follow the latest league table, catch the Bench podcast with Jenna and Jon, and purchase tickets through official channels.

For an optimal viewing experience, a Chrome browser is recommended for the video player.