Wigan go top after surviving Huddersfield scare

Betfred Super League

Wigan (0) 28

Tries: Wardle, Hampshire, Field, Eckersley Goals: Keighran 6

Huddersfield (8) 14

Tries: Bibby, Halsall Goals: Connor 3

Wigan Warriors fought back after failing to score in the first half to beat Huddersfield Giants and return to the top of Super League.

Jake Bibby put the visitors ahead at the interval as Wigan struggled to get going in a wayward first period.

But Wigan hit back in style with an audacious try spanning the length of the field from Jake Wardle, with Ryan Hampshire crashing down for the hosts’ second.

Jai Field stepped past two Huddersfield players to score and put Wigan in control as Zach Eckersley sent in another to wrap up the win, but not before Sam Halsall’s late consolation.

Wigan’s victory means they leapfrog Hull KR and Warrington Wolves into top spot while Huddersfield remain ninth.

That Huddersfield edged out Wigan at the break was made all the more impressive given they were swiftly depleted in a bruising opening quarter.

Matty English was forced off for a head injury assessment (HIA) having suffered a cut to the head and was eventually cleared to return to the field, while Chris Hill also came off worse in a later tackle and departed for a HIA of his own.

Wigan’s season has hit the brakes in recent games with Matt Peet’s side coming into Thursday’s fixture off the back of their defeat by Hull FC and last week’s chastening thrashing at home by Warrington.

Boos rang around the Brick Community Stadium as Bibby went in following a well-worked move from Halsall in the build-up, with Jake Connor’s kicking giving them an eight-point lead at the break.

Wardle’s try, his sixth in Super League this term, came as he caught a wayward Olly Russell kick towards goal and he ducked and weaved his way into space and beat the chase to run in in impressive fashion.

Hampshire’s try came as Wigan made their pervasive second-half pressure count once more, this time as he worked onto a kick on the last tackle to catch and ground the ball and send the hosts ahead.

Wigan left it late once more this time as Field showed great agility to crash in with Eckersley making sure of victory with five minutes remaining, leaving Halsall’s try a mere second-half consolation for the visitors.

Wigan: Field; Miski, Keighran, Wardle, Marshall; Hampshire, Smith; Havard, Leeming, Thompson, Nsemba, Farrell, Ellis.

Interchanges: Mago, Dupree, Walters, Eckersley.

Huddersfield: Connor; McGowan, Bibby, Naiqama, Halsall; Lolohea, Russell; Hill, Milner, English, Hewitt, Rushton, Cudjoe.

Interchanges: Deakin, Ikahihifo, Savelio, Rogers.

Referee: Aaron Moore.