Wigan top table again after derby win over Leigh

Betfred Super League

Wigan (22) 28

Tries: Nsemba, Wardle, Keighran, Mago, Hill Goals: Keighran 4

Leigh (0) 6

Tries: Lam Goals: McIntosh

Wigan Warriors returned to the top of Super League as they sealed a borough derby victory against Leigh Leopards.

Junior Nsemba crashed through to get Wigan on the board with Jake Wardle powering them further ahead soon after.

Adam Keighran and Patrick Mago combined to send Wigan into a commanding lead at the break.

Lachlan Lam showed great strength to respond for Leigh but Harvie Hill’s try wrapped up a comfortable Wigan victory.

This fixture was a game in hand for both sides following Wigan’s World Club Challenge win against Penrith Panthers in February and was an uncharacteristic Tuesday meeting in Super League.

Wigan’s win means they leapfrog Hull KR back into top spot, while Leigh lose ground in their charge for a play-off place and remain eighth, five points off the top six.

Wigan had been in action only five days prior, ending a two-game losing run with a thumping comeback win against Huddersfield, but have a tight turnaround now as they travel to face Leeds on Saturday.

Nsemba went over for the game’s first try after Leigh had Jack Hughes sent to the bin for a high tackle on Kruise Leeming, and the youngster charged through the Leopards’ defence two minutes later to make their advantage count.

Wardle went in with Leigh still depleted as Wigan took control early on, as he exchanged passes with Liam Marshall in the build-up to touch down.

Keighran’s score was the pick of the bunch in the first half as he weaved his way past the Wigan back line and ran in unopposed between the sticks, with Mago coolly sliding over to bring up the hosts’ lead to 22 unanswered points at the interval.

Lam’s try was teed up by a sensational Kai O’Donnell run and offload, and his score was eventually given by video referee Ben Thaler as Wigan tried their best to hold him up at the line.

Hill dotted down from a grubber kick as Wigan reasserted control just before the hour mark and Leigh thought they had responded once more, this time in impressive circumstances as Darnell McIntosh’s acrobatic dive to the line was disallowed on review.

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

Interchanges: Mago, Dupree, Hill, Walters.

Leigh: Moylan; McIntosh, Hanley, Leutele, Charnley; Hughes, Lam; Trout, Ipape, Mulhern, O’Donnell, Halton, Asiata.

Interchanges: Dwyer, Hardaker, Pene, Davis.

Referee: Chris Kendall.