HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 12 WIGAN WARRIORS 54
LORRAINE MARSDEN, Laund Hill, Sunday
A QUICK-FIRE try double from substitute Mia Atherton finally put daylight between Wigan and a Huddersfield side that remained in the battle for much of the opening hour.
The Challenge Cup winners were 10-0 up inside 13 minutes through tries from Anna Davies and Megan Williams, but the Giants hit back soon after as Amelia Brown cut through the Warriors defence to score.
Jenna Foubister, who kicked seven out of ten conversions, added Wigan’s third before Brown went over again following a long-range effort from inside her own half to keep the Giants to within eight points of the reigning champions.
Bethan Dainton scored two minutes from the half-time break to put Wigan 22-8 up – but the Giants got a third try five minutes after the restart when Mollie Iceton gathered Tegan Sant’s grubber kick to go in at the corner.
Only once they began to tire midway through the half did Wigan clinch victory, with Williams adding her second just minutes before Atherton’s brace, which made it 40-12.
Three tries in the final ten minutes from Grace Banks, Mary Coleman and Davies rounded off the scoring and ensured Wigan remain top of the Super League standings.
GIANTS: 1 Amelia Brown, 2 Faye Barraclough, 3 Elle Frain, 4 Fran Copley, 5 Mollie Iceton, 26 Liv Gale, 30 Tegan Sant, 8 Gracie Hobbs, 9 Meg Preston, 10 Lauren Exley, 16 Eva Izumi, 12 Maddy Hutchison, 29 Charlotte McDaid. Subs (all used): 7 Sam Hulme, 14 Jess Harrap, 18 Skye Jackson, 20 Leah Mae Beckett.
Tries: Brown (16, 35), Iceton (45); Goals: Sant 0/2, Hulme 0/1
WARRIORS: 1 Grace Banks, 2 Anna Davies, 22 Ruby Hunter, 16 Beri Salihi, 5 Ellise Derbyshire, 6 Jenna Foubister, 19 Remi Wilton, 8 Mary Coleman, 9 Carys Marsh, 21 Jade Gregory-Haselden, 11 Eva Hunter, 12 Cerys Jones, 13 Megan Williams. Subs (all used) 10 Mia Atherton, 15 Bethan Dainton, 17 Kelsey Gentles, 20 Lucie Sams
Tries: Davies (4, 79), Williams (13, 56), Foubister (30), Dainton (38), Atherton (63, 68), Banks (71), Coleman (76); Goals: Foubister 7/10
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-10, 4-10, 4-16, 8-16, 8-22; 12-22, 12-26, 12-32, 12-38, 12-44, 12-50, 12-54
Half-time: 8-22