WIGAN WARRIORS overtook Leigh Leopards into second place in Super League with an emphatic 44-18 victory over their local rivals.
Leigh had won 13 of their last 14 matches heading into the fixture, but were comfortably second best to Wigan for the second time this season.
Bevan French scored two first-half tries and Abbas Miski spectacularly scored a second-half hat-trick, while Tyler Dupree capped his debut, following a move from Salford Red Devils, with a try as the Warriors ran riot.
Leigh actually scored first through a Tom Amone charge, and were on top for good parts of the first half without posting any further points.
French hit back for Wigan from a well-crafted Liam Farrell break and Jai Field assist, and it was locked at 6-6 until two tries in the final three minutes of the first half.
Both were scrappy, and both from Miski kicks. The first, scored by Toby King, required the video referee to check Miski had kicked the ball at all, while from another grubber French only scored at the second attempt.
The Warriors were simply dominant after half-time, and Dupree got them started by brilliantly charging through the line.
Miski followed with his first two, going the full length after intercepting a Gareth O’Brien pass and then somehow finishing in the air despite an Ed Chamberlain tackle.
Liam Marshall’s try was another special one, weaving inside following an audacious flicked pass out the back by French.
O’Brien handed Miski his hat-trick try via another interception, either side of Leigh consolation tries by Tom Briscoe and Robbie Mulhern.
Wigan: 1 Jai Field, 2 Abbas Msiki, 3 Toby King, 4 Jake Wardle, 5 Liam Marshall, 2 Bevan French, 7 Harry Smith, 15 Kaide Ellis, 22 Brad O’Neill, 10 Liam Byrne, 17 Kai Pearce-Paul, 12 Liam Farrell, 13 Morgan Smithies. Subs: 6 Cade Cust, 16 Tyler Dupree, 20 Patrick Mago, 27 Junior Nsemba.
Leigh: 17 Gareth O’Brien, 2 Tom Briscoe, 1 Zak Hardaker, 3 Ed Chamberlain, 5 Josh Charnley, 15 Ben Reynolds, 7 Lachlan Lam, 8 Tom Amone, 6 Joe Mellor, 10 Robbie Mulherm, 16 Oliver Holmes, 12 Jack Hughes, 13 John Asiata. Subs: 11 Joe Wardle, 14 Ben Nakubuwai, 18 Matt Davis, 25 Nathan Wilde.
