WIGAN WARRIORS 36 LEIGH LEOPARDS 28
DAVID KUZIO, The Brick Community Stadium, Friday
WIGAN ran in seven tries from as many different scorers to gain a measure of revenge on neighbours Leigh in another entertaining battle.
Not a single point was scored in normal time when the sides met here in round one, but it was a very different story this time with twelve tries in all.
Wigan had the first real attack of the game thanks to a 40/20 from Harry Smith and took full advantage with the ball going left to Jai Field, who fired a long ball out for Liam Marshall to score in the corner.
The Warriors extended their lead in the ninth minute when Field picked up a loose pass and made a break before sending Wardle over. Adam Keighran converted both and Wigan looked in full control.
Field spilled a high bomb from Lachlan Lam to give Leigh their first crack at Wigan’s line and powerhouse centre Tesi Niu stormed onto a short inside ball to break through an attempted Brad O’Neill tackle and touch down.
Gareth O’Brien converted to put the visitors within six points, but Wigan soon marched up the field to register their third score of the half as Kruise Leeming and Bevan French combined to send Keighran over.
And they went further in front with a try from nothing as Bailey Hodgson opted to let a Smith bomb bounce and Wardle was on hand to collect and send Nsemba under the posts.
Wigan scored their fifth try as Kaide Ellis managed to get the ball down despite the attention of Ethan O’Neill, Ofahengaue and Hodgson to go 28-6 ahead.
Edwin Ipape was one of the few Leigh players who did himself any justice in the first half and he had a massive hand in sending Ofahengaue – who had to go off for an HIA following the first tackle of the game – over to score.
Ofahengaue almost grabbed a second following another break from Ipape, but a great tackle from Liam Marshall kept Leigh out.
Leigh started the second half in the same vein as the first, despite the loss of O’Brien to an HIA he failed.
They needed to score first and, following two set restarts, they did just that as O’Neill collected a short pass from Ipape to go over.
Ben McNamara – on for O’Brien – converted to make it 28-18 and the gap was down to six points when O’Neill went in again following a Marshall error.
The Warriors had been starved of possession in the opening ten minutes of the second half so two set restarts proved crucial, as did a moment of French magic.
He took on the Leigh line before sending out an outrageous pass for Eckersley to score in the corner, and although Keighran hit a post for the second time in the game his side were back on track and leading by ten.
French felt he was denied a try-scoring opportunity as he was taken out kicking ahead, but he had already knocked the ball on before any offence had taken place.
That did not matter as they put this game to bed with a great try from Kruise Leeming following great work from Field and Marshall.
The was a lengthy stoppage with 15 minutes remaining as Eckersley stayed down following a tackle involving Alec Tuitavake. The winger was eventually stretchered from the field after it was deemed safe to do so, and the incident was put on report.
Field thought he had grabbed a try that his performance would have deserved, but he was tackled into touch inches short of the line.
Instead the Leopards had the final say as Owen Trout was put through a massive gap to score.
GAMESTAR: Jai Field might have made a couple of mistakes, but he was influential in a lot of the good things Wigan created and Leigh struggled to contain him at times.
GAMEBREAKER: After Leigh scored two quick tries, Wigan finally got hold of the ball and went over through Zach Eckersley for a try which swung the game back in Wigan’s hands.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: The way Bevan French drew in the Leigh defence before sending out a sublime ball for Zach Eckersley to score in the corner.
ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Jai Field (Wigan)
2 pts Adam Keighran (Wigan)
1 pt Edwin Ipape (Leigh)
MATCHFACTS
WARRIORS
1 Jai Field
22 Zach Eckersley
3 Adam Keighran
4 Jake Wardle
5 Liam Marshall
6 Bevan French
7 Harry Smith
16 Liam Byrne
9 Brad O’Neill
21 Sam Walters
11 Junior Nsemba
12 Liam Farrell
13 Kaide Ellis
Subs (all used)
10 Luke Thompson
15 Patrick Mago
17 Kruise Leeming
19 Tyler Dupree
18th man (not used)
20 Harvie Hill
Also in 21-man squad
24 Jack Farrimond
26 Jacob Douglas
29 Taylor Kerr
Tries: Marshall (4), Wardle (9), Keighran (24), Nsemba (27), Ellis (35), Eckersley (53), Leeming (60)
Goals: Keighran 4/7
LEOPARDS
24 Bailey Hodgson
2 Darnell McIntosh
3 Tesi Niu
4 Umyla Hanley
5 Josh Charnley
6 Gareth O’Brien
7 Lachlan Lam
32 Joe Ofahengaue
9 Edwin Ipape
10 Robbie Mulhern
20 Ethan O’Neill
8 Owen Trout
13 Isaac Liu
Subs (all used)
12 Jack Hughes
15 Alec Tuitavake
16 Matt Davis
22 Ben McNamara
18th man (not used)
19 Louis Brogan
Also in 21-man squad
1 David Armstrong
17 Brad Dwyer
21 Andy Badrock
Tries: Niu (18), Ofahengaue (38), O’Neill (45, 49), Trout (75)
Goals: O’Brien 2/2, McNamara 2/3
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 12-6, 16-6, 22-6, 28-6, 28-12; 28-18, 28-22, 32-22, 36-22, 36-28
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Warriors: Jai Field; Leopards: Edwin Ipape
Penalty count: 3-1
Half-time: 28-12
Referee: Chris Kendall
Attendance: 17,449