Warriors score ten tries to beat Salford

• Match Report as Wigan Warriors take victory against Salford Red Devils in Betfred Super League Round 6.
• The Warriors ran in ten tries with seven different scorers, as Jake Wardle rounded off the scoring with a hat-trick to seal the win.
• FT | Wigan Warriors 54-0 Salford Red Devils.

Match Report as Wigan Warriors take victory against Salford Red Devils at The Brick Community Stadium.

A clinical performance saw the Warriors run in ten tries on Sunday afternoon to take victory in Round 6 of Betfred Super League action at home to Salford Red Devils.

Jake Wardle sealed his hat-trick with the Warriors’ final try of the game after Jai Field scored his second with Junior Nsemba, Liam Marshall, Bevan French, Sam Walters and Zach Eckersley also on the scoresheet. To the added joy of over 14,000 Warriors fans in attendance, Brad O’Neill returned to action for the first time in eight months after suffering an ACL injury last season.

Report

Before Harry Smith kicked the game off, tributes were paid at The Brick Community Stadium to remember the lives of Wigan Athletic supporter Darren Orme and Wigan Warriors supporter Cooper Ronan Foster.

Minutes after ending his side’s first set with a trademark bombed kick, Smith would once again test the waters with his left boot as the swirling wind took his kick out of reach of the Salford defence and into the hands of Jacob Douglas, who caught the bouncing ball and dived over for what looked to be the game’s opening score. Upon video review, however, the majority of Wigan’s right flank – Douglas included – was seen to be offside from Smith’s kick and a No Try was given.

Despite a spell of Salford pressure following the decision, the Warriors’ strong defence would be quickly rewarded with the game’s first try. After some good metres made from Tyler Dupree, Junior Nsemba received the ball from Kruise Leeming at dummy half and stepped his way through the Salford line before passing to Jake Wardle, who scored in the corner. Unfortunately, the conditions were proving tricky for the kickers in the opening 10 minutes as the wind stopped Smith’s conversion attempt short of the posts.

The Red Devils once again responded well to being on the back foot and enjoyed repeat sets deep in Wigan territory, with an awkward looking tackle on Jai Field winning a goal line dropout before the wind again went against Smith, keeping his kick for touch in bounds. Field slowly got back up to his feet to help the Warriors defend before Smith’s next kick for touch made it – both celebrated by the Warriors supporters.

The Cherry and Whites were looking to shift the momentum as Wardle and Marshall came close on the final tackle, allowing their side to pin Salford back five metres out. The pressure from Salford’s perspective would be soon relieved, however, as Dupree was sent to the sin bin for a tackle on Nathan Connell.

Despite the man disadvantage, the Warriors would score twice in quick succession with near identical tries. Having just got onto the field, Sam Walters broke the line from inside his own half to release Field in for the score in the left corner, before Nsemba and Wardle combined once more for the centre to grab his second try of the game. Smith converted both to put the Warriors 16 points up.

Having just been welcomed back to the field for the first time in eight months by the home supporters, Brad O’Neill stretched his legs and took the Cherry and Whites into Salford territory with a solid first carry on his return to action.

More metres were made down the right-hand-side before the ball was moved back to the Warriors left flank, which was proving clinical as Nsemba got in on the act. Spinning free of his man, the back rower used his pace and power to crash over to the left of the sticks where Smith’s conversion was good.

With five minutes to go in the first half and Dupree replaced by Patrick Mago, Bevan French looked to have etched his name on the scoresheet. The Australian took possession from Esan Marsters and raced away from the chasing defenders to score, but Video Referee Marcus Griffiths adjudged French to have knocked on upon gathering the ball. It would be the last notable act of the half as Matt Peet’s side continued their firm stance in defence to go into the break 22 points to the good.

With some supporters still making their way back to their seats for the second half, Field would quickly raise those watching off their feet. The full back caught a short kick from Finley Yates and used his electric pace to bounce round the outside of the Salford defence, where he passed back infield for Marshall to score a brilliant fifth Warriors try of the afternoon. Smith was unable to convert from a difficult angle.

The Warriors were starting to run riot and proving too much for the Salford side on the day, as once again they ran over for a pair of tries in quick succession. French dummied his way through the line to dive over in front of the South Stand before Walters tapped the ball down for a scrappy score two minutes later, with Smith good from the first but wide with the second.

Walters’ influence on the game was growing as it went on, with the forward breaking the line once more to allow Dupree a chance to score against his former side. Despite Dupree being caught by the recovering defence, the Warriors had numbers over on the right flank where Liam Farrell found Zach Eckersley, whose try took the Wigan total to 40. Smith’s conversion was good from out wide.

With just under 15 minutes to go, the away side looked on course for their first points of the afternoon. Marsters did well to break and release Matty Foster through the middle, but a brilliant recovery and tackle from Smith stopped him short in his tracks. Salford would then have back-to-back attacking sets courtesy of a couple of Warriors errors in amongst an unsuccessful Captain’s Challenge by the Red Devils, but Peet’s side continued to stand strong at the back.

Minutes after a second Nsemba try was ruled out for a forward pass, Field would go near the full length of the field to score his second of the afternoon before Wardle sealed a hat-trick in similar fashion to round off the scoring. Smith was good with the boot for both tries to take the Warriors total over 50 on the day.

Salford looked to have finally cracked the Wigan defence through Connell with just 20 seconds to go, until a No Try was given for a knock-on upon video review. The hooter confirmed a 54-0 victory for the Warriors in front of over 14,000 at The Brick Community Stadium.

Gallery:

Wigan Warriors: Jai Field, Jacob Douglas, Zach Eckersley, Jake Wardle, Liam Marshall, Bevan French, Harry Smith, Tyler Dupree, Kruise Leeming, Luke Thompson, Junior Nsemba, Liam Farrell, Kaide Ellis.

Interchange: Brad O’Neill, Patrick Mago, Harvie Hill, Sam Walters.

18th Player: Liam Byrne.

Tries: Wardle (10′, 26′, 78′), Field (23′, 77′), Nsemba (30′), Marshall (44′), French (50′), Walters (52′), Eckersley (59′).

Goals: Smith (7/10).

Sin Bin: Dupree (21′).

Salford Red Devils: Ryan Brierley, Nathan Connell, Esan Marsters, Jonny Vaughan, Joshua Wagstaffe, Kai Morgan, Joe Shorrocks, Jack Ormondroyd, Finley Yates, Chris Hill, Shane Wright, Matty Foster, George Hill.

Interchange: Justin Sangare, Tiaki Chan, James Shields, Scott Egan.

Referee: Chris Kendall

Attendance: 14,262.