Jon Wilkin slams Wigan Warriors

Jon Wilkin has slammed Wigan Warriors as “not good enough.”

He said so as the Warriors were comprehensively beaten by St Helens away as the Champions look well and truly back.

He said: “Their execution just hasn’t been good enough. We talk about the axis of Harry Smith, Jai Field and Bevan French but that connection just isn’t working at the moment.

“There’s two sides to the game and they have not been good enough in attack or defence tonight.”

It was more than good enough for the Champions.

It was a great win for the Saints and they notched the first try. After an Iain Thornley mistake, St Helens pounced early. Jack Welsby fed a short ball to Joe Batchelor. Wigan defence scrambled to deny him but he twisted and turned to get the ball down.

After a slow start, on their first attacking set a reserve kick back inside and the blistering pace of Jai Field saw him catch out Jack Welsby and score.

Jonny Lomax carved up the Wigan defence, Jai Field tackled him but Lomax still had a chance to ground it still Smithies swooped in and wrapped up the ball.

After that Smithies tackle, Wigan gave away a penalty but going for goal Tommy Makinson hit the post. The Saints were able to get the ball back and eventually got a scrum. Then a lovely move gave Jack Welsby the space to feed Makinson.

You will have to wait a long time to see a bigger tackle than this. A kick from French put Abbas Miski into space but as he caught the ball he was smashed by a huge tackle by Jack Welsby.

Again Wigan were able to get down field and another kick behind, this time from French, wrong footed Jack Welsby who slipped allowing French to pick it up and score.

Jack Welsby notched a key try before the break when he bounced off a Jack Welsby tackle, kicked ahead and grounded the ball despite cover from Field.

After some barnstorming runs in the first half, Paasi Agnatius Paasi capitalised on a quick play the ball and skill from Saints’ spine players to score.

Jack Welsby crossed for a second try that effectively killed the game at the start of the season. It came after a probing run from James Roby. Then after a quick play the ball, Lewis Dodd darted and fed Welsby to score.

Jack Welsby was at the centre of everything and the Saints fullback produced a sublime cut out pass to put Tommy Makinson over for a second.