Wigan Warriors suffered a shock loss in round one on their travels to Craven Park with a well disciplined Hull KR proving too much for them, however they got their season kick started tonight.
The Challenge Cup holders welcomed Wakefield Trinity to the DW Stadium and they showed absolutely no mercy as they put on a show for the home crowd in a 60-0 victory.
Trinity turned up without full-back Max Jowitt which prompted Lee Gaskell to deputise.
That meant that new signing Samisoni Langi found himself pairing Mason Lino in the halves but it wasn’t a game where Trinity could display their playmaking as Wigan dominated from the off.
TEAM NEWS 🚨
XIII | Gaskell, Lineham, Hall, Taufua, Murphy, Langi, Lino, Whitbread, Smith, Butler, Pitts, Ashurst (C), Proctor
SUBS | Kay, Battye, Atoni, Tanginoa
🤝 @WDHcarelink pic.twitter.com/86Mk1QWOov
— Wakefield Trinity (@WTrinityRL) February 24, 2023
📋 𝙏𝙀𝘼𝙈 𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎
🔒 Matt Peet has locked in his team for our Round 2 home opener against @WTrinityRL this evening!#WWRL #SLWIGWAK pic.twitter.com/4cSK0FfoUz
— Wigan Warriors 🍒⚪️ (@WiganWarriorsRL) February 24, 2023
It took just eight minutes for last seasons top try scorer Bevan French to get on the scoresheet, and that was swiftly followed by Liam Marshall with Harry Smith adding the extras to make it 12-0 after 12 minutes.
French and Marshall both bagged seconds before the 25 minute mark as Wigan began to enjoy themselves.
The half was rounded off with new skipper Liam Farrell and full-back Jai Field crossing over to make the first half a resounding 34-0 beatdown for Trinity at the hands of the Warriors.
Whilst the break might have been some relief for Mark Applegarth’s men it was straight back into the action and Liam Marshall crossed again to complete his hattrick, bringing up the 40 point mark.
The best chance Wakefield had all game came shortly after as they got repeat sets in Wigan territory but Eddie Battye coughed the ball up and the opportunity passed.
In cruel fashion Wigan punished Wakefield’s wastefulness and Liam Marshall was set up by Jake Wardle in the corner for his fourth and Wigan’s eighth.
Wigan weren’t finished though and one minute after returning to the field Sam Powell crossed over, before the man with the boot Harry Smith made it ten tries and 54-0 with 10 long minutes still to come for Wakefield.
Cade Cust added an 11th and with Harry Smith’s conversion it made the game a huge 60-0 win for the Warriors.
Mark Applegarth’s side were second best in every department and it’s a worrying start to their season conceding almost 100 points in their two fixtures.
⏱ 𝙁𝙐𝙇𝙇 𝙏𝙄𝙈𝙀#WWRL #SLWIGWAK pic.twitter.com/Bdh79lfa8R
— Wigan Warriors 🍒⚪️ (@WiganWarriorsRL) February 24, 2023
