This will not go down as one of the more memorable nights on the run-in to Old Trafford and the grand final, but for Wigan it was a night which illustrated that age-old ability required of champions: winning tough.
If last week’s victory at the leaders St Helens was a reminder of the qualities Wigan have when it comes to winning the title once again, this was more a case of after the lord mayor’s show. Nonetheless, it was a significant step on the road to a top-two finish and a home semi-final in next month’s play-offs.
Two tries in either half were enough to see off a resilient but ill-disciplined Wakefield side – and you felt that on an emotionally-charged night perhaps Wigan were never going to lose here. The Warriors, as they so often do, rallied in an hour of darkness and the courage shown by Dan Sarginson to play just days after the death of his brother deserves extreme commendation.
“That win was for Dan, we sang the team song at the end and that was dedicated to Adam [his brother],” Wigan’s coach, Shaun Wane, said. Ten ahead after a tepid opening quarter, Wakefield reduced that to 11-6 by the interval but they were architects of their own downfall. They played a quarter of the game with 12 men after they had two players sent to the sin-bin on separate occasions and though they survived the first, involving Matty Ashurst, without conceding, they would not be so fortunate next time.
Scott Grix was shown a yellow card with 17 minutes left and the game was in the balance, Wigan leading 13-10. Within minutes Morgan Escare put the result beyond any doubt before Joe Greenwood scored in the final minutes to enhance the scoreline.
Yet with the game set to decide the future of the Super 8s league format at the RFL’s extraordinary general meeting on Friday, Wigan’s first sub-10,000 crowd since July 2005 will have struck a chord with their owner, Ian Lenagan, who has made no secret of the fact the game is wilting under this structure.
Quick guide
Teams
Wigan Tomkins; Davies, Isa, Sarginson, Gildart; Williams, Leuluai; Navarrete, Powell, Flower, Bateman, Greenwood, O’Loughlin Interchange Clubb, Escare, Sutton, Hamlin.
Tries Gildart, Powell, Escare, Greenwood. Goals Tomkins 4. Drop goal Tomkins.
Wakefield Grix; Jones-Bishop, Lyne, Tupou, Johnstone; Miller, Hampshire; Arona, Randell, Huby, Batchelor, Ashurst, Crowther Interchange Arundel, Pauli, Hirst, Annakin.
Tries Johnstone, Tupou. Goal Hampshire. Sin-bin Ashurst (33), Grix (67). Referee B Thaler. Att 9,559.