Wigan 30-10 St Helens: Warriors secure home semi-final with derby win

Josh McAllister 26 Aug 2022 9:59 PM

Wigan secured second spot in the Super League table and ultimately a home semi-final tie following their 30-10 derby victory over St Helens at the DW Stadium.

St Helens will have to wait until Monday to potentially lift the League Leaders’ Shield as they host Wakefield at the Totally Wicked Stadium.

Bevan French scored a brace to take his tally up to 29 for the season. He was joined on the scoresheet by team-mates Jai Field, Liam Farrell and Liam Marshall in front of a crowd of 19,210.

Match report

Marshall returned to the Wigan side and replaced Abbas Miski on the wing following their win over Toulouse. Mike Cooper was named on the bench, having served his suspension.

Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook featured from the bench to make his 400th Super League appearance. He remains off-contract beyond the current campaign. Goal-kicking Tommy Makinson missed out due to injury, and was replaced on the wing by Josh Simm.

St Helens piled the pressure on early and were rewarded with a penalty in front of the sticks just six minutes in. The reigning champions opted for the two, converted by Jonny Lomax.

Wigan replied just six minutes later with the opening try of the derby. French once again crossing in the corner for his 28th try of the season thanks to a cut-out pass assist from Field. Harry Smith converting out-wide for a 6-2 lead.

Field later became try-provider to try-scorer with 22 minutes on the clock. The full-back supporting a break from Smith to race away and score under the posts in front of the travelling supporters. The try took Field beyond his 100th point of the season.

England World Cup hopeful Farrell extended that lead with just six minutes left until the break. The 32-year-old doing it all himself to break up the middle for his 13th try of the year.

HT: Wigan 18-2 St Helens

St Helens scored their first try of the game on 59 minutes. Substitute Joey Lussick scooting from dummy-half to score.

However, Marshall sealed the victory on 69 minutes, pouncing on a loose ball to race away 70 metres and score in the corner.

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James Batchelor hit back for the Saints on 73 minutes, but it was too little, too late for Kristian Woolf’s side. Instead, French raced away for his second on the hooter thanks to another assist from Field.

FT: Wigan 30-10 St Helens

Wigan: Field, French, Pearce-Paul, Isa, Marshall, Cust, Smith, Singleton, O’Neill, Byrne, Farrell, Bateman, Smithies. Bench: Mago, Ellis, Shorrocks, Cooper.

Tries: French, Field (2), Farrell, Marshall.

Goals: Smith 5/5

St Helens: Welsby, Simm, Hurrell, Batchelor, Bennison, Davies, Lomax, Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Bell, Sironen, Knowles. Bench: Lussick, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Paasi, Wingfield.

Tries: Lussick, Batchelor.

Goals: Lomax 1/1, Davies 0/2

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