Wigan move to top of Super League after victory over Wakefield
Wigan Warriors beat Wakefield Trinity in Wigan to go top of the Super League on 21 August 2026, with Jai Field’s length-of-the-field try and a club-record 12th successive Super League win sealing a hard-fought victory.
Wigan’s tries came from French, Marshall 2 and Field, with Keighran adding five goals; Wakefield’s points were scored by Hall and Rodwell with Jowitt kicking two goals. Two quickfire tries from Liam Marshall after Bevan French opened the scoring helped put the hosts 20-0 up at the break.
Both sides had early opportunities but failed to capitalise; Bevan French first threw a forward pass that would have sent Zach Eckersley over, then within two minutes produced a try-saving intervention by holding Max Jowitt up over the line, before the full-back was controversially judged to lose the ball in his attempt to touchdown.
French broke the deadlock after pouncing on a stray Wakefield pass inside his own half and sprinting 65 metres untouched to score close to the posts, and Marshall’s two tries in a five-minute spell further shifted momentum ahead of half-time.
Wakefield brought Emre Guler on from the bench soon after that call, the prop’s introduction coming just two days after his move from NRL side St George Illawarra Dragons was brought forward by Trinity; five days earlier Guler had started for the Dragons in their win against Wests Tigers.
In the second half Corey Hall reduced the deficit in the 53rd minute by plucking a searching high ball from Jake Trueman to touch down, and after Hall was nearly involved in a second scoring opportunity that was stopped by Eckersley, Jai Field seized the defining moment when he swooped on a knock-on from Mike McMeeken and raced 95 metres to score his 15th Super League try of the season; Ky Rodwell managed to pull another try back for Wakefield soon after.
Wigan Warriors head coach Matt Peet told BBC Radio Manchester: "I'm really pleased. We were against a good team that threw a lot at us. I liked our effort, particularly defensively. I thought second half we weren't great with the ball, but I loved our defence. "The crowd was fantastic again, there was great energy in the stadium and it was a good game - particularly in the first half when it was going set for set." [On being top of Super League after making it 12 successive wins] "It's irrelevant, really. It doesn't mean a lot. "It's boring isn't it, but we take each day as it comes. There are plenty of those games where we could have got beaten, so we won't get too carried away." Wakefield Trinity head coach Daryl Powell told BBC Radio Leeds: "I thought we were immense tonight. At 20-0 at half-time, it was the least likely 20-0 scoreline I've ever seen in my life. I thought we started the game unbelievably well and then we gave them a try. "We've lost three games now, and I am disappointed, but I'm actually really enthused by what I saw tonight. "I do think the refereeing department has to ask themselves a couple of questions, because that is ridiculous that first decision [to deny Jowitt a try]. Out of tonight, both teams were top class but there are other parts of this game that weren't. "I'll be asking my team to get better from tonight and I think they should be doing the same."
Wigan Warriors: Field; Eckersley, Keighran, Wardle, Marshall; French, Smith; Havard, O'Neill, Thompson, McDermott, Partington, Ellis. Interchanges: Mago, Kerr, Cartwright, O'Connor.
Wakefield Trinity: Jowitt; Myers, Scott, Hall, Pratt; Sinfield, Trueman; McMeeken, Lipowicz, Storton, Rodwell, Smoothy, Lolesio. Interchanges: Hamlin-Uele, Faatili, Smith, Guler.
How the table looks could change by the end of the weekend, with Leeds able to reclaim top spot if they beat York Knights on Sunday, while a third successive Trinity loss leaves Wakefield in danger of dropping to fifth on Saturday if defending champions Hull KR beat Toulouse Olympique.