After last weeks heroic fightback to beat the Leeds Rhinos the Wigan Warriors returned to home turf to take on a Castleford Tigers side who have so far failed to live up to pre-season expectations.
Ben Flower was in the run-on thirteen for the Warriors with Romaine Navarrete to the bench. The visitors had big Papua New Guinean Garry Lo making his debut on the wing after being out on loan to the Sheffield Eagles since signing from them at the start of the season. James Clare made way after picking up a late injury.
A Tigers win would take them level on points with the Warriors. A Warriors win would keep them within two points of the leaders, should the leaders beat the Giants in one of tonights other games, with Wigan having a game in hand.
Castleford laid out their intentions early with a Gale penalty goal on four minutes after Wigan held down in the tackle twenty metres from their own line.
After missing an earlier penalty Sam Tomkins kicked a thirty metre effort on twelve minutes to level the scores.
On seventeen Joe Burgess made a seventy metre break but was hauled down short of the line by Minikin. A fast play the ball allowed the supporting Oliver Gildart to go over from acting half-back as the Tigers defence struggled to get back into the line. Tomkins added the extras for 8-2.
On twenty-four the one-way traffic paid dividends for Wigan again when Liam Farrell took a short pass and spun out of an attempted tackle to go over from eight metres. Tomkins again added the conversion and the Warriors were starting to pull away.
On the back of two consecutive penalties, Oliver Holmes evaded two tacklers and then spun out of full-back Tomkins grasp to score. Gale added the goal and the arrears were back to six points.
Two minutes before the interval and Garry Lo marked his debut when he flew over in the left corner after a rapid right to left passing move. Gale was unable to add the extras and the Tigers had fought back well to go into the interval trailing by just two points in a game that appeared to be drifting from them.
One minute after the restart and another long range break from Burgess who then found Gildart, when under the Gale tackle, who went over from a couple of metres out. Tomkins missed the conversion from the touchline, his side now six points ahead.
A Tomkins 40-20 on fifty-seven set up Wigan in the Tigers twenty and George Williams scored a try on the second tackle when he stepped through the line and stretched out to ground on the line. Tomkins added the extras for a 24-12 lead.
Three minutes from the final hooter Tony Clubb burrowed under the Tigers defence after a period of concerted pressure and sealed the win for the home side. Tomkins failed to add the extras but the Warriors had a well-deserved 28-12 victory.
This was a thoroughly professional Wigan performance against a side that they have struggled to compete with in recent meetings. Castleford were again below par but did have some decent performances from the likes of Lo, Holmes and Gale. Wigan stay within striking range of the league leaders St Helens, and could draw level if they win their game in hand. Castleford still look some distance from the finished article but nothing is won in April.
Warriors: Tomkins S (4G), Marshall, Bateman, Gildart (2T), Burgess, Williams (T), Powell, Clubb (T), Leuluai, Flower, Isa, Farrell (T), O’Loughlin. Subs: Navarrete, Sutton, Tomkins J, Tautai.
Tigers: Trueman, Minikin, Webster, Shenton, Lo (T), Roberts, Gale (2G), Watts, McShane, Massey, Holmes (T), Wardle, Foster. Subs: Millington, McMeeken, Milner, Cook.
Referee: Robert Hicks.
Half-Time: 14-12.
Full-Time: 28-12.
Attendance: .
