Warriors back on top
Wigan returned to the top of the Stobart Super League after a 36-22 victory over outclassed Hull KR at the DW Stadium.
Last Updated: 04/05/12 10:20pm
Wigan returned to the top of the Stobart Super League after a 36-22 victory over outclassed Hull KR at the DW Stadium.
Josh Charnley scored a hat-trick for the Warriors and his fellow winger Anthony Gelling crossed twice in what was a far more comfortable victory than the scoreline suggests.
Wigan led 26-0 after 25 minutes and although Rovers showed some spirit in stiffening their resistance, they never looked remotely capable of overturning that early deficit.
Wigan's first-half play was scintillating at times with their pacey, flowing handling moves completely bamboozling a floundering Rovers defence.
A superb third-minute move was completed by Charnley in the corner from Tomkins' pass, before Tomkins himself scored a brilliant individual try, shaking off at least three tackles in a meandering run.
Quick hands
Brett Finch's short ball put Lee Mossop over under the posts and after a lengthy delay when referee Phil Bentham was stretchered off with a suspected broken ankle, the one-way traffic continued as more quick hands put Gelling over.
The fifth try arrived on 23 minutes and involved six passers from halfway before Charnley scooted in at the corner.
Rovers had paid heavily for a string of penalties but when they finally got one themselves - for Finch interfering - Michael Dobson was able to put Ben Galea in under the posts.
Fast-starters Wigan were over again a minute into the second half as Darrell Goulding's clever inside pass gave Charnley his hat-trick, before Shannon McDonnell side-stepped Sean O'Loughlin to lift Rovers' spirits again.
Gelling's strength and step earned him a second try on the hour and he was twice rightly denied a third by the video referee.
Rovers bossed the final quarter and scored through Josh Hodgson and Kris Welham, but with two points safely in the bag, Wigan's focus had long since switched to next week's cup clash with St Helens.