Wigan run in 11 tries to demolish Hull KR 60-0 in their Super League clash
Last Updated: 04/05/15 12:25pm
Wigan scored 11 tries as they demolished Hull KR 60-0 at the DW Stadium on Friday night.
Wing sensation Joe Burgess scored a second successive hat-trick as Wigan put a depleted Hull KR to the sword to maintain their 100 per cent home record and consolidate third place in Super League.
Burgess took his tally for the season to 13 to go top of Super League's try chart and stand-off George Williams scored two as the Warriors cruised to victory over a hapless Rovers side for whom nothing went right.
Already without skipper Terry Campese, leading scorer Josh Mantellato, hooker Shaun Lunt and new signing Dane Tilse, the visitors suffered another blow when second-rower Kevin Larroyer limped out of the warm-up.
It was little wonder that Rovers appeared shell-shocked in the opening stages and they were out of the game inside the first quarter, when Wigan, showing little sympathy, led 34-0.
Prop Dom Crosby, who scored his first try of the season at Wakefield a week ago, doubled his tally after only three minutes and Burgess quickly followed him to the line, finishing off a sparkling move for his first try.
England second-rower Liam Farrell then strode through a leaden-footed defence for one try before creating Burgess' second as Hull KR struggled to get a foothold in the game.
The shambles continued as centre Dan Sarginson produced a half-break to get Joel Tomkins over and Burgess was denied a 12-minute hat-trick after being brought back for a forward pass.
Smith kicked his fifth goal and his half-back partner George Williams went over for Wigan's fifth try after the visitors defence opened up invitingly.
The Robins gradually began to get hold of the ball to stem the tide and, although they never remotely looked like scoring, they kept their try line intact throughout the second quarter.
Normal service was resumed at the start of the second half, however, as Wigan regained their composure and focus to add three further tries within 16 minutes of the restart.
Burgess collected Williams' kick to the corner to enable Sarginson to go over, winger Dom Manfredi produced a trademark powerful finish for his eighth try in four matches and forward Taulima Tautai charged onto Smith's short pass to score his first for the club.
Williams produced one of the biggest cheers of the night when he scythed through the heart of the Robins' threadbare defence for Wigan's 10th try and Smith took his points tally to 16 with the successful conversion.
Wigan's only disappointment came in the closing stages when prop Ben Flower, who started his first match since completing a six-month ban, went off with a hamstring injury.
But they still had time to create a third try for Burgess, who gathered Williams' pinpoint kick to go over for his side's 11th try of a one-sided encounter.