Wigan bounce back to winning ways by thrashing Wakefield 52-10
Last Updated: 28/03/15 11:33am
Anthony Gelling grabbed a hat-trick of tries as Wigan bounced back to winning ways by thrashing Wakefield 52-10 at the DW Stadium.
Liam Farrell, Matty Smith, Dom Manfredi and Gelling all crossed in the first half, with Smith converting all four and adding a penalty to give the Warriors a 26-4 half-time lead.
Manfredi and Farrell both added to their try tally after the break, while Lee Mossop also got in on the act before Gelling scored two tries in two minutes to bring up his hat-trick and take Wigan past the half-century mark.
Wigan got off to an ideal start with the opening score after just three minutes with Liam Farrell going over unopposed after collecting the ball from Joe Burgess, who had jumped highest to catch Smith's bomb.
Smith added a penalty after Wakefield were penalised for offside and then showed the Wildcats defence a clean pair of heels to cross the whitewash.
Wakefield were failing to conjure anything constructive and Wigan took advantage to increase their lead as Manfredi collected a sublime cut-out ball from Joel Tomkins to force his way over in the corner.
The visitors finally got on the scoreboard after spreading the ball left from a penalty, with Chris Riley on hand to touch down although Craig Hall was off-target with the conversion.
Wigan extended their lead when Joel Tomkins put a hit on Jordan Hand that caused him to spill the ball and allowed Gelling to pick it up and race 40 metres to score.
The one-way traffic continued into the second half as Manfredi was on hand to collect an unselfish ball from Gelling following good build-up play down the right through George Williams and Smith.
The scrum-half missed his first conversion of the night but the Warriors still led 30-4.
Wakefield refused to lie down and they managed to pull a try back as substitute hooker Paul McShane burrowed his way over from close range following good work from Nick Scruton, with Hall converting.
But Warriors half-back Smith was running the show and his cross field run allowed Mossop to barge his way over.
Seconds later Farrell broke clear up the middle of the park to grab his second of the night, with Smith converting both as the Warriors went 42-10 ahead.
Gelling scored his second try of the night after collecting Joel Tomkins' offload before going over and the giant centre completed his hat-trick moments later when Wakefield made a mess of Smith's towering bomb.
Smith converted as the Warriors ran out easy winners.
