Wigan Warriors suffer shock defeat against Wakefield

Wakefield Trinity 16 - 10 Wigan Warriors

Wakefield shock Wigan as the Super League champions winning run was ended.

Author | Amy W

Wigan Warriors missed the opportunity to close the gap on Super League leaders Hull KR as they were beaten by a resurgent Wakefield Trinity side at Belle Vue.

Daryl Powell’s team withstood early pressure before establishing a 10-point advantage at the break, with tries from Caius Faatili and Josh Griffin. Wigan, lacking their usual fluency, struggled to impose themselves despite Adam Keighran crossing early in the second half to halve the deficit.

Wakefield responded through Tom Johnstone, whose try reasserted their control. Although Jai Field added a late score for the visitors, it was not enough to avoid only their third defeat of the campaign.

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The result lifts Trinity into the top half and brings Wigan’s nine-match winning streak to an end. The hosts had entered the match off the back of successive defeats but looked sharp from the off, soaking up heavy pressure in the opening quarter.

Junior Nsemba was denied near the line, and Wakefield immediately capitalised. Harvey Smith’s sharp pass released Faatili, who broke through to score. That sparked confidence throughout the Trinity side. Johnstone was inches away from a second before Mason Lino’s astute kicking began to unsettle the Warriors.

Lino’s clever grubber split the Wigan defence, and Griffin pounced to touch down. Max Jowitt added the conversion to make it 10-0 at the interval.

Keighran’s converted try gave Wigan early hope after the restart, but a handling error by Nsemba gave Trinity renewed possession. Jake Trueman's wide pass allowed Johnstone to score in the corner, restoring the home side’s two-score cushion.

Jowitt missed a penalty soon after, but Wigan could not make it count. Field’s late try, following a deft kick from Harry Smith, proved no more than a consolation.

It was a deserved victory for Wakefield and a performance that suggests Powell’s men are beginning to find form. For Wigan, it was a missed chance to keep pace at the top.

A fan responds

After the match, one Wigan Warriors fan spoke about the match and how the defeat might not be the end of the world. He gave some in-depth analysis of the match.

"As a fan, you’ve got to admit Wakefield were just better on the night. It wasn’t that Wigan were awful, but Trinity managed the key moments and really turned the screw, especially at the end of sets. You could feel them building pressure and we never quite matched that intensity.

"There was a big stoppage late on and it felt like a chance to shift the momentum, but we never took it. That’s been happening a bit too often recently. Wakefield taught us a few harsh lessons tonight and hopefully the players take it on board.

"You do learn more from games like this, but it’s frustrating. When the match hit another gear, we had too many lapses. We’ve got to respond quickly if we’re serious about challenging this season."