Wigan romp to 10-try win over spirited Salford

Betfred Super League

Wigan (22) 54

Tries: Wardle 3, Field 2, Nsemba, Marshall, French, Walters, Eckersley Goals: Smith 7

Salford (0) 0

Wigan Warriors coasted to victory over cash-strapped Salford Red Devils as they ran in 10 tries at the sun-kissed Brick Community Stadium.

After successive narrow defeats by Hull FC in the Challenge Cup and at Leeds in Super League last Saturday night, last season's record-breaking four-times trophy winners restored a bit of order.

But they were still given a far better game than they might have thought against crisis club Salford, whose unpaid players put in a far bigger shift than might have been expected of them, in the patched-up club's current circumstances.

Hat-trick man Jake Wardle got the first, third and last tries, while Jai Field got two, and Junior Nsemba, Liam Marshall, Bevan French, Sam Walters and Zach Eckersley also crossed, all festooned by seven conversions out of 10 from Harry Smith.

Against a Salford side who could so easily not have turned up at all, Wigan also had four other tries chalked off - and the home fans enjoyed a welcome return to action for young Wigan forward Brad O'Neill, who came back after last season's ACL injury for his first appearance since July.

But, although Wigan did all the scoring, and made it 13 straight wins over Salford in the process, it was also a day for praising the visitors' weakened, wearied and depleted troops for all the considerable and unrewarded effort they put in.

And their day was complete when Nathan Connell's last-minute try was cruelly ruled out for a perceived knock-on - to gasps of disappointment even from the home section of the crowd.

After one early disallowed try for offside, Wigan were ahead inside 10 minutes when Junior Nsemba weaved his way into a gap down the left before slipping the ball outside to allow Jake Wardle to cross in the left corner unopposed.

Wigan were then down to 12 men after Salford old boy Tyler Dupree's 21st-minute yellow card for a high tackle when they scored their next three tries.

Sam Walters went clear before giving the scoring pass to Jai Field, another big Nsemba break two minutes later set up Wardle's second try, and shortly after, Nsemba twisted out of a tackle to get on the scoresheet himself.

Having hit the post with his first conversion attempt, Smith landed his next three to earn a 22-0 interval cushion.

It was again the same threat down the left which materialised with the first of Wigan's six second-half tries as full-back Field powered across the pitch on an arcing run before putting on the after-burners to slip an inside pass for Marshall to cross.

That went unconverted but French dummied his way over to touch down under the posts for Smith to convert this time - and there was more to come.

After Patrick Mago broke the line, Walters combined with Wardle to get on the scoresheet, again unconverted.

But Smith had his range again for the final three tries, as Eckersley cantered over, followed by Field's second and centre Wardle's third.

Salford now face just five days of respite before being scheduled to face Catalans Dragons in the Challenge Cup in Perpignan next Friday night (4 April, 19:00 BST). They are then due to return to league action at home to Leeds the following Thursday (10 April, 20:00 BST).

Following their shock cup exit, Wigan have a 12-day break before they take on early league leaders Hull KR at Craven Park (Friday, 10 April, 20:00 BST).

Wigan: Field; Douglas, Eckersley, Wardle, Marshall; French, Smith; Dupree, Leeming, Thompson, Nsemba, Farrell, Ellis.

Interchanges: O'Neill, Mago, Hill, Walters.

Sin-bin: Dupree (21).

Salford: Brierley; Connell, Marsters, Vaughan, Wagstaffe; Morgan, Shorrocks; Ormondroyd, Yates, C Hill, Wright, Foster, G Hill.

Interchanges: Sangare, Chan, Shields, Egan.

Referee: Chris Kendall.