Wigan beat Wakefield to set 12-match Super League winning record

Wigan Warriors returned to the top of Super League with a 26-12 home victory over Wakefield Trinity, extending their winning run to a club-record 12 league matches in the summer era. The Guardian reported that the result put Wigan first for at least 48 hours, with Leeds Rhinos due to play in York on Sunday and able to reclaim the lead.

Watch the highlights:

Wakefield competed well through the opening 20 minutes, but the match changed after one of their attacks broke down. Bevan French turned the loose situation into a long-range opening try, beginning a decisive sequence in which Wigan scored three times in nine minutes. Liam Marshall finished two moves in the corner, while Adam Keighran converted both of those tries and added a penalty on the half-time hooter for a 20-0 interval advantage.

Trinity improved after the break and opened their account through Corey Hall. The visitors then applied sustained pressure, but a handling error near the Wigan line gave Jai Field the chance to break away. Field collected the ball, stepped past Jack Sinfield and ran the length of the field to score with 15 minutes remaining, effectively settling the contest. Ky Rodwell crossed for Wakefield with 10 minutes left to complete the scoring.

The winning streak is a new Wigan benchmark for consecutive league victories since Super League began. According to The Guardian, the club had previously reached 11 straight wins in 1998, 2013 and 2023. Wigan went on to become Super League champions in each of those seasons, although this campaign still has significant matches to come before the Old Trafford final in October.

Wigan coach Matt Peet acknowledged after the match that the run will eventually end, while saying he believes there is more improvement available from his team. He felt Wigan could have been more fluent but highlighted how difficult they were to break down against a strong opponent. Wakefield coach Daryl Powell said his side had stayed in a demanding contest, but identified the two tries conceded after loose possession as the decisive difference.

For Wigan, the immediate reward is first place and a record that separates this run from the club's other strong Super League sequences. Wakefield have now lost consecutive matches, but their second-half response kept the final margin to 14 points and provided evidence of the competitiveness that has placed them firmly in the playoff discussion.