Jai Field is the Super League’s leading try scorer this season with 13
Chris Harby
BBC Sport England
Betfred Super League
Catalans (0) 0
Wigan (20) 48
Tries: Field, Walters, Marshall 2, Leeming, Nsemba, French, Smith Goals: Keighran 8
Wigan Warriors closed within two points of Super League leaders Hull KR as they cruised past Catalans Dragons with a clinical, if not dazzling, display in Perpignan.
In Joel Tomkins’ first game as interim head coach, Les Dracs had plenty of the ball but trailed 20-0 at the break after scores from Jai Field, Sam Walters and Liam Marshall.
Tries from Kruise Leeming, Junior Nsemba and a second for Marshall put the error-prone Warriors 36 points clear going into the last quarter.
And late scores from Bevan French and Harry Smith piled on the misery for a weary Catalans side who were shut out for a second successive match and remain in eighth place.
Warriors hand Tomkins a baptism of fire
Steve McNamara’s spell with the Dragons was ended by a 40-0 hammering at St Helens, and Tomkins shuffled the pack for his first game, giving a debut to 20-year-old winger Clement Martin.
The hosts bossed territory for long spells in the first half, but lacked the spark to break down some dogged defence. In contrast, a below-par Wigan made the very most of their attacking moments in a seventh straight Super League victory.
Catalans fell behind inside four nervy minutes when Field accelerated through a gap and ran 40 metres to the posts for his 15th try of the season in all competitions.
The Warriors went further ahead through a penalty kick from Adam Keighran, who landed eight of nine attempts off the tee.
It looked all too easy for Wigan when play was spread to the left where Marshall sprinted into acres of space and gave a simple scoring pass inside to Walters.
While the champions were ruthless and opportunistic in attack, they were also error-prone, at one point coughing up three successive repeat sets deep in their own half.
But Catalans failed to exploit the gifts and fell further behind when Marshall intercepted Theo Fages’ long pass and sprinted 90 metres to the line.
There was more good news for the visitors when Ethan Havard came on for his first action after four months out with a torn hamstring, but within minutes they lost Walters to a leg injury after a brief cameo from the bench.
The pattern repeated after the break as Wigan struck with their first attack, Jake Wardle’s slaloming run and brilliant offload giving Leeming a simple score.
Nsemba broke through some tired tackling to add a fifth try before French’s superb 20-metre cut-out pass gave Marshall a walk-in try for his second score on the hour.
Keighran’s break down the right then gave French a simple finish and a deserved try to bring up 40 points, and Marshall still had enough gas in the tank for one more burst down the left touchline to give Smith his moment.
Catalans Dragons interim head coach Joel Tomkins:
“It was difficult today, we are playing against the best team in the league with a fully fit squad and they are playing really well.
“We are not at that level at the minute. We are missing some of our better players and Wigan right now are a better team than us.”
[On Steve McNamara’s dismissal]: “It was a shock for everybody. I have been in a similar situation a long time ago as a player and the players have done a good job, turning up to training with intensity.
“We came into this game with a clear focus and a plan and we’ll try and do the same thing again next week.”
Wigan Warriors head coach Matt Peet:
“I’m very pleased with our performance – we’ve got plenty in our game that we are trying to improve upon.
“We’ve had some good training sessions and we’ve been focusing on the defensive side of our game.
“It’s improving and we look like we are enjoying playing and working hard as a group, which is always a good thing.
“There is no doubt that we have got pace and we’ve got ability too, so when we get our game right we are difficult to contend with.”
Catalans: Aispuro-Bichet; Martin, Laguerre, Smith, Yaha; Keary, Fages; Satae, Da Costa, Navarette, Sims, Whitehead, Partington.
Interchanges: Rouge, Seguier, Dezaria, Maria.
Wigan: Field; Eckersley, Keighran, Wardle, Marshall; French, Smith; Byrne, O’Neill, Thompson, Nsemba, Farrell, Ellis.
Interchanges: Havard, Mago, Leeming, Walters.
Referee: Jack Smith.
