| Wigan (22) 48 |
| Tries: Miski 5, Wardle, Powell, Pearce-Paul, Field, French Goals: Smith, Hampshire 3 |
| Castleford (6) 6 |
| Try: Qareqare Goal: Austin |
Wigan pummelled Castleford for an eighth straight win to remain in pole position for the League Leaders’ Shield.
Abbas Miski scored four of his five tries before half-time as the Warriors remain top on points difference.
Jake Wardle, Sam Powell, Kai Pearce-Paul, Jay Field and Bevan French also registered for the home side.
Jason Qareqare crossed for Castleford, who were assured of survival after Wakefield’s result at Leigh Leopards.
Miski crossed in the corner just five minutes in after the Warriors stripped the ball from Liam Horne, and though Harry Smith slotted the extras, he could not repeat the feat when Miski added another three minutes later after collecting a perfect cross-field kick from French.
Liam Marshall’s reverse pass paved the way for Wardle to extend the lead on 16 minutes, but Cas replied with a Blake Austin kick causing a knock-on before Greg Eden freed Qareqare down the flank, with Austin kicking the extras on 20 minutes.
Warriors’ defence had to hold firm on a couple of occasions but Miski completed his fifth hat-trick of the season just after the half-hour after a lightning set – and there was still time for him to add his fourth seconds before the hooter, holding off Qareqare to dot down in the corner.
The onslaught continued after the break as Powell scored under the posts following a burst from Patrick Mago, and Field’s break set up Pearce-Paul for another within four minutes of the restart.
Ryan Hampshire – on his first appearance since May – took over the kicking duties before Tigers’ Austin was sin-binned for dissent, with Field jinking his way through for another try on 58 minutes against the 12 men.
French blazed away from halfway to score Wigan’s ninth try under the posts in the closing stages, with Hampshire adding his third conversion before Miski got his fifth try of the game – and 27th of the season – in the closing stages after Toby King’s pass.
Wigan: Field, Miski, King, Wardle, Marshall, French, Smith, Ellis, Powell, Dupree, Pearce-Paul, Nsemba, Smithies.
Interchanges: Shorrocks, Mago, Hill, Hampshire.Castleford: Austin, Qaraqare, Turner, Broadbent, Wallis, Eden, Miller, Watts, Horne, Mustapha, Mellor, Lawler, Hall.
Interchanges: Griffin, Massey, Martin, Johnstone.
