Wigan thump Catalans to go second in Super League

Betfred Super League

Wigan (6) 30

Tries: Thompson, Smith, Keighran, Farrell, Miski Goals: Smith (5)

Catalans (8) 8

Tries: Bousquet Goals: Mourgue (2)

A blistering start to the second half from Wigan Warriors saw them come from behind to beat Catalans Dragons and leapfrog them in the Super League table.

A superb kick-and-chase from Harry Smith gave Wigan the lead for the first time on 44 minutes, and the hosts went back-to-back as Adam Keighran crossed shortly after.

The game was in the balance at the break, with a Arthur Mourgue penalty goal the difference after tries from Dragons prop Julian Bousquet and Luke Thompson for the Warriors.

Liam Farrell scored his 150th career try to push Wigan clear, before Abbas Miski sealed a comfortable win with a breakaway try on 78 minutes.

Both sides were among the early pacesetters in this season's Super League, with Dragons second and Wigan third going into this match.

However, the two had come into the game after defeats, with Warriors beaten by Hull KR last weekend, and Catalans thrashed by Leigh.

That perhaps explained the tight first half, with Bousquet's try the only big moment of the first half hour.

The prop pirouetted and dived over from close range, with Mourgue's conversion and penalty goal pushing Catalan eight points up.

Matt Peet's side then scored 24 unanswered points, with Thompson's impressive individual score closing the gap to two points at half-time.

But the decisive period of the match came in the second 40 minutes, beginning with Smith's tremendous score.

He chased his own kick from the 20-metre line before diving over, to give Wigan the lead for the first time.

The hosts then stormed up the field immediately from the restart, with Jai Field beating a man before flinging a superb blind pass to the right wing.

Keighran was there to run on to it and dot down - the Australian scoring against his former side.

Warriors held out brilliantly from that point, seeing off some physical Dragons attacking sets.

Liam Farrell scored late on, his 150th career try in a stellar career which has seen him feature more than 350 times for his hometown club, to confirm victory at DW Stadium.

A comfortable win turned into a thrashing in the final moments, with Miski barging over after a centre-field breakaway - with Warriors taking advantage of some tired Dragons defending to consign them to a second consecutive defeat.

Wigan go level on points with league leaders St Helens, having won four of their past six Super League matches.

Wigan: Field, Miski, Keighran, Wardle, Marshall, French, Smith, Thompson, O'Neill, Byrne, Nsemba, Farrell, Ellis

Interchanges: Havard, Mago, Leeming, Dupree

Catalans: Mourgue, Yaha, Laguerre, Romano, Johnstone, Nikorima, Abdull, Bousquet, Da Costa, Navarette

Sims, McMeeken, Garcia

Interchanges: Seguier, Sironen, Rouge, Satae

Referee: Jack Smith.