Wigan extended their flawless start to the Betfred Super League season with a ruthless 54-0 derby win over Leigh at the Brick Community Stadium.
The Warriors answered off-field noise with a dominant performance after Leigh chairman Derek Beaumont reignited last season’s ticketing dispute in a strongly worded note published about 40 minutes before kick-off. Beaumont said the club had returned 3,550 of their allocated 5,000 tickets, pointing to unresolved issues from October’s play-off semi-final as the reason for the low take-up. Any home support present was quickly subdued as Wigan controlled the match.
Wigan surged into a 24-0 lead inside the opening half hour, effectively settling the contest early. Adam Keighran opened the scoring on the right from a Bevan French pass after Liam Marshall had been denied over the opposite line. A later Marshall effort was chalked off for a forward pass, but French then powered through two tackles to score. Jai Field forced his way over from close range when a Harry Smith kick was palmed back by Junior Nsemba, and Field later carved through the defence to set Smith up under the posts.
After the break Field grabbed his second try following good work from Patrick Mago and Smith. Leigh lost Matt Davis to injury early in the second half, and a penalty awarded for a heavy shot on Luke Thompson let Wigan march back upfield and fashion an opening for Zach Eckersley in the corner. Junior Nsemba finished from a clever Smith kick; Smith added another try after a quick break, and Tom Forber barged over under the posts in the closing stages. Keighran converted nine from nine.
Leigh coach Adrian Lam, who took charge in 2022, was blunt about his side’s display, calling it possibly the worst performance of his time at the club and vowing to hold the squad to account. He urged a quick reset, saying there had been “a lot of softness” in the team.
Wigan’s comprehensive victory keeps them unbeaten in the early campaign, while Leigh face a period of reflection and rebuilding after a heavy derby reverse.