Wigan thrash Salford to retain League Leaders' Shield

Betfred Super League

Wigan (28) 64

Tries: Marshall 2, Field 3, French 2, Eckersley, Wardle, Leeming 2 Goals: Keighran 10

Salford (0) 0

Wigan Warriors secured nan League Leaders' Shield for nan 2nd consecutive play by scoring 11 tries successful a ascendant triumph against an understrength Salford Red Devils.

Wigan - who person now won 3 of nan 4 trophies connected connection to them successful 2024 and could still assistance each 4 - went into their last crippled of nan regular play knowing they would decorativeness apical of Super League if they avoided defeat.

That imaginable appeared almost definite erstwhile Salford, already guaranteed a play-off spot, elected to remainder respective first-choice players successful mentation for their eliminator necktie adjacent week and gave Super League debuts to 8 players.

Wigan winger Liam Marshall, Super League's starring effort scorer successful 2024, took his tally for nan play to 27 by crossing doubly - his 2nd a length-of-the-field sprint to nan line.

There was a hat-trick of tries for full-back Jai Field, while hooker Kruise Leeming and Bevan French some touched down twice.

Zach Eckersley and Jake Wardle added further scores successful a one-sided title astatine Brick Community Stadium arsenic nan hosts won nan League Leaders' Shield back-to-back for nan first clip successful their history.

Fourth-placed Salford await for nan result of Friday's crippled betwixt Leigh and St Helens to observe whether they will play astatine location aliases distant successful their play-off opener. If Saints do not win, Salford will person a location fixture.

The League Leaders' Shield is Wigan's 3rd trophy of 2024 and they are consecutive done to nan semi-final shape of nan play-offs, wherever a triumph will nonstop them to nan Grand Final astatine Old Trafford connected 12 October.

Hull KR and Warrington person been challenging Matt Peet's broadside for Super League's apical spot successful nan closing weeks of nan regular season.

The Warriors registered a cardinal triumph connected 6 September erstwhile they narrowly defeated Rovers to move backmost to nan summit, and they secured different portion of silverware connected Thursday courtesy of their sixth consecutive victory.

Former Wigan and Great Britain coach Brian Noble, moving arsenic a pundit for BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, said his erstwhile nine were "deserved" League Leaders' Shield winners.

He added: "They had a small spot of a wobble successful nan mediate portion of nan year, but their shape has been really bully towards nan backmost end.

"This will beryllium nice, but they won't get carried distant lifting this 1 because it's not nan awesome one."

Their latest occurrence follows triumph complete NRL champions Penrith successful February's World Club Challenge and June's Challenge Cup final triumph complete Warrington astatine Wembley.

Wigan stay connected people to go nan 4th nine to triumph nan treble of League Leaders' Shield, Grand Final and Challenge Cup successful nan aforesaid twelvemonth during nan Super League era, pinch Bradford (2003), St Helens (2006) and Leeds (2015) each antecedently achieving that feat.

Wigan: Field; Eckersley, Keighran, Wardle, Marshall; French, Smith; Havard, Leeming, Thompson, Nsemba, Farrell, Ellis.

Interchanges: Byrne, Mago, Dupree, Forber.

Salford: Atkin; Fitzgerald, B Glover, Wagstaffe, Connell; Cust, Morgan; Ormondroyd, Bourouh, Sidlow, Hellewell, McCurrie, Wilson.

Interchanges: Pye, C Glover, Bardyel-Wells, Gatcliffe.

Referee: Chris Kendall.