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

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

That imaginable appeared astir 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 the play to 27 by crossing doubly - his 2nd a length-of-the-field sprint to the line.

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

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

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

The League Leaders' Shield is Wigan's 3rd trophy of 2024 and they are consecutive done to the semi-final signifier of the play-offs, wherever a triumph volition nonstop them to the 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 the closing weeks of the regular season.

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

Former Wigan and Great Britain manager 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 the mediate portion of the year, but their signifier has been truly bully towards the backmost end.

"This volition beryllium nice, but they won't get carried distant lifting this 1 due to the fact that it's not the large one."

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

Wigan stay connected people to go the 4th nine to triumph the treble of League Leaders' Shield, Grand Final and Challenge Cup successful the aforesaid twelvemonth during the Super League era, with 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.