Wigan Warriors go top of Super League with record 12th straight win over Wakefield Trinity

Wigan Warriors moved top of the Betfred Super League table with a 26-12 win over Wakefield Trinity — their club-record 12th consecutive victory in the competition (BBC Sport).

The win at The Brick Community Stadium on Friday night edged Wigan above Leeds Rhinos, who had sat first on 36 points with an identical win-loss record but a superior points difference. Wigan now hold top spot outright, with Wakefield remaining fourth.

This was a match Wigan controlled from the start. Bevan French opened the scoring with a try, and Liam Marshall crossed twice in quick succession to stretch the lead. Adam Keighran was faultless with the boot, kicking five goals from five attempts. By half-time the scoreboard read 20-0 and the contest looked settled.

Then came the moment that turned a routine win into a memorable one. Wakefield, trailing heavily, pressed deep into Wigan's territory and came within metres of the tryline — the line a team must ground the ball over to score. They spilled it. Jai Field, Wigan's full-back (the last line of defence in rugby league), scooped up the loose ball and ran the entire length of the pitch to score on the counter-attack.

For Field, it was a feat he has made something of a habit. He scored a similar length-of-the-field try against Leigh Leopards earlier in August, and has been one of the competition's most dangerous broken-field runners all season. The try effectively sealed the two points.

Wakefield showed character in the second half. Corey Hall crossed for a try, and Ky Rodwell added another, with Max Jowitt kicking both conversions. The fightback narrowed the gap but never seriously threatened Wigan's lead.

Wakefield's position in fourth place was unaffected by the result. They sit on 32 points from 24 games, six behind Wigan and two behind third-placed Warrington Wolves.

For Wigan, the stakes are straightforward. The Super League season uses a league table to determine playoff seeding, with the top teams advancing to the postseason in pursuit of the Grand Final title. Finishing first guarantees the most favourable route. Leeds Rhinos, level on 36 points but with a points difference of +438 to Wigan's +282 before this round, will have the chance to respond when they next play.

What makes this Wigan run notable is its consistency. Twelve straight wins in a 14-team competition is no accident of scheduling. Head coach Matt Peet has built a side that wins in different ways — through set-piece control, through defensive grit, and through individuals like Field who can turn a match in a single broken passage of play.

The referee for the match was Chris Kendall. Wigan's try scorers were French, Marshall (2) and Field; Wakefield's were Hall and Rodwell.