Round 3: Wigan record comfortable win against Huddersfield

Wigan swept away any talk of crisis after two successive defeats by recording a 36-20 victory over Huddersfield at the JJB Stadium that was far more emphatic than the scoreline suggests.

Much had been made of the Warriors being a defeat away from their worst start to a season in 21 years, but first-half tries by Chris Ashton, Kevin Brown, Iafeta Paleaaesina, Harrison Hansen and Brett Dallas had all but killed the game by the break.

The Giants, who were on the back foot for virtually the entire first half, made a contest of it with a couple of scores either side of the break, but had left themselves with far too much to do to repeat last season?s come from behind win here despite adding another two tries in the last 10 minutes.

Wigan had got off to the perfect start by running in three tries inside the opening 10 minutes to greatly ease the pressure on themselves and coach Ian Millward.

The first saw young full back Ashton burst through down the right-hand side and outpace the cover to touch down, and the second owed everything to a superb break down the centre of the field by Dennis Moran.

As the scrum half drew Huddersfield full back Paul Reilly, the supporting David Vaealiki was held back in play, and the chance looked to have gone.

Moran, though, had another trick up his sleeve, and he kicked ahead towards the left-hand corner for Brown to ground the ball over the line.

Two minutes later a fine break from Mark Calderwood down the left set up good field position and, following a penalty for holding down in the tackle, Hansen crashed over through some weak tackling for the third try.

Danny Tickle kicked all three conversions and the Giants were staring down the barrels of a heavy defeat, having barely had the ball in their hands.

The Warriors added their fourth score after just 17 minutes, as Paleaaesina took a short ball from close range and just bulldozed his way through two would-be tacklers.

The home side should have extended the lead after 26 minutes when a super passing move involving Brown, Moran and Ashton saw Calderwood fail to take the final ball with the line at his mercy.

The Giants had their first real attack with half an hour on the clock but massive defensive hits from Sean O?Loughlin and Vaealiki denied Eorl Crabtree and Paul March respectively, and Wigan broke away to bring up the 30-point mark with just 33 minutes on the clock.

Dallas finished off a flowing move in the left-hand corner to present Tickle with his most difficult conversion yet, but the second rower was up to it to maintain his 100% record.

Huddersfield hit back on the stroke of half time when, after Brad Drew had been held up just short by Ashton and Brown, Chris Nero took Pat Richards and Calderwood over the line with him to put the visitors on the scoreboard.

The Giants then came out first up for the second half and centre James Evans scored their second try just two minutes after the interval to give the visiting support something to cheer at long last.

They nearly cut the gap further on 50 minutes after Albert Torrens was put through by Chris Thorman, but the Giants man was bundled into touch by Ashton a yard short.

Huddersfield's hopes of an unlikely comeback were hit on the hour, though, when Paul March was sent to the sin bin for holding down in the tackle.

And the Warriors took immediate advantage by crossing for their sixth try of the night when Wayne Godwin touched down by the side of the posts, although Torrens and De Vere replied for Huddersfield in the closing stages to give the scoreline a more than flattering look.

Wigan: Ashton, Calderwood, Richards, Vaealiki, Dallas, Brown, Moran, Seu Seu, Godwin, Paleaaesina, Hansen, Tickle, O'Loughlin.
Replacements: Logan, Hargreaves, Higham, Tomkins.

Huddersfield: Reilly, Aspinwall, Evans, Torrens, De Vere, Thorman, Paul, Crabtree, March, McDonald, Smith, Jones, Wild.
Replacements: Drew, Nero, Snitch, Jackson.

Wigan: (30) 36.
Tries: Ashton, Brown, Hansen, Paleaaesina, Dallas, Godwin.
Goals: Tickle 6.

Huddersfield: (4) 20.
Tries: Nero, Evans, Torrens, De Vere.
Goals: De Vere, Thorman.

Referee: P Bentham (Warrington)

Att: 11,623