Wildcats claw Warriors

Wakefield maintained their resurgence with an 18-16 win over Wigan that puts them top of the embryonic Super League table after the opening two rounds.

Last year?s surprise play-off qualifiers followed up their first win at Bradford for 16 years with their first win over the Warriors since the days of winter rugby in 1994.

The Yorkshiremen, who were regular relegation candidates up to last year, were deserved victors over an injury-hit Wigan side who fielded 12 players aged 24 or under.

Wakefield?s awesome pack dominated the lightweight Wigan six and stand-off Jamie Rooney took full advantage to dominate the scoring for the second successive week.

He followed up his 16-point haul at Odsal with a length-of-the-field try and three goals from six attempts to take the man-of-the-match award on his first home appearance since August.

There was little to choose between the sides in a tight and tense first half but Wakefield gained the upper hand with two tries in the last 10 minutes of the half.

First skipper Jason Demetriou finished off the best spell of attacking rugby of the match, a breathtaking move in which he handled three times and Sam Obst, Kevin King and Olivier Elima also figured prominently.

Then, just as Wigan looked likely to draw level, Rooney struck a crucial blow for the hosts.

Full-back Mark Field pulled off a try-saving tackle on his opposite number, Warriors captain Kris Radlinksi, and as the visitors tried to exploit a gap on the left, Rooney intercepted Dennis Moran?s long pass and beat Liam Colbon in a 90-metre sprint to the corner.

Wigan?s only first-half points came from makeshift prop Danny Tickle, who opened the scoring with a fifth-minute penalty, but they had their tryscoring chances.

Colbon, making only his second start in place of injured wingers Brett Dallas and Brian Carney, charged down a Rooney kick only to be recalled for a knock-on while hooker Terry Newton had a try ruled out for a forward pass.

Former New Zealand international Jerry Seuseu, Wigan?s only frontline prop, was placed on report by referee Richard Silverwood for a challenge on Wildcats loose forward Julian O?Neill that forced the former Wigan player temporarily out of the action 90 seconds into the second half.

But the visitors hauled themselves back into the game on 45 minutes when Danny Orr and Gareth Hock combined in a sweet move and centre David Vaealiki took Colbon?s final pass to score his first try for the club.

Rooney kicked a second penalty on 51 minutes to make it 14-6 when Seuseu was punished for the latest in a series of laying-on offences and, when Mr Silverwood lost his patience, team-mate Wayne Godwin was sin-binned for a repeat of the misdeed.

But Wigan plundered a second try while down to 12 men, substitute David Allen scooping up a dropped Wakefield pass to set up the position for Vaealiki to get Gareth Hock over the line with a delightful underarm pass out of the tackle.

Tickle missed both his conversion attempts to leave his side trailing by four points going into the final quarter.

But the decisive score came on 63 minutes when O?Neill and Michael Korkidas worked the ball out to the left and winger Semi Tadulala took David Solomona?s long pass to cut inside for the match-winning try.

Wildcats second rower David Wrench then had a try disallowed for a forward pass before Newton claimed a consolation try for the Warriors, with Tickle kicking his second goal.

Wakefield: M. Field, Halpenny, Demetriou, King, Tadulala, Rooney, Jeffries, Griffin, March, Korkidas, Elima, J. Field, O'Neill. Replacements: Obst, Wrench, Feather, Solomona.

Wigan: Radlinski, Aspinwall, Wild, Vaealiki, Colbon, Orr, Moran, Seu Seu, Newton, Tickle, Hock, Hansen, O'Loughlin. Replacements: Brown, Godwin, Allen, Hargreaves.

Wakefield (12) 18. Tries: Demetriou, Rooney, Tadulala. Goals: Rooney 3. Wigan (2) 16. Tries: Vaealiki, Hock, Newton. Goals: Tickle 2.

Referee: Richard Silverwood (Dewsbury)

Att: 6,196