Comfortable Wigan victory leaves Leeds facing longer play-off route

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/sep/05/wigan-leeds-super-league-match-report

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The Leeds coach, Brian McDermott, has admitted the Super League table “does not make good reading” after a fourth successive defeat scuppered his side’s chances of a top-three finish.

The Challenge Cup winners remain in sixth place with one round of the regular season left after they went down to Wigan in front of a Super League season-best attendance of 20,265 at the DW Stadium on Friday night.

The Rhinos made history in 2011 by becoming the first club to win the Grand Final from fifth place and repeated the feat 12 months later but McDermott is disappointed that they are once more forced to do it the hard way.

“It’s not great,” McDermott said. “Never mind top four or top two, we wanted to be top and it doesn’t make good reading. It’s a big thing for a club like Leeds. It’s something we’re not proud of and it’s not lost on the players. At the same time the play-offs are an exciting prospect. The likelihood is that we’ll finish fifth or sixth and we’ll plan for that.”

Leeds were totally outplayed in the first half as Wigan bounced back from their surprise defeat at Widnes to open up a 14-0 lead with tries from Joe Burgess and Matty Smith, who eventually kicked four goals.

McDermott’s men staged a tremendous rally after the break, however, and Liam Sutcliffe’s 45th-minute try kept them in the game until the Wigan prop Ben Flower stormed over for the winning score 10 minutes from the end.

“Wigan were really intense and up for it,” McDermott said. “They had the edge in the first half but the game wasn’t won then. We played a lot better in the second half and at 14-6 it was very do-able but we gave them too much ball and made too many errors.”

Shaun Wane could not hide his delight after an impressive victory that, in his 100th game as Wigan coach, lifted his team into second place in the table.

“I’m really pleased,” Wane said. “We’ve been in a tough place in the last few weeks but today we defended really tough and showed that when we keep hold of the ball we can beat teams.

“Credit to Leeds, they never go away, but I thought we were really good. At 14-6 I wasn’t worried. I thought we were in control and I thought our defence was pretty solid all the way through. I’ve said we can play in big games. If we compete and defend with a bit of desire, then we can beat anybody.”

It was fitting that Flower scored Wigan’s match-winning try. His powerful bursts had helped his side get off to their impressive start and his late heroics clinched the home team’s man-of-the-match award.

“I thought all our middles did well,” Wane said. “I think they set a good platform and dominated the middle of the park.”

Wigan Bowen; Charnley, Hughes, Sarginson, Burgess; Green, Smith; Crosby, McIlorum, Flower, Tomkins, L Farrell, O’Loughlin. Interchange Powell, Pettybourne, Clubb, Bateman.

Tries Burgess, Smith, Flower Goals Smith 4 Drop-goal Smith.

Leeds Hardaker; Briscoe, Watkins, Keinhorst, Hall; Sinfield, Sutcliffe; Bailey, Aiton, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Delaney. Interchange S. Ward, Leuluai, Achurch, Singleton.

Try Sutcliffe Goal Sinfield

Referee B Thaler