Field hat-trick as dominant Wigan get back on track at Hull

Betfred Super League

Hull FC (0) 4

Try: Martin

Wigan (22) 46

Tries: Field 3, Miski, Mago, Forber, Wardle, French Goals: Keighran 7

Wigan Warriors returned to winning ways before next week's trip to Las Vegas to face Warrington Wolves as they swept aside Hull FC at MKM Stadium.

A week on from drawing a blank in the historic first single point 1-0 defeat against Leigh Leopards and a week before the trip Stateside, Matty Peet's side were back to something approaching last season's best.

In a dominant first-half display that saw Jai Field hit Hull with two tries and Abbas Miski and Patrick Mago one apiece, Wigan blew their hosts away and went in 22-0 up at the break.

Despite a brighter start to the second period from the Black and Whites, which saw hopes briefly rise when Lewis Martin went over in the corner, the Warriors quickly extinguished them.

Jordan Rapana's short goal-line dropout backfired, allowing Tom Forber to pick up and add a fifth try while another smart break from Field, finished off by Jake Wardle, put Wigan back out of sight.

Field continued the rout with a training ground move off the back of a scrum to bag his hat-trick with 13 minutes remaining before Bevan French completed the scoring, rounding off a break on the right wing.

Leigh's golden-point victory created Super League history last weekend and it proved a wake-up call for the history makers of last season.

One week on, Wigan looked every inch the quadruple winners who swept up every single piece of silverware available to them in a stunning 2024.

Field was at the heart of everything good about the Cherry and Whites' display, scoring three tries and serving a warning that a disappointing seven-try season in 2024 will prove a puzzling outlier on an otherwise prolific Wigan career.

Peet's side were irresistible, making momentum-shifting gains with ball in hand, defending brilliantly - three times carrying the ball-carrier into touch - and smothering the hosts throughout.

Hull briefly ignited hope in the stadium when Martin finished off a decent move to make it 22-4, but it proved to be a solitary punch landed on a long night for the hosts.

It was an evening made worse by an injury to Hull's Samoa prop Ligi Sao, who left the field bound for hospital after appearing to dislocate his left knee cap.

The Black and Whites will pick all possible positives out of the performance, including a bright showing from Sao's replacement Hugo Salabio and the fact they will not have to face a team of this calibre every week.

Hull FC head coach John Cartwright told BBC Radio Humberside:

"We played against a really classy team who played some really classy football.

"We had to be at our best physically and tactically and unfortunately we were nowhere near the mark.

"I felt we were hanging on all game. I thought some of our kicks at the end of sets were pretty poor. Look, they are a very strong team who will be there at the end of the year come Grand Final time.

"They have class right across paddock. It was a bit of that and a bit of we weren't where we needed to be."

Wigan Warriors head coach Matty Peet:

"I thought it was a strong performance. Given the enthusiasm around Hull FC at the moment we knew we were stepping into a challenge, and we managed to get things right at the start of the season and that stood us in good stead.

"We want Jai [Field] in the game as much as we can, and we know Jai is at his best when he's around the ball.

"He's a great player and he works so hard on his game. His game's built on his combinations with Harry (Smith) and Bevan (French), and timing is a big part, so on that you'll only see him improving throughout the season."

Hull FC: Rapana, Barron, Chamberlain, Briscoe, Martin, Cust, Sezer, Ese'ese, Sao, Balmforth, Aydin, Fash, Lane, Asiata.

Interchanges: Sao, Gardiner, Salabio, Hutchinson

Wigan: Field, Miski, Keighran, Wardle, Marshall, French, Smith, Byrne, Leeming, Thompson, Nsemba, Farrell, Ellis.

Interchanges: Mago, Dupree, Walters, Forber

Referee: Aaron Moore.