Senior inspires Leeds to repel early Wigan thrusts

Wigan 14 Leeds 38

Leeds wore down Wigan in the second half at the JJB Stadium to tighten their grip on top spot in Super League last night.

Leeds wore down Wigan in the second half at the JJB Stadium to tighten their grip on top spot in Super League last night.

After a closely fought, attritional first half, Wigan's young side gave itself just too much to do by repeatedly surrendering possession too cheaply.

They battled with typical determination in defence, but Leeds' range of skills saw them pull clear with four unanswered tries, from Liam Botham, Marcus Bai, Ali Lautiiti and Mark Calderwood after the break.

Kris Radlinski had already saved Wigan in defence before putting them ahead, stopping Chev Walker on two occasions, and was there to take advantage in the sixth minute when Andrew Dunemann was penalised for one of a spate of early high tackles.

Dennis Moran caught the Leeds defence in two minds with an incisive run and Radlinski was in support to score. There had been plenty of spite from the start and after 12 minutes Wigan's Gerry Seuseu and Barrie McDermott of Leeds were sent to the sin bin for an old-fashioned prop-forward punch-up.

Richard Mathers' last-ditch tackle stopped Danny Tickle, who had earlier landed the conversion, taking Wigan further ahead and, midway through the half, Leeds were level.

Kevin Sinfield began the decisive thrust with some deceptive footwork, Dunemann carried it on and Keith Senior found the defence stretched too thin to stop him.

The same combination responsible for their first try restored Wigan's lead after Walker had lost the ball, Moran again finding a gap through which to send his captain.

Smart work by Rob Burrow saw Leeds hit back when he scooped up a difficult pass, raced across field and sent Willie Poching sliding over despite a three-man tackle.

The Rhinos took the lead for the first time thanks to another dropped ball, this time from Moran. Burrow again made an important contribution with a flick to send the ball to Senior, whose brute strength took him over in the corner.

On a rare visit to the Leeds half after the break, Wigan cut their lead, Tickle landing the penalty after Ryan Bailey had gone high in the tackle. That progress was immediately undermined by a mistake when Sinfield's restart was allowed to bounce into touch. This time Leeds went for the jugular, Botham taking Dunemann's pass to drive over the try line.

Wigan's resistance was broken now as Poching's acrobatic back-handed pass to Bai created the fifth Leeds try.

Their weary defence was breached again when Sinfield got his pass away to Lauitiiti and, two minutes from time, Calderwood celebrated with his 100th career try.

Wigan: Radlinski, Dallas, Brown, Vaealiki, Aspinwall, Orr, Moran, Seuseu, Newton, Guisset, Hansen, Tickle, Wild. Substitutes used: Godwin, Allen, Colbon, Hargreaves.

Leeds: Mathers, Calderwood, Walker, Senior, Bai, Sinfield, Burrow, Bailey, Dunemann, McDermott, Lauitiiti, Poaching, Jones-Buchanan. Substitutes used: McGuire, Scruton, Smith, Botham.

Referee: K Kirkpatrick (Warrington).