Jai Field scores hat-trick in impressive Wigan Warriors victory at Hull FC

HULL FC 4 WIGAN WARRIORS 46
TOM ALDERSON, MKM Stadium, Friday

WIGAN will head to Las Vegas on the back of a thoroughly professional performance to sweep aside Hull FC and claim their first win of the campaign.

After playing out a historic 1-0 loss last week, the Warriors took that steely defence and intensity across the Pennines and rarely looked threatened without the ball, while showcasing a real clinical edge in attack to run in eight tries, including a hat-trick by Jai Field.

The Warriors did everything better than Hull, from their line speed and contact to their skill and execution, and gave the Airlie Birds a real lesson in why they’re currently the best side in the world.

Hull, although showing signs of more fight and resilience after two games under John Cartwright, were a long way second best. Their physicality diminished as the game wore on and, while they threw the ball around and never stopped trying, they only managed to crack the Cherry and White defence once.

Wigan struck first through the outstanding Field, who raced through the middle to collect a Liam Marshall kick to finally score the champions’ first try of the campaign inside ten minutes.

That Warriors superiority was telling and they doubled their tally with a try to Abbas Miski. After Hull gave away a seven-tackle set, the Warriors worked it down field and Bevan French hit his winger with a lovely cut-out pass to score untouched.

Things went from bad to worse for Hull as Ligi Sao was helped off with a serious injury and Wigan wasted no time extending their advantage to three scores, with Patrick Mago taking advantage of a slow retreating Hull defence to touch down under the posts.

The visitors’ fourth try had a touch of fortunate about it but underlined their dominance in the first 40 with Field collecting a French kick which cannoned off a Hull defender’s head to score and put his side in total control at the break.

Hull had to be the next to score and did just that two minutes into the second half. A break from Harvey Barron set up field position for Aiden Sezer to loop a pass over for Lewis Martin to open the hosts’ account.

Wigan responded in kind with a try by Tom Forber, who was in the right place to collect a loose ball which had been batted back from a short drop-out, and when Field and Marshall then combined to put Jake Wardle under the posts a few minutes later, any feeling of a mini Hull revival was extinguished.

Much like the first half, the Warriors increasingly dominated as the second half wore on and scored again through Field, who completed his hat-trick off a neat set play from the scrum to blow the scoreline out further.

Wigan broke away again down the right edge in the closing minutes with French joining the scorers out wide to underline a comprehensive win.

GAMESTAR: Jai Field gave Hull nightmares all game as the electric fullback scored a hat-trick and had the Black and Whites’ defence clutching at shadows at times in a brilliant attacking display.

GAMEBREAKER: Wigan’s fourth try just before half-time effectively killed the game as a contest.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Jai Field’s opening try of the game was a fantastic display of speed and precision to touch down Liam Marshall’s kick.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Jai Field (Wigan)
2 pts Junior Nsemba (Wigan)
1 pt Luke Thompson (Wigan)

MATCHFACTS
HULL FC
1 Jordan Rapana
2 Harvey Barron
4 Ed Chamberlain
5 Tom Briscoe
22 Lewis Martin
14 Cade Cust
7 Aiden Sezer
8 Herman Ese’ese
25 Denive Balmforth
17 Yusuf Aydin
12 Jordan Lane
19 Brad Fash
13 John Asiata
Subs (all used)
10 Ligi Sao
21 Will Gardiner
31 Hugo Salabio
33 Will Hutchinson
18th man (not used)
32 Will Kirby
Also in 21-man squad
17 Jack Ashworth
23 Logan Moy
30 Callum Kemp

Tries: Martin (42)
Goals: Sezer 0/1

WARRIORS
1 Jai Field
2 Abbas Miski
3 Adam Keighran
4 Jake Wardle
5 Liam Marshall
6 Bevan French
7 Harry Smith
16 Liam Byrne
17 Kruise Leeming
10 Luke Thompson
11 Junior Nsemba
12 Liam Farrell
13 Kaide Ellis
Subs (all used)
15 Patrick Mago
19 Tyler Dupree
21 Sam Walters
23 Tom Forber
18th man (not used)
20 Harvie Hill
Also in 21-man squad
22 Zach Eckersley
24 Jack Farrimond
27 Harvey Makin