Nine-try Wigan Hammer Leigh To Keep Up Strong Start

26 February 2026


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Wigan (24) 54


Tries: Keighran, French, Field 2, Smith 2, Eckersley, Nsemba, Forber Goals: Keighran 9


Leigh (0) 0


Wigan Warriors ran in 9 tries to hammer local rivals Leigh Leopards 54-0 and continue their outstanding start to the 2026 Super League season.


Tries from Adam Keighran, Bevan French, Jai Field and Harry Smith put Wigan into a dominant 24-point lead at half-time for the 2nd match in a row.


Further tries from Field and Smith plus one each from Zach Eckersley, Junior Nsemba and Tom Forber after the break - along with 9 objectives from Keighran on a best night with the boot - made sure a 3rd league win from three for Warriors.


Leigh failed to reveal up during an extremely one-sided 'Battle of the Borough' on a frustrating night for the visitors littered with handling mistakes and a lack of discipline.


Wigan went on after 10 minutes - French fired in a short pass for Keighran to cross over from close quarters on the last take on after Leigh's Lachlan Lam conceded a set of 6 in his own half for a late shot.


Liam Marshall dotted down for Warriors right after but the celebrations were interrupted as referee Liam Moore found a forward pass from French in the build-up of a flowing team .


French then found a little space in the Leigh backline on the ideal edge to roll challenges from Lam and Tesi Niu to get Wigan's second in a dominant opening 20 minutes from the hosts.


A well-measured kick from Smith was batted back one-handed by Nsemba to full-back Field who showed a dummy before darting over for the excellent Warriors' 3rd shot.


Field turned from scorer to supplier moments later on, discovering room in midfield before establishing Smith to dot down below the sticks and, after Keighran dispatched a fourth successful kick, the video game was successfully over as a contest by the half-hour mark.


Moments into the 2nd period, Leigh's Matt Davis was required off with a head injury having actually taken the full blast of a kick to the corner by Smith.


And Warriors stretched their legs quickly after when a stunning line break from Patrick Mago allowed the prop to pass to Smith, who unselfishly found Field to complete another free-flowing relocation for his second of the night.


At this phase, Wigan were playing exhibition rugby league and a miss-out pass from French eliminated three Leigh protectors and found Eckersley who strolled in for Wigan's 6th try.


Nsemba then got his name on the scoresheet, getting on completion of a fragile grubber kick from Smith, before Field raced away on a terrific break and found the supporting Smith to dive over beside the sticks.


Hooker Forber got 50-up for Warriors, barging over for his side's ninth shot between the sticks before Keighran included the extras again to seal an ideal night for Wigan.


Leigh were dealt a further blow with just a minute remaining as full-back Bailey Hodgson needed to be helped off the field with a major looking knee injury.


'Important not to get brought away' - Peet


Wigan head coach Matt Peet informed BBC Radio Manchester:


"It's difficult to understand what level the other groups are at. Hull were missing a couple of [players] recently, Leigh were missing a couple of [players], so it is essential we do not get brought away at this phase of the season.


"The kids have actually got themselves in outstanding physical shape, credit to our efficiency staff - we were all set for this season physically.


"We have actually got capability - the video game has actually quickened up a bit so we can show it."


'As bad as we've played in my time here' - Lam


"Obviously terrible. That is most likely as bad as we've played in my time here and I believe we were our own worst enemies.


"We distributed a take on six charge when ball game was 0-0 and that certainly turned the game entirely on its head.


"You've got to come here and win ownership and not do those things [errors] so it put us under pressure and it simply intensified from there.


"You just can't offer away those simple errors and penalties early on. We got battered a bit - no doubt about it."


Wigan: Field; Eckersley, Keighran, Farrell, Marshall; French, Smith; Havard, O'Neill, Thompson, Nsemba, Walters, Ellis.


Replacements: Mago, Partington, Eseh, Forber.


Leigh: Hodgson; Senior, Niu, Brand, Charnley; Cook, Lam; Ofahengaue, Horne, Mulhern, Halton, Trout, Liu.


Replacements: Hughes, Davis, Alick-Wiencke, O'Brien.