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Wigan Warriors boosted their top-two ambitions with an 18-4 comeback win at arch-rivals St Helens in Rivals Round to tighten their grip on home advantage in the Super League play-offs.

With just three rounds of the regular season remaining, defending champions Wigan could ill afford a slip-up against their fierce rivals, for whom victory was nothing short of essential to keep play-off hopes alive.

The hosts made the brighter start and deservedly went ahead inside six minutes through Deon Cross, with Wigan struggling to find a foothold until the half-hour mark.

But when the response came, it was the response of champions. Jake Wardle and Liam Marshall crossed within four minutes to flip the momentum and put the visitors in control before the break.

The killer blow came in the second half when Bevan French’s sharp offload released Jai Field, who streaked the length of the field for a stunning third try to extinguish Saints’ four-game winning streak and dent their play-off hopes.

Wigan ensure Hull KR champagne stays on ice

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The perfect start for St Helens as Deon Cross goes over for the Saints to give them an early lead against Wigan

Defeat for the defending champions would have set Hull KR up with the delicious prospect of confirming their first League Leaders’ Shield with victory over Hull FC at Craven Park on Sunday.

But the champagne must stay on ice for at least another week after a searing length-of-the-field try from Field capped a stirring second-half display from Matt Peet’s men.

In reality the race for top spot still looks all but mathematically over, but Wigan, bolstered by the recent returns of French and Luke Thompson, continue to show signs of peaking at the right time.

They withstood a bristling start from Saints, who were superb in the opening 20 minutes but had only an early try from Cross to show for their efforts.

Paul Wellens’ side have already secured their place in the play-offs, but this defeat makes it more likely that they will face a semi-final trip to Lancashire neighbours Leigh.

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Wigan extend their lead as Jai Field runs the length of the pitch to score after a brilliant Bevan French flick

Peet: Wigan found a way

Wigan Warriors head coach Matt Peet: “An important win. I’m proud of the team, it’s always tough coming here. Saints have got so many quality players and so much pride.

“What pleases me most is that we were some way off our standard but defensively we kept turning up for one another and we were very comfortable for most of the game.

“The errors and the penalties, we can’t continue to do that, but we still found a way.”

‘Saints architects of their own downfall’

St Helens head coach Paul Wellens: “I’m really disappointed. I thought we started the game exceptionally well, but we had a bit of a lapse in concentration mid-way through that first half, and it never really got much better for us.

“We were big contributors to our own downfall tonight. And that’s not to take away from the opposition, they deserved to win the game.

“At this moment in time, we’re doing 90 per cent of the things were talking about in the week, which you can get away with in some games but last week, tonight and next week, they don’t give you that extra 10 per cent. We’ve got to find it. The onus is very much on us.”

‘Win will go Wigan world of good’

Jai Field raced the entire length of the field to seal Wigan’s victory at St Helens

Player of the Match Jai Field: “You could say it was an early birthday wish coming true!

“It’s always a tough game against these guys. It doesn’t matter where the teams are in the competition. It’s always physical and they play for the full 80 minutes, so I was really pleased with the boys’ defensive efforts.

“This win will do us the world of good in terms of confidence. We haven’t won here since 2021 so to get a win here this late in the season puts us in good stead for the run in.

“We’re finding a bit of rhythm at the moment, so hopefully we can keep that flow and see what we can do.”

‘Great show of character’

Wigan Warriors’ Bevan French: “It was a good, intense game. It was a good show of character but probably not up to the standards we’d like at this point in the year.

“We gave away too many penalties and the start wasn’t up to scratch; we were under the pump. But I’m always proud of the character, I know we’re going to dig deep.”

More to follow.

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