Hull FC suffered a fifth straight defeat as they lost 22-4 to Wigan Warriors at the Brick Community Stadium.
Jed Cartwright scored for the Black & Whites to cut the deficit before half-time after early tries from Jacob Douglas and Zach Eckersley.
The Black & Whites were well in the contest early in the second-half, but Junior Nsemba and Jacob Farrimond made sure of a workmanlike win for the Warriors.
Team News
Simon Grix made four changes following last weekend’s Magic disappointment. Logan Moy and Will Gardiner came into the starting line-up, whilst Jack Ashworth and Leon Ruan returned to action via the bench.
The quartet replaced Ligi Sao, Denive Balmforth (both suspension), Jack Walker (bicep), and Sam Eseh Jr (facing parent club).
The Match
The game’s first goal-line drop-out brought about the first points of the afternoon. Hull’s left side defence were caught out for numbers, allowing Jai Field the opportunity to pick the right pass. The fullback’s bullet ball allowed youngster Douglas to dive in at the right corner as Wigan drew first blood.
With just over a quarter of the game played, the Warriors ran in their second try, and Field was the provider once more. On this occasion, it was a short pass that unlocked the FC defence, putting Eckersley through a narrow gap.
Hull, however, kept plugging away against the champions. And they were duly rewarded for their efforts when Cartwright crashed over for his first try in Hull colours. The opening came after Lewis Martin’s break down the left. Despite Wigan having the numbers to cover Hull’s move to the right, the powerful back-rower was able to muscle his way through the defensive line and score.
The visitors were unable to build on their first points of the game, but they did keep a watertight rear guard for the remainder of the first-half, exemplified by a superb scramble defensive effort to thwart Liam Marshall’s dart for the left corner.
Half-Time: Wigan Warriors 10-4 Hull FC
Both sides exchanged half-chances inside the opening ten minutes of the second-half. Hull were unlucky with a tidy shortside play, whilst Field’s kick in behind Martin ran dead with Douglas in hot pursuit of a second.
But after an error from Carlos Tuimavave, Wigan were presented with the field position they needed to run in their third try of the afternoon when Adam Keighran turned the ball back on the inside for Nsemba to hurtle over the whitewash from ten metres out.
Hull were back in scramble mode after Field’s sharp break down the middle of the pitch, and the visitors were unable to do anything to stop Farrimond from slicing through after Jake Wardle’s quick play-the-ball, with the two points looking set to stay in Wigan.
Back-to-back tries put Wigan in the ascendency, but the home side were reduced to twelve for ten minutes when Patrick Mago was sent to the sin-bin for a late hit on Jack Ashworth.
The visitors quickly threatened to post some points, but the Warriors did well to scramble and eventually bat Jordan Lane’s well-measured grubber kick dead for a goal-line drop-out.
Wigan looked set to run in a fifth try of the game when Farrimond made another sharp break through the middle, but Martin prevented the supporting Walters from scoring with an outstanding cover tackle.
Martin did well to prevent another try for the Warriors in the closing stages, with the winger well positioned to mop up Keighran’s early kick in the tackle count.
Full-Time: Wigan Warriors 22-4 Hull FC
The Squads
Hull FC: Logan Moy, Harvey Barron, Carlos Tuimavave, Tom Briscoe, Lewis Martin, Morgan Smith, Jack Charles, Herman Ese’ese, Jordan Lane, Will Gardiner, Ed Chamberlain, Jed Cartwright, Yusuf Aydin
Interchanges: Brad Fash, Jack Ashworth, Zach Jebson, Leon Ruan
Wigan Warriors: Jai Field, Jacob Douglas, Zach Eckersley, Jake Wardle, Liam Marshall, Jack Farrimond, Adam Keighran, Ethan Havard, Kruise Leeming, Luke Thompson, Junior Nsemba, Sam Walters, Patrick Mago
Interchanges: Liam Byrne, Tyler Dupree, Harvie Hill, Tom Forber
The Scorers
Hull FC Tries: Cartwright
Hull FC Goals: Charles (0/1)
Wigan Warriors Tries: Douglas, Eckersley, Nsemba, Farrimond
Wigan Warriors Goals: Keighran (3/4)
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