Williams the hero has Wigan on zero
GEORGE WILLIAMS put the boot into stuttering Leeds as Wigan warmed up for the World Club Challenge with their first win of the season.
Williams created two firsthalf tries with clever kicks and then scored himself after the break, putting the Warriors back to zero points after their deduction for breaching the 2017 salary cap.
There were flashes of the new style of play that coach Adrian Lam is trying to implement, but next Sunday will be a significant step up in intensity when Sydney Roosters come to town.
Off-season signing Joe Bullock was again a major positive in just his second Super League performance, crashing over for a first-half try after impressing on his debut at St Helens.
Veteran skipper Sean O’Loughlin was also excellent in the opening half, and Williams looks to be flourishing under fellow half-back Lam.
But while Wigan showed marked progress from their opening loss at St Helens, the same could not be said of opponents Leeds.
After their disappointing defeat at Warrington there were hopes of an improvement – but despite a promising start, there was little fluidity in the Rhinos’ display and a lack of go-forward up front.
The loss leaves new boss David Furner still waiting for his first win in charge and Leeds’ much-vaunted overseas signings have yet to fire.
Wigan recovered from a shaky start to lead 22-12 at the break. The home side conceded in Leeds’ first set when Tom Davies spilled a Richie Myler kick and Ash Handley pounced to score.
Wigan hit back when Dan Sarginson took Williams’ crossfield kick, but the Rhinos were soon over again as Brett Ferres plunged across from close range.
The second quarter belonged to the Warriors as they scored three unanswered tries to take control of the contest. Two of them again came from kicks, as Thomas Leuluai’s effort ricocheted fortunately for Ben Flower to touch down for the second straight game.
Williams then found his range again for Joe Greenwood to finish. And it was three tries in 10 minutes when substitute prop Bullock took O’Loughlin’s pass to storm over on his home debut.
The half finished on an unsavoury note with Leeds prop Mikolaj Oledzki placed on report after an allegation of biting on Wigan half-back Sam Powell.
The third quarter was then scoreless, with both sides struggling to find any kind of cutting edge. Zak Hardaker broke the deadlock with a 63rd-minute penalty after a Handley’s high tackle on Davies, before Williams forced his way over to give the home side a 16-point cushion.
Kallum Watkins responded for the visitors by slicing over out wide. But Furner’s side were plagued by errors at key moments and Liam Farrell put a seal on Wigan’s win in the closing stages.