The Warriors played their ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card last week against Wakefield Trinity when they escaped with a one-point drop goal win. Two hours later their opponents in the other Sunday Round Nine fixture, the Leeds Rhinos, took a beating at the hands of St Helens as they were nilled, humiliated and embarrassed.

Wigan knew that a win would put them two point clear at the top of the table but if the Rhinos could overcome the bookies odds and steal the points, then they could draw level with a congested top of the table on ten points.

Leeds gave a debut to new signing Bodene Thompson and welcomed back Konrad Hurrell. Wigan were without the services of Thomas Leuluai, out with an ankle injury, and George Burgess who was serving a one game suspension.

Konrad Hurrell coughed up the ball in his own twenty and two playes later Liam Farrell went over for Wigan but referee Rob Hicks ruled out the try for a double movement.

The opening ten minutes had been one-way traffic deep in the Rhinos had a try turned down by the video referee when Luke Briscoe was in an offside position when he took a ricochet ball.

After the Rhinos were forced to drop out on thirteen the Warriors scored the opener. On the third tackle it was all too easy as Farrell found a hole in the Leeds defence to score his 100th Wigan try. Zak Hardaker added the conversion, the Warriors account up and running.

On twenty the Rhinos got their first try of the game with a sensational Prior pass to Tom Briscoe who scored in the corner. The video replay showed that Briscoe had a foot in touch in the act of scoring but the points were on the board. Rhyse Martin was unable to convert from the touchline.

It should have been a second for Leeds on twenty-four but the pass from Hurrell went behind Briscoe. Leeds were much improved from last time out and playing with confidence against a Wigan side who were starting to look a little rattled by the opposition they were experiencing.

As the half wore on it was the Rhinos who were becoming dominant but three minutes from the break it was the Warriors who added to their tally, Bevan French picking up a twice kicked ball to complete from ten metres out. Hardaker added the conversion, the Warriors 12-4 ahead at the break.

Wigan survived intense Leeds pressure at the start of the second half but it was Wigan who extended their lead on fifty one after a sensational cross field passing move through half a dozen pairs of hands with Dom Manfredi being the man on the spot to take the last pass and dive over. Hardaker was unable to add the extra two points but the Warriors were now twelve points clear.

A sixty-fifth minute Liam Sutcliffe try delivered a lifeline for the Rhinos as he took a short pass from Luke Gale and hit a gap to ground. Martin added the conversion and the Warriors lead was down to six points.

Sam Powell was held up by Brad Dwyer on sixty-seven, the Rhinos holding firm and defending  their line.

Luke Gale was sin-binned on seventy for lifting in the tackle, the Rhinos without their skipper for the remainder of the game. Hardaker missed with a forty-five metre drop goal attempt but the Rhinos were up against it.

Jake Bibby secured the points on seventy-four with a try from a Leeds mistake dropping the ball in the tackle. The ball went to ground and was picked up in broken play with Bibby taking the ball at first receiver and running in unopposed. Hardaker added the extras, Wigan back to a twelve point lead.

Rhyse Martin was held up over the line with two minutes remaining thanks to a great effort from Liam Farrell. Thirty seconds from time Bevan French made it an eighteen point winning margin chasing and collecting a Hastings kick through and diving in under the sticks. Hardaker added the conversion for 28-10, a great win for the Warriors.

It was a hard fought win for the Warriors who knew that they we in a game against a much improved Rhinos side. In the end their more robust defence and ability to hold onto the ball won them the match as the Rhinos made too many mistakes to deserve the points. Wigan go back to the top of the pile, the Rhinos dropping below the Huddersfield Giants and into sixth in the table.

Warriors: French (2T), Marshall, Bibby (T), Hardaker (4G), Manfredi (T), Smith, Hastings, Bullock, Powell, Byrne, Farrell (T), Isa, Havard.  Subs: Clark, Greenwood, Shorrocks, Smithies.

Rhinos: Handley, Briscoe L, Newman, Hurrell, Briscoe T (T), McLelland, Gale (SB on 70), Holroyd, Leeming, Prior, Martin (G), Thompson, Cuthbertson. Subs: Sutcliffe L (T), Smith, Dwyer, Oledzki.

Referee: Robert Hicks.

Half-Time: 12-4.

Full-Time: 28-10.

Ground: Totally Wicked Stadium, St Helens.