The Warriors simply had no answer to Saints' red-hot play as they crumbled to their heaviest defeat of the year.

Brian Noble's side struggled to retain the ball while their defence was embarrassing at times, as a catalogue of errors invited St Helens to attack their line.

Wigan were losing 35-0 by half-time but salvaged what credibility they could with three tries after the break.

It was their third successive Super League defeat, and Noble must be grateful that his side have a chance to rebuild their confidence against National League opposition in the Challenge Cup - against Whitehaven - next weekend.

Wigan-born Sean Long orchestrated the carnage, scoring a try himself in the sixth minute from dummy-half and controlling the game until his substitution midway through the second half.

By the 20th minute Saints had posted two more tries. Jon Wilkin eased past Richard Mathers and then Francis Meli raced in from a wayward Sean O'Loughlin offload.

Video referee Richard Silverwood awarded Meli's try despite claims of a knock-on in the build-up play, but luck owed no part to Saints' next two tries, as Ade Gardner finished off a measured Matt Gidley kick and Willie Talau powered beyond Mathers.

Long, who kicked five goals from six attempts in the opening half, cheekily added a drop-goal before the half-time whistle.

Wigan started the second-half promisingly when Thomas Leuluai skipped past Long and barged over for a try.

But three St Helens tries inflicted further damage on Noble's side, as Long completed his hat-trick, Willie Talau crossed to make it 45-4 and Gardner grabbed his second. Leuluai was lucky not to get at least a yellow card for a trip on Gardner as he touched down.

Long struck the conversion before being substituted, at which point Wigan salvaged a little credibility with two tries.

Harrison Hansen burst over and then Micky Higham was on hand to collect Iafeta Paleaaesina's pass to make it 51-16. But Saints had the final say as Lee Gilmour grabbed a try which Matt Gidley converted.

Australian forward Phil Bailey missed out on the Millennium Magic event.
He was ruled out through illness and with Gareth Hock suspended, it meant Wigan went into the derby match against St Helens without their first-choice second row forwards.

Andy Coley switched to the back row with Paul Prescott taking his place at prop.

St Helens:Wellens; Gardner, Gidley, Talau, Meli; Pryce, Long; Cayless, Cunningham, Graham, Gilmour, Flannery, Wilkin. Subs: Roby, Bennett, Hargreaves, Clough.

Wigan: Mathers; Colbon, Goulding, Carmont, Richards; Barrett, Leuluai; Fielden, Higham, Prescott, Hansen, Coley, O'Loughlin. Subs: Coyle, Paleaaesina, Tomkins, O'Carroll.