Wigan Warriors clinch the League Leaders' Shield after hard-fought victory over Leigh Leopards

The coach looked visibly relieved when the full time hooter sounded at Leigh Sports Village as his side finished on top of the Super League table for the sixth time.

But the second 40 minutes wasn’t without controversy as both sides had tries disallowed for obstruction, which the Wigan boss disagreed with.

“I think they’re both tries,” said the coach, reflecting on Leigh’s effort from ex-Warrior Oliver Gildart and one for Jai Field. But he wouldn’t be drawn on what officials should do to fix the problem.

He added: “They probably had to cancel the other one as well, I don’t like it but at least it was consistent.”

First half tries from Field and Jake Wardle appeared to have put Wigan in control in front of a sell-out crowd.

Field opened the Warriors’ account in the 18th minute with a typically mesmirising try, somehow finding space to score in the corner after beating three defenders.

It was a move which the most seasoned escapeologist would have been proud of, and Harry Smith, on his 100th Wigan appearance, struck the conversion from the touchline for the perfect start.

Then Wardle put some more daylight between the sides 10 minutes later after the Warriors absorbed a set of pressure in their own half.

Ducking under Tom Briscoe and Ed Chamberlain in the same corner Field had scored, it looked as though Wigan would get on a roll now they were up to running temperature.

But Derek Beaumont’s Wembley heroes had other ideas, particularly Lachlan Lam, who latched onto an inside pass from Kai O’Donnell to score after the forward broke the line.

Ben Reynolds had the easy job of tacking on the extra two points from near enough in front of the posts to make it 10-6 at the break and set-up an arm-wrestle of a second half.

The moot points came within two minutes of each other. First, Field’s 51st-minute long-range effort was pulled back by referee Liam Moore because Junior Nsemba was ruled to have obstructed O’Donnell.

Field hadn’t heard the whistle and entered into a foot race with Josh Charnley, and most of the Wigan fans were too absorbed in the action to have noticed play had stopped.

Gildart pounced two minutes later, and that could have changed the destination of the League Leaders’ Shield as Wigan, Catalans and St Helens all finished with 40 points.

But Moore consulted video referee Marcus Griffiths because of contact on Bevan French by O’Donnell, and the try was disallowed as Griffiths didn’t see enough evidence to overrule the initial onfield call of ‘no try’ to the dismay of most watching.

“It was a game we needed,” said Peet, whose side now have a week off before the play-off semi-final.

“We’ll learn a lot from that, I thought it was a fantastic game.”

After their eighth consecutive win, Wigan need to win one game to book their place in the Grand Final on October 14, and Field was full of praise for his coach,

“The way he instils belief into myself and the team really gets everyone playing for each other,” said the Australian.

“Everyone is turning up, we’re kicking early to try and give the defence something to go at and it’s working.”

Leigh: O'Brien; Briscoe, Gildart, Chamberlain, Charnley; Reynolds, Lam; Amone, Ipape, Mulhern, Hughes, O'Donnell, Wardle.

Interchanges: Mellor, Davis, Nakubuwai, Holmes.

Wigan: Field; Miski, King, Wardle, Marshall; French, Smith; Dupree, O'Neill, Ellis, Pearce-Paul, Farrell, Smithies.

Interchanges: Powell, Mago, Hill, Nsemba.

Referee: Liam Moore.