Wigan Warriors: Five things we learned from the victory over Castleford Tigers (A)

1. Second half dominance from the Warriors

There may have been a few worries that Wigan were experiencing a hangover from last week’s Challenge Cup victory in the first half of the game against Castleford Tigers at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle.

Matty Peet’s side made a few errors, which put them under a bit of pressure, as went they into the break behind.

Nonetheless, the second half was a completely different story, with the Warriors looking more fluent and far more deadly.

They quickly set about getting themselves back in the game, and swiftly took the lead.

While they found their feet, the Tigers took a clear step back, and just couldn’t deal with Wigan’s relentless nature.

As well as looking strong in attack, Peet’s side also put in a solid defensive display, scoring 28 unanswered points after the break.

With one trophy already in the bag, the performance was a real statement from the Warriors that they want more.

2. Plenty of options for Peet

The slow nature of the first half was mainly down to the Wigan players getting used to a few different combinations.

Peet made a few changes to his side due to a couple of factors.

It took Bevan French a little time to settle in at fullback, while Jai Field slotted into the halves.

Another change was also required when Iain Thornley departed early on with an injury.

Once the Warriors adapted to these transitions they didn’t look back.

It’s credit to the work that’s been done at the club that Peet has such an array of talent to choose from.

3. A fantastic week for Marshall

Liam Marshall was once again making headlines for Wigan.

Last Saturday he scored the winner in the Challenge Cup final, while this week he marked his 100th Super League appearance with a brace.

The first of his two tries was also the 100th of his career.

The 26-year-old has received a lot of praise across the last few days.

One Wigan fan took to Twitter to say that Marshall was one of the most “underrated” wingers in Super League.

Well, with his recent headlines as well as a call-up to the England training squad earlier in the year, that may very well be changing.

4. Miski growing in confidence

Abbas Miski is starting to look more settled in the Wigan side.

The winger looked a bit shaky on his first few outings, but is growing in confidence more and more.

He was also among the scorers on Saturday afternoon, as he finished well in the corner after a quick pass from Liam Farrell.

As well as improvements in his attacking play, he is also looking better in defence, and played his part in keeping the Tigers out in the second half.

5. A touch of class from Cas

There was a fantastic gesture from Castleford at full time, as they delivered a card and a crate of beers to the Wigan changing rooms to congratulate them on their Challenge Cup victory.

It is certainly an act that should be applauded, and a true touch of class from the club.