Wigan Warriors- Talking Rugby: Matty Peet's side looked relentless against Toulouse but will need to be wary against a wounded Wakefield

Wigan Warriors showed strength and dominance in last week’s game against Toulouse Olympique.
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It was a composed performance from Matty Peet’s side, as they produced a strong victory.

At times they looked relentless going forward, with their middles clearly coming out on top, and the likes of Jai Field and Bevan French having fun when they attacked.

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It was nice to see Abbas Miski go over for four tries, as continues to grow in confidence each week.

Wigan Warriors take on Wakefield on SundayWigan Warriors take on Wakefield on Sunday
Wigan Warriors take on Wakefield on Sunday

The winger’s performance this time against Toulouse was a complete contrast of that of his debut earlier this season against the French side.

He efficiently finished all four tries on the right side, and while space opened up nicely for each one, he still needed to remain composed to complete the move.

Speaking to him after the game, you can see his determination to improve and contribute, even if he is not involved every week.

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There seemed to be a good link up between Miski, French and Willie Isa, which brought the Warriors plenty of joy.

As good as Wigan were, Toulouse made things easy for them at times.

They are going to need a drastic change of fortunes if they are going to stay up.

A big score looked on the cards last week from the very start, and even when they settled there was still a feeling the Warriors could hurt them with an attack at any time.

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Too much room appeared in defence and they couldn’t do enough damage going forward.

Of course, we’ve seen them cause threats, but it’s keeping with teams for full games that seem to be the problem.

Sylvain Houles does seem like a good coach, but the step up between the Championship and Super League seems like it’s just too much for the club.

Nonetheless, they were still far better than Wakefield were at the weekend, so perhaps we could still have a relegation battle on our hands.

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The 74-10 defeat to Salford Red Devils is certainly one Trinity fans will be having nightmares about for quite a while.

It was a shocking scoreline to see, but something that could make them all the more dangerous against the Warriors this weekend.

They will step out at Belle Vue wanting to put things right, and knowing it can’t get worse than what it was like in the previous game.

While Wakefield have been one of the weakest teams in Super League in the last few years, they still have a certain amount of grit about them, and can cause teams problems over 80 minutes.

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As Wigan were beating Toulouse at the DW Stadium on Friday night, there was another game taking place just down the M6 between Warrington Wolves and Hull FC.

It’s safe to say it wasn’t a high scoring affair.

Of course, we’ve seen it before where tight games can be sensational and incredibly competitive.

Games with few tries can often be a great exhibition of defending, not bad attacking play.

Unfortunately for those at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, the 4-0 Wire win didn’t fall into that category, it was just a case of two very poor sides.

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This was the first time since 2007 a Super League game hasn’t had a try.

To put it simply, it's just embarrassing for the two teams involved.

Rugby league at its best is a highly entertaining, end-to-end game, but Friday’s game was probably the sport at its very worst.

No one will probably be more angry than Sky Sports for selecting it as a TV game, and any neutrals watching would’ve quickly turned off.

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While that was the Super League entertainment at the start of the weekend, in the Southern Hemisphere there were some mid-season internationals.

These games certainly demonstrated how many strong teams will be on display at the Rugby League World Cup later this year.

While Australia and New Zealand will be two of the most talked about sides heading into the competition, there will be many more hurdles for England to overcome if they are to reach the latter stages.

The opening game for Shaun Wane’s side against Samoa is going to be an incredible clash at St James’ Park, and one they might not be favourites in.

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Another thing the recent internationals emphasised, we are in for a set of matches across the board, with plenty for the neutrals to enjoy coming up in October and November.

Meanwhile, on Sunday it was the second game of State of Origin, with New South Wales showing their class.

The Blues produced a 44-12 win against Queensland, setting up a deciding final clash in a few weeks time.

While there is always plenty of talent on display during these matches, one player in particular stood out.

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Nathan Cleary was just fantastic, going over for two tries, assisting two and scoring 24 points in total.

This isn’t a surprise, because it’s what he does for Penrith Panthers week in, week out.

It’s hard to think of any rugby league players in the world who are currently better than him.

His performances are simply devastating, and his kicking accuracy helps to decide so many games.

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He will be battling Daly Cherry-Evans for the halfback position in Australia's starting 13 at the World Cup later this year.

Of course, the Manly Sea Eagles man is another strong option for the Kangaroos, but he should be behind Cleary in the pecking order now, despite his experience.