All the pre match talk was of the Robins ever-extending absentee list which saw Campese, Lunt, Mantellato and Larroyer all missing from the visitors squad. But the hosts Wigan had plenty of injury problems themselves and we're still without the services of the likes of O'Loughlin, Mossop, Gelling and Charnley.

A win for the home side would keep them third and take them four points clear of fourth placed Huddersfield Giants who dropped a point against the Rhinos at the John Smith's Stadium last night.

A win for Hull KR would see them back in the all-important top eight.

From the outset it was clear that the Warriors weren't going to be taking any prisoners as they sped into a match winning lead within the opening twenty minutes, exploiting every weakness in a shocking KR performance.

Dom Crosby opened the scoring after just three minutes off a Matty Smith pass and from the restart Joe Burgess went over off a Williams pass. There were just eight minutes on the clock when Liam Farrell walked past a non-existent Robins defence, and with Smith adding three conversions it was eighteen-nil.

Wigan were relentless in attack with the KR defence crumbling under sustained pressure. On eleven minutes Farrell bust a tackle and Joe Burgess was in for his second before a fourteenth minute try from Joel Tomkins after KR had spilled the ball deep in their own half. Smith missed his first kick of the match but with Wigan scoring at the rate of two points a minute it didn't really matter.

On twenty, Williams dropped the shoulder to go over unhindered and Smith converted for 34-0, but it would be the last score of the half as the KR defence finally realised that they had hands.

The second half was barely two minutes old when Wigan ended their temporary drought as a kick to the corner was caught and grounded by Sarginson. Smith added the two from the touch line. On fifty-two Bateman went close but offloaded to Manfredi to get in on the scoring and when Tautai scored his first ever Wigan try on fifty-two the home side had racked up the half-century.

A converted try from Williams on the hour mark was added to by Burgess's hat-trick three minutes out from the final hooter. Smith added one more goal and Wigan had a comprehensive and mightily impressive 60-0 win over the side that they will face again in a fortnight in the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup.

Elsewhere the Saints were easy winners over Wakefield Wildcats by 44-4 and maintain their second spot, reducing the Rhinos lead to four points, while Hull FC came from behind to beat Salford Red Devils.

Wigan: Hampshire, Manfredi, Tomkins J, Sarginson, Burgess, Williams, Smith, Crosby, McIllorum, Flower, Bateman, Farrell, Patrick. Subs: Sutton, Clubb, Tautai, Powell.

KR: Dixon, Cockayne, Welham, Horne, Sio, Blair, Kelly, Walker, Boudebza, Burke, Guzdek, McCarthy, Donaldson. Subs: Green, Ollett, Esslemont, Robinson.


Referee: Phil Bentham
Attendance: 11,468