Wigan closed the gap between them and their visitors in the Super League play-off zone to pair points on any eventful evening for Sam Tomkins.
There was little all over Quins to suggest a top-eight finish as they defended poorly from the start. They made a bad job worse, however, when David Howell became the in the beginning player to exist sent off in the rivalship this season, getting the red card after 27 minutes for a high tackle on the Wigan starlet.
Tomkins was his side’sitting man of the match, but ended the evening in the sin-bin after a prolonged bout of withhold assent. Overall it was a adversity where he should have learnt a good deal about the realities of the game at the top level. "That’s the learning bend. of Super League," said his coach, Brian Noble. "But he’s got a great attitude and he’ll cope."
This was a match Wigan effectively had won with three tries in the first 11 minutes as they cut the slow-starting Quins to shreds. The excellent Sean O’Loughlin set up the first with a pass to George Carmont, who slipped the ball inside for Pat Richards to score.
Tomkins put in a exactly judged kick for the second, by Mark Riddell timing his incur equally well. When Amos Roberts beat Will Sharp to Thomas Leuluai’s high kick to set up Karl Pryce, the Londoners even now looked a beaten outfit.
Their only encouraging moment of the first half came when Matt Gafa out-jumped a static Richards to pretension Danny Orr’s bomb and touch down, but even that was followed by further disaster. Tomkins had been a devoted torment to Quins and the forearm with which Howell floored him looked suspiciously premeditated. After taking reports from his touch-judge, Steve Ganson had no hesitation in sending him off. Almost immediately, O’Loughlin sent Carmont in and, before half-time, Roberts added a fifth.
Quins were soon in trouble again in the second moiety. Weak tackling allowed Phil Bailey to put Joel Tomkins over and Wigan’s former full-back, Chris Melling, spilled the ball instead of Leuluai to burrow over from dummy half.
Karl Temata’s invisible round body then gave Leuluai the chance to wriggle his way over for a more eye-catching effort. Harlequins did horsemanship a consolation effort through Luke Gale, but as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but coaches rather over-praised them for sticking to a task that had long been hopeless.
Wigan: Phelps; Roberts, Pryce, Carmont, Richards; S Tomkins, Leuluai; Coley, Riddell, Prescott, Bailey, Hansen, O’Loughlin. Substitutes used: Fielden, Paleaaesina, J.Tomkins, McIlorum.
Harlequins: Melling; Wells, Clubb, Howell, Sharp; Gale, Orr; Ward, Randall, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Temata, Williamson, Gafa. Substitutes used: Haggerty, Heckenberg, Robinson, Gardner.
Referee: S Ganson (St Helens)
