Farrell ensures Wigan banish away-day blues

Leeds Rhinos 18 Wigan Warriors 36

Wigan put their dismal away form firmly behind them with a commanding second-half display at Headingley last night to go above Leeds in Super League's top five.

Beaten in four of their last five games on their travels, Wigan trailed at half-time but strolled out impressively as their creators, Adrian Lam and Andy Farrell, took control.

The Wigan coach, Stuart Raper, expressed some scepticism this week about how Iestyn Harris and Karl Pratt could be injured for the Origin Game on Tuesday but fit to face his team last night.

Almost inevitably, then, they were the two Leeds players who combined for their first try, Wigan's defence hesitating as Pratt sprinted through to reach Harris's kick before the dead-ball line.

Wigan's reply was well constructed by three of their Lancashire representatives, Paul Johnson making the initial break, Gary Connolly and Terry Newton supporting and Lam sliding over in the tackle for a converted try.

Andy Farrell's penalty put Wigan in the lead and they would have been further ahead if Mick Cassidy had not knocked on from Terry O'Connor, while Leeds squandered an even more inviting chance when Harris went through, but Francis Cummins could not take the ball.

Farrell contributed another penalty, but their lead did not quite last until half-time. Harris switched the point of attack with his elusive running and Tonie Carroll got the ball to Chev Walker on the wing. Although Kris Radlinski came across to make the tackle, he could not stop the ball coming back inside for Carroll to score and for Harris's kick to give Leeds a narrow advantage.

Carroll's tackle took David Hodgson into the corner flag after insistent Wigan pressure at the start of the second half. There was no cover there a couple of minutes later, however, when Wigan again probed the same way, long passes from Lam and Farrell finally releasing Renouf and Farrell making his fourth in four from wide out.

An penalty, moved 10 metres closer by Andy Hay's dissent, gave Farrell another two points, but the crucial moment came from the Wigan captain with the ball in his hands.

The link between Lam and Farrell was slick and effective all night and it was the half-back's pass that sent Farrell gliding through a defence that was, for once, not concentrating.

The Rhinos were on the attack when Brian Carney scooped up a loose ball for a try that clinched it for Wigan, the Irish winger having too much pace for Hay.

Leeds's diminutive substitute, Rob Burrow, scored a dazzling individual try with seven minutes to play ­ too late to revive any away-day horrors for Wigan, whose successful trip was rounded off by Renouf in the last minute.

Leeds Rhinos: Cummins; Walker, Carroll, Senior, St Hilaire; Harris, Pratt; Fleary, Mears, McDermott, Hay, Wrench, Sinfield. Substitutes used: Calderwood, Anthony Farrell, Burrow, Diskin.

Wigan Warriors: Radlinski; Johnson, Renouf, Connolly, Hodgson, Chester, Lam, O'Connor, Newton, Howard, Cassidy, Furner, Andy Farrell. Substitutes used: Carney, Betts, Cowie, Smith.

Referee: R Smith (Castleford).