Once again, Wigan proved too good for Hull Kingston Rovers although this time it came in the heat of play-off rugby.
Twice this season Hull KR lost out to Wigan but after 9 and 20 minutes, Rovers fans must have been in dreamland as they led their illustrious opponents.
The hosts opened the scoring through the prolific Pat Richards following a wonderful cut-out pass from Sam Tomkins before Peter Fox got in at the corner and Michael Dobson converted from wide out just a moment later.
Rovers were then in dreamland as first Scott Murrell kicked on before Ben Fisher grubbered a second time. Streaming up was Ben Cockayne and he finished his 7th try of the season well for Dobson to make it 12-6 to the visitors.
Wigan launched another attack and scored a second try when Mark Riddell found a short running Liam Farrell for his 9th try of the season.
Once again Rovers equalised and when Dobson landed his third goal from a penalty against Riddell, that nudged the Hull side in front after 20 minutes.
If Rovers had shaded the first twenty minutes, Wigan dominated the next fifteen and Darrell Goulding slid in at the corner after 23 minutes after earlier having the ball stolen from him by fullback Shaun Briscoe.
Richards converted and the hosts got themselves on the scoreboard for a fourth time just before the interval after Sam Tomkins ran 40 metres across field and five metres forward before looping a pass for Goulding to grab his second. A magnificent touchline goal from Richards made it 24-14 at the break.
Gradually Wigan wore down their opposition at the start of the new half and they eventually made it count on the scoreboard when Thomas Leuluai was adjudged to have grounded the ball by referee Richard Silverwood despite appearing to be stopped in the nick of time by a two man tackle.
Within a couple of minutes Wigan went on the charge again and Martin Gleeson picked his way over in classy fashion from twenty metres. Rovers threatened to make a game of it after 67 minutes when Dobson kicked to the ingoal and Fox nipped in behind Sam Tomkins to ground as the fullback became too preoccupied with holding Cockayne off.
The Warriors needed another try and it came within a couple of minutes when good work took the hosts close before Joel Tomkins showed good evasive skills to claim a try and Richards kept up his 100 per cent revord with the boot to book Wigan a spot in next weekend's elemination semi-finals.
WIGAN 42 (T: Richards, Farrell, Goulding 2, Leuluai, Gleeson, J Tomkins. G: Richards 7/7) defeated HULL KR 18 (T: Fox 2, Cockayne. G: Dobson 3/4) at the DW Stadium.
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