Can Wigan be stopped?

We were all looking forward to Leeds v Wigan on Saturday night. It was rightly billed as a League Leaders' Shield decider. Wigan's 8-40 success sent a warning shot to anyone else challenging for the title - you'll have to stop us.

Easier said than done.

Let's look at Wigan's best results against top 6 rivals, this year.

• Wigan 54-0 Leigh
• Wigan 24-4 Leeds
• Wigan 40-10 Hull KR
• Wakefield 10-48 Wigan
• Wigan 30-18 Warrington
• Leeds 8-40 Wigan

I haven't included Wigan's 46-0 home win against Hull KR, here, due to the phony war nature of the contest. Wigan have done the double over Leeds, Leigh and Wakefield (beating the latter in the Challenge Cup too).

With the exception of Warrington, on at least one occasion this season, Wigan have not only beaten their top 6 rivals; they have comprehensively routed each of them.

Wigan have now won 14 consecutive Super League matches. It is 15 matches if you include the Challenge Cup Final. Their last loss was against Hull KR in the week before the Challenge Cup Final. A match where they effectively conceded defeat.

If that match was excepted and Challenge Cup matches included, that winning run would be 18 matches. The last time Wigan lost a match with a senior team was on 24th April. We are witnessing a truly remarkable run.

There are many theories as to why Wigan are so strong. One important factor is strength in depth.

When Bevan French was injured, Jack Farrimond stepped up. He won the Lance Todd Trophy in the Challenge Cup Final.

On Saturday, Jake Wardle was ruled out through injury and Zach Eckersley moved to centre seamlessly. Austin Daniel stepped onto the wing. He wouldn't even be first choice back up. That would probably be Noah Hodkinson. But he is injured. The next deputy is Nathan Lowe. But he is injured.

Arguably Dayon Sambou would have got the nod if he wasn't injured. But Daniel came in and did well. A very harsh view may say he was a touch indecisive for Leeds' try but he took his try brilliantly and was largely solid.

When Wigan needed another half back during injury problems earlier this season, George Marsden came in and looked good. When Jai Field was injured, Josh Cartwright came in and was excellent.

This season, Kian McDermott, Shea O'Connor and Taylor Kerr have all broken into the first team and look like seasoned regulars.

Wigan have won the Challenge Cup. They are on course for the League Leaders' Shield. Their women's team have won two trophies already and are in the Grand Final. Wigan's academy have won the League Leaders' Shield and Grand Final.

In 2026, it is distinctly possible that Wigan will win every trophy in the men's, women's and academy levels of the sport.

Their academy is the best, their overseas recruits are the best and they are supported by an owner who is comfortably the richest in the sport. For other teams, competing against that is an unenviable task.

Turning back to the immediate now. Whilst Wigan will now be overwhelming favourties to win the Super League Grand Final, that is not guaranteed.

In 2008, St Helens were in a similar position to Wigan. They went unbeaten in all competitions from early April until Grand Final night. In a play off semi final, they crushed Leeds. On Grand Final night, Leeds ended that winning streak and won the Super League title.

Odd things can happen in sport. Sometimes underdogs can triumph. In one match, an individual set of circumstances may conspire against Wigan. One of the challenging teams may pull off a performance of historic brilliance and reverse the roles.

But how do the likes of Leeds, Warrington, Wakefield, Leigh or Hull KR turn Wigan over in a play off semi final or Grand Final?

Well, people who know far more about the sport than me will be spending the next few weeks trying to figure that out.

In the opinion of this novice, one important factor is shutting down Harry Smith. Yes, Bevan French and to a lesser extent Jai Field take the plaudits but Harry Smith is the most crucial player to Wigan's success. His organisation, kicking game and consistency of performance is unrivalled across his scrum half peers in Super League.

I am somewhat torn between whether a sensible tactic for opponents is to take points at any opportunity, to slow the game down and get the ball off the field as much as possible, or do the opposite.

The opposite being not to die wondering. Instead of being conservative to throw caution to the wind. Try and throw the ball. If you have trick plays up the sleeve, run them. Accept that beating Wigan in a forward battle is unlikely so go for the short kick offs, try for a 20 / 40, run a hugely expansive coast-to-coast pass from kick off.

Whilst Wigan do appear a way ahead of their rivals, I do think that any of Leeds, Warrington, Wakefield and Leigh are capable of beating the other on their day. I can see a circumstance and route for any of those sides reaching the Grand Final.

Wigan are just 80 minutes from Old Trafford. And 160 minutes away from winning a second clean sweep in three years. But the fascination of the next few weeks in that they are only one bad performance away from that dream disappearing up in smoke.