Barrett scored two quick tries after the interval

Wigan: (14) 44
Tries: Vaealiki, Richards, Barrett (2), Goulding, Ashton (2)
Goals: Richards (7)

Wakefield: (4) 10
Tries: Jeffries, Demetriou
Goals: Rooney

Wigan thrashed Wakefield in a seven-try rout at the JJB Stadium on Friday.

The home side only led 14-4 at the break but ran riot in the second half as Trent Barrett and Chris Ashton grabbed a brace of tries each.

Centre David Vaealiki and wing Pat Richards scored early on for the Warriors while centre Darrell Goulding also touched down after the interval.

Wakefield, who slipped to fifth, only managed a try in each half from Ben Jeffries and Jason Demetriou.

Wigan opened the scoring on 12 minutes with a Richards goal, and within a minute Thomas Leuluai and Ashton linked well to put in Vaealiki.

Wigan were too tough, too skilful, too good. I thought our second-half performance was very poor Wakefield coach John Kear

Richards added his second goal to make it 8-0 and the Wakefield defence did well to prevent further scores from Barrett and Phil Bailey.

The Wildcats notched their first points on 23 minutes when Jeffries sealed a rare period of pressure with a reach-over score in the right corner.

But Richards struck for the Warriors' second try seven minutes before the break after a move from deep in his own half.

Any hopes of a Wildcats fightback were sunk in the first seven minutes of the second half when Barrett crossed for two tries.

The first came after a team move covering three quarters of the field, while the second originated from a Wakefield knock-on under their posts.

A try from Goulding and two scores from rugby union-bound Ashton compounded Wakefield's misery, with Demetriou's try acting as scant consolation.