Wakefield Trinity 6 Wigan Warriors 48: Irked Wigan leave Trinity battered and bewildered

However, most of Wakefield's supporters would have settled for that yesterday instead of suffering an abysmal offering from their mistake-ridden side who have now won just once in 10 games.

Apparently, Wigan's players took offence to Kear's comments, perhaps part of the reason all three of their England representatives decided to take to the field at Belle Vue less than 24 hours after facing France.

It mattered little that one of those – Sean O'Loughlin – lasted only eight minutes. By the time he had departed with a thigh injury, the Wigan captain had created the first of Karl Pryce's hat-trick and sauntered 40 metres for one himself to put his side 10-0 ahead.

Given the shambolic manner in which Wakefield performed thereafter, that lead was never going to be troubled and Wigan comfortably maintained their four-point advantage at the top of Super League.

"They were loads better than us," said Kear, whose side's only breakthrough was Damien Blanch's try in the 53rd minute.

"We were trying to do things they were trying to do but they did it a lot better, and compliments to them.

"In the conditions played their completion was phenomenal and it wasn't just tuck-it-up-your jumper; they played some really good rugby league.

"They defended us and we couldn't get any go-forward whatsoever.

"It was a pretty poor performance by us – we dropped the ball, missed tackles and kicked the ball twice in the first half so you're never going to trouble a team like that – but Wigan need complimenting as well."

Wakefield, who handed a debut to Samoan prop Charlie Leaeno, had plenty of possession in that first half but continually turned it over with a series of unforced handing errors in a dreadfully dire contest bereft of any real quality.

Wigan were far from their best – despite Kear's assessment – and tried aiding the hosts by regularly coughing up the ball themselves until improving markedly after the break.

It was Wigan's "wrestling" tactics in the tackle that had infuriated the Wildcats chief at Easter and at times they did likewise yesterday. It got to the point where their persistent infringing saw Wigan's Phil Bailey yellow-carded midway through the first half with the penalty count already 8-2 in Wakefield's favour yet, even with their opponents down to 12 men, the home side still could not profit.

Without the injured Ben Jeffries, and Tevita Leo-Latu on compassionate leave, they lacked any cutting edge in the drizzling rain, prop Michael Korkidas going closest with a powerful surge which saw him held up over the line.

Wigan did the damage early on. Former Bradford winger Pryce, who has now scored 11 tries in his last seven games, dived over inside two minutes after collecting O'Loughlin's long, bobbling pass.

Wakefield's Paul King barged through Mike McIlorum's tackle at the other end but fell short and Paul Cooke thought he had put Luke George over only to see the effort dubiously ruled out for a forward pass.

Their misery was compounded seconds later when Joel Tomkins – who had debuted for England with brother Sam in Leigh – charged clear from inside his own half to create O'Loughlin's try.

Showing no signs of fatigue, the powerful second-row then hit a perfect angle back infield before slipping Pat Richards through the middle and Liam Farrell finished off the crisp move.

Pryce claimed his second five minutes before the break as Wigan made it 20-0 and then he reached Richards's grubber to the corner for his hat-trick early in the second period.

Blanch finally got Wakefield off the mark after Jason Demetriou cleverly scooped Cooke's ricocheted kick the way of the Ireland winger, Cooke converting, but there was no fightback.

Korkidas, typically, dropped the ball as he returned the re-start and Wigan ruthlessly capitalised, Sam Tomkins feeding Bailey who served up a perfect lofted ball for the on-rushing Richards to touch down.

He added the conversion, one of six, and, after Wakefield, who remain in ninth spot, had conceded a fifth straight penalty, Dale Ferguson was yellow carded for his side's own persistent offending.

Sam Tomkins dinked in another kick which Amos Roberts lapped up with the Wakefield defence completely absent and, after Roberts and McIlorum had splintered them down the middle once more, Richards chalked up his second to go joint-top of the Super League try-scoring charts with 18.

Inevitably, Sam Tomkins had to get in on the act and he raced away for Wigan's ninth try, adding to the four he scored for England against France.

Wakefield: Blaymire; Blanch, Murphy, Demetriou, George; Morrison, Cooke; Korkidas, Obst, King, Johnson, Henderson, Kirmond. Substitutes: Leaeno, Ferguson, Davey, Moore.

Wigan: Richards; Roberts, Gleeson, Carmont, Pryce; S Tomkins, Leuluai; Fielden, McIlorum, Coley, Bailey, J Tomkins, O'Loughlin. Substitutes: Riddell, Prescott, Paleaaesina, Farrell.

Referee: Ian Smith (Oldham)