Wigan sealed second place and a Super League semi-final spot as they dashed St Helens’ hopes of securing the League Leaders’ Shield in Warriors’ backyard.

Saints had led via Jonny Lomax’s early penalty but Wigan soaked up pressure and were clinical on the counter.

Joey Lussick reduced Saints’ deficit but Liam Marshall’s solo try and French’s late score settled it either side of Joe Batchelor’s consolation.

Wigan had been forced to wait to secure second spot after three defeats in their previous seven games but victory put those doubts to bed and moved Warriors within four points of table-topping Saints.

The visitors, Grand Final winners three seasons running, should still secure a first League Leaders’ Shield since 2019, needing just one point from their final two games to do so, but could not clinch it at the home of their arch rivals.

Warriors were clearly pumped up to avoid that eventuality as they stretched their unbeaten record at the DW Stadium this season to 12 games with victory over a side who had won the past five Super League meetings between the teams.

Saints dominated much of the first half but two crucial moments went against them as the returning Morgan Knowles and Konrad Hurrell were both held up over the line by determined Wigan defending.

Lomax kicked the visitors ahead after Knowles was denied early on but weak tackling allowed French to score in the corner before Field and Farrell both broke through the middle to put Wigan well on top at the break.

Saints, without key injured duo Tommy Makinson (knee) and Will Hopoate (hamstring), threatened a fightback when Lussick bundled over from close range, but Ben Davies missed a fairly simple conversion to sum up an error-strewn display from the visitors.

Wigan defended brilliantly to repel relentless Saints pressure and Marshall put the result beyond doubt by sprinting half the length of the field down the touchline for a superb individual score.

Batchelor got the visitors into double figures but Super League’s leading try scorer French sprinted into the corner for his 29th of the season to put the exclamation point on an impressive win right on the hooter before Harry Smith’s fifth conversion.

Wigan head coach Matt Peet:

“I love the commitment to one another, the commitment to the fans and to the club. I love it when we keep turning up like that.

“We had to be good tonight – Saints have still got an outstanding team even though they were missing a few faces. It was a very intense game and I loved the way we kept turning up.

“It’s how you expect the game to go against St Helens – they are so good at building pressure and putting you in corners, and it’s hard to get out.

“You understand that as far as an arm-wrestle goes, you might not get your share of possession – it’s important you are clinical when you get field position.”

Wigan: Field; French, Pearce-Paul, Isa, Marshall; Cust, Smith; Singleton, O’Neill, Byrne, Farrell, Bateman, Smithies.

Interchanges: Mago, Ellis, Cooper, Shorrocks.

St Helens: Welsby; Simm, Hurrell, Batchelor, Bennison; Davies, Lomax; Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Bell, Sironen, Knowles.

Interchanges: Lussick, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Paasi, Wingfield.

Referee: Ben Thaler.