Warriors sink Vikings

Sam Tomkins and Karl Pryce both notched try hat-tricks as Wigan thrashed Widnes 64-10 to earn a place in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

Their touchdowns were among 12 tries run in by the Super League leaders over the injury-hit Championship side.

Joel Tomkins and Martin Gleeson notched braces, with Thomas Leuluai and Sean O'Loughlin also on the scoresheat.

England Sam Tomkins inspired the Warriors to their victory at the Stobart Stadium Halton, with the stand-off repeatedly unlocking the Vikings defence with his electric pace, while his personal 16-point tally also included two conversions.

The visitors were 36-0 up by half-time as Pryce, Gleeson and Joel Tomkins all crossed for two tries, while Leuluai also touched down.

Immediately from the restart, Pryce grabbed his hat-trick and the Warriors piled on the points through tries from O'Loughlin and Sam Tomkins, with Matt Gardener replying with two for the Vikings.

Australian hooker Mark Riddell finished the game with six goals from eight attempts, though the RFL may look into circumstances surrounding his first miss on the stroke of half-time, as it appeared a plastic drinks bottle was aimed at him as he took the conversion.

Giant-killings

Widnes were going for a hat-trick of giant-killings after twice knocking Super League opposition out of the Cup this term.

But Paul Cullen's side were hampered by the loss of a host of players to injury, including captain Mark Smith who won a Challenge Cup with Wigan in 2002, while the Championship outfit were also unable to call on four dual-registration players including Liam Farrell, who played for the Warriors.

Meanwhile, Wigan coach Michael Maguire took no chances with his team selection, naming a near full-strength line-up.

Gleeson, Paul Prescott and Lee Mossop returned to the side that convincingly beat Huddersfield 28-10 last week, replacing Phil Bailey, Stefan Marsh and Iafeta Paleaaesina.

It was the home side who wasted an early chance to strike first blood when Shane Grady pushed a second minute penalty goal wide.

From then on, it was all one-way traffic as the Warriors ran in seven unanswered tries before the break.

Pryce, who made a try-scoring return to the side last week, finished off a sweeping move in the sixth minute.

Ghosted through

Leuluai ghosted through minutes later, Sam Tomkins' midfield break set up the position for brother Joel to cross, and then Gleeson marked his return from a calf injury to cross which made it 20-0 before the end of the opening quarter.

Errors crept into the Warriors' display, giving the hosts a rare attacking chance that they could not capitalise on, before normal service was resumed and Wigan finished the half strongly.

Joel Tomkins grabbed his second - again courtesy of the wizardry of younger sibling Sam - in the 23rd minute, while tries from Gleeson and Pryce completed the first-half scoring.

Pryce grabbed his hat-trick from Wigan's first attack of the second-half, and then O'Loughlin piled on the misery with a try from a charge down to make it 48-0.

Widnes never surrendered and Gardener's two tries sandwiched a quickfire burst from Sam Tomkins, who grabbed his third try on the stroke of full-time.