SAINTS will have to wait to collect the League Leaders Shield after suffering a 30-10 home beating at the hands of derby rivals Wigan.

It was a soft display from the Saints against a Wigan side who were more direct, determined and aggressive.

The Warriors were also a lot more clinical with the ball and had no problems unlocking the Saints defence.

Wigan, who suffered the late withdrawal of full back Sam Tomkins, got off to a flyer when a Morgan Escare break, was supported on the inside by Dan Sarginson and there was nothing full back Ben Barba could do to halt him.

That was the shape of things to come and Wigan cranked up the pressure, twice forcing repeat sets, but Saints scrambled well on the line to repel them.

But it looked like Saints had countered well – and looked as though they had levelled when Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook went racing over, only for an obstruction from Luke Douglas to be spotted in the build-up.

Wigan thought they had stretched their lead when Sam Powell scampered over, only for the video ref to overturn the on-field call of a try after spotting a John Bateman knock on.

Saints suffered a blow on 19 minutes Ryan Morgan took a blow to the head and went off for a concussion assessment.

A half break by Barba built some pressure, but that was relieved with a penalty on play one.

But Saints kept coming back – with James Roby prominent – and a smart Jonny Lomax grubber forced a drop out.

Saints tapped a penalty in front of the sticks on 27 minutes, hoping they could crack the Wigan line, but Tommy Makinson could not get to a looping Jonny Lomax pass in time and was forced into touch.

After a repeat set, they then tapped another penalty, hoping that the weight of pressure would tell, but Barba’s long pass wide Makinson went straight into touch.

Wigan countered ruthlessly, and came the length of the field with ex-Saint Joe Greenwood backed up by Oliver Gildart.

Despite the scramble across Sarginson was in support for his second.

The kick was again missed, but Wigan had an 8-0 lead and deserved it.

After Danny Richardson had been trapped behind the line, Wigan sensed they had a glorious opportunity to take a killer three-score lead into the break.

And when John Bateman powered through some powder-puff Saints tackling on the right to stretch the lead, with George Williams’ conversion, to 14-0 the Saints had an uphill battle.

But with the half time hooter gone, never-say-die Saints plundered a try from nothing when Richardson chipped to the right where Makinson had to check himself to avoid the touchline, before acrobatically propelling himself over the whitewash in the corner.

Richardson missed the conversion, but Saints at least had a toe-hold at 14-4.

Wigan got off to a flying start again in the second half when Tom Davies got past a Barba tackle on the line to make it 18-4, but the try had been made as a result of some soft contact in the build up. Twice in the set Saints had failed to put the Wigan ball-carrier to ground, with the last offload from Greenwood being the one that unlocked the defence.

Saints’ contact has to better in this type of game or they will come a cropper in the knock-out games, whoever they play.

And after Davies had bust the line on a dazzling run it took a cover tackle from the heavily bandaged McCarthy-Scarsbrook to stop another score.

The on-song Londoner, operating in the centres after Morgan’s head knock, turned provider as he get on the end of some crisp Saints handling to slip a Gidleyesque pass for Makinson to saunter over for his second.

Richardson’s conversion cut the deficit to eight points, once again giving Saints a toe-hold in the game.

A big tackle from Morgan Knowles on Tommy Leuluai snuffed out a Wigan attack at one end, and a raking Barba kick, chased by Makinson, forced a drop out.

The game remained nip and tuck, but after Saints had forced a turnover from an Escare spilled high ball a Thompson dropped ball on play two saw heads drop long enough for a Wigan to ruthlessly counter.

A long-range move saw Oliver Gildart race through and then bamboozle Barba to finish off. William slotted the goal to give Wigan a 24-10 lead with 15 to play.

A streaker invaded the pitch at this point and after sliding over for a try, made a clumsy collision with the advertising hoardings before being escorted away by the stewards.

After losing the previous two derbies against Saints, there was a real hungry mood about Wigan but they seemed to have found the soft underbelly of the league leaders.

And that was summed up when skipper Sean O’Loughlin ripped through from a short ball in front of the delirious away support to extend the lead, with Williams’ goal, to 30-10.

Saints: Barba; Makinson, Morgan, Percival, Grace; Lomax, Richardson; Douglas, Roby, Thompson, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Taia, Knowles; Subs: Amor, Wilkin, Lees, Ashworth.

Wigan: Escare; Davies, Isa, Sarginson, Gildart; Williams, Leulua; Navarette, Powell, Flower, Greenwood, Bateman, O’Loughlin. Subs: Clubb, Sutton, Hamlin, Partington.

Att: 14, 061.