Hock's return for Wigan eclipsed as 'incredible' Tomkins steals the show

Dave Hadfield
Sunday 26 June 2011 19:00 EDT
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A dazzling hat-trick of tries from Sam Tomkins outshone the return of Gareth Hock as Wigan went above Huddersfield in the Super League table by thrashing them 46-12 on Saturday at the DW Stadium.

Hock played 30 minutes in his first match after completing his two-year drug ban, but Tomkins' eighth hat-trick of his career completely stole the show. The Wigan coach, Michael Maguire, praised Hock's comeback, but described Tomkins as "incredible".

The Catalan Dragons made it six home games without defeat by beating Castleford by a resounding 54-20. Lopeni Paea and Frederic Vaccari both scored twice, with Richard Owen responding with a pair for Cas.

Harlequins' revival proved short-lived when they were hammered 34-0 at home by Hull KR. Jake Webster, returning for Rovers, made the difference with two tries.

Warrington ensured that they would stay on top of Super League with a thrilling 35-28 victory over St Helens on Friday night – their first double over them since 1993.

Saints fought back from an early 18-0 deficit to lead 22-18 at the break, yet the Wolves had the better of the second half. Tony Puletua's second try kept Saints in it right until the end, but it was a late Lee Briers drop-goal that clinched it.

Bradford won at Headingley to underline just what a disappointing season it is turning into for Leeds Rhinos. They had the edge at half-time, despite Olivier Elima's two tries for the Bulls, but Patrick Ah Van provided five goals to see Bradford home 18-12.

For the second week running, the unlucky Crusaders were beaten by a late try, despite the fact that they appeared to have done enough to secure the game. After Leeds last week, it was Salford's Adam Sidlow who broke their hearts on Friday night with a last-minute touch-down to earn a 22-18 win at Wrexham.

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