Wigan have demonstrated their determination to hang on to their Super League crown with a hard-fought 21-6 win over Leeds that lifted them into second place in the table.

The Warriors played like champions to establish a 14-0 interval lead and withstood a tremendous second-half fightback from the Rhinos to secure only their second win in five games in front of a Super League best attendance of 20,265 at the DW Stadium.

Leeds tasted glory with their long-awaited Challenge Cup success at Wembley a fortnight ago but a fourth successive league defeat leaves them trailing in sixth place with one round left of the regular season and with much to do if they are to complete the elusive double.

The Rhinos were still without evergreen stalwarts Danny McGuire and Rob Burrow and they had centre Jimmy Keinhorst making his first appearance of the season in place of the suspended Joel Moon.

Wigan coach Shaun Wane welcomed back full-back Matty Bowen and second rower Joel Tomkins but was forced into a late change when centre Anthony Gelling pulled out through illness, the versatile Jack Hughes taking his place.

Wane also sprung a surprise by recalling 19-year-old wing sensation Joe Burgess after a two-month absence and it was he who opened the scoring on 12 minutes.

Bowen was in full flight for the line when Leeds’ veteran prop Jamie Peacock cut him down with a last-ditch tackle but in the next set Burgess got on the end of stand-off Blake Green’s slide-rule kick to score his 20th try of the season on only his 23rd appearance.

Scrum-half Matty Smith added the conversion, the first of four successful kicks at goal, and picked off a forced pass by Leeds’ under-fire full-back Zak Hardaker to race 30 metres for Wigan’s second try on 22 minutes.

Smith kicked his second conversion and, despite losing his footing, added a penalty on the stroke of half-time to stretch his side’s lead to a 14-0, which was a fair reflection of the play in the opening 40 minutes.

Hardaker, under an investigation for alleged homophobic abuse, was roundly booed by the Wigan fans with every touch but he responded well to his blunder and was at the heart of the Rhinos’ limited attacking opportunities.

They went closest to scoring when second rower Carl Ablett weaved his way to within a couple of feet of the line but generally failed to trouble the Warriors defence up to the break.

They were the first to score in the second half but it came in fortuitous fashion after Wigan passing broke down on halfway.

Keinhorst hacked the ball ahead and when Ryan Hall beat his England team-mate Josh Charnley to the loose ball Liam Sutcliffe was in support to race over at the corner.

Kevin Sinfield’s superb conversion made it 14-6 and the Yorkshiremen were suddenly full of confidence.

A run of three successive penalties enabled them to pile the pressure on the home side but, with skipper Sean O’Loughlin setting a magnificent example, their defence held firm.

When Wigan got their second wind, a dash from industrious hooker Michael McIlorum got centre Dan Sarginson charging for the line and, although the home fans were convinced it was a try, video referee Richard Silverwood ruled the player lost control of the ball.

Sinfield kept his side in the game with a clever drop-out that enabled his side to regain possession but the telling moment came 10 minutes from the end when strong-running prop Ben Flower took O’Loughlin’s short pass to power his way over the winning try.

Smith landed his fourth goal and wrapped up the scoring in the last minute with a drop goal.