Tony Smith praised his Warrington side’s defensive efforts as they eased past one of their nearest rivals to deliver another firm reminder of their title credentials in 2016. They have already suggested on numerous occasions this year that they are a team for all seasons and on a night where conditions were more reminiscent of the depths of winter as opposed to mid-spring, this was another emphatic box ticked by Smith’s men.
Their attacking prowess – masterminded here by the veteran Australian Kurt Gidley, who is oozing class on a regular basis during his inaugural few months in Super League – is what is gaining Warrington the headlines, with seven more tries here against an out-of-sorts Wigan side. But as well as the most potent attack in the competition, the Wolves also possess the leanest defence, a statistic Smith took particular pride in afterwards.
“I thought it probably took us about 15 minutes but then we started to turn the volume up,” Smith said. “Our defence kicked into gear and we got really physical. You know with Wigan it will be physical but I thought we built our game on our defence and got some reward by half-time.”
Warrington’s last victory against Wigan four weeks ago was the night when the Wolves lost the half-back Chris Sandow, undoubtedly the competition’s star player in the opening two months, to injury. That was believed to be the catalyst for a seismic shift in the Wolves’ form, and although they have lost two of their past three since then, this was an emphatic return to form.
Most Super League games of late had resembled a style of rugby more suited to touch and pass, with points aplenty and defensive efforts way below par – but driving rain before the match and the meeting of the competition’s two meanest defences strongly hinted at a change in fortunes. For the opening half-hour, that was exactly how the game played out, with neither side giving the other an inch until Wigan broke the deadlock when Josh Charnley utilised the wet conditions to slide over from close range.
However, that early setback stirred Warrington into life, and after Daryl Clark dived over for a well-executed try, Ben Westwood emerged from the bench to crash over with his first touch. Gidley converted both and, given the conditions, Warrington’s 12-4 lead felt a commanding one.
Yet the Wolves would still have time to strike a decisive blow right on half-time, when Kevin Penny claimed Stefan Ratchford’s magnificent towering kick – with the finish from the winger equally as sublime. Two more Warrington tries inside the opening 20 minutes of the second half – both of them to the centre, Ryan Atkins – underlined Warrington’s superiority and ultimately, their ability to handle the torrential conditions better.
With the second-worst attack in Super League – only the defending champions Leeds have scored fewer points in 2016 – a comeback never looked likely for a Wigan side utterly devoid of creative influence. The return of the half-back George Williams after eight weeks out with a back problem did little to solve Wigan’s offensive issues, but after Benjamin Jullien scored Warrington’s sixth to compound the Warriors’ misery, they were at least able to muster a consolation.
As he has been most weeks this season, John Bateman was Wigan’s standout player on the night, and although his endeavours were rewarded with a fine individual try late on, Warrington had the final say when Westwood scored his second.
“They were too good for us,” conceded the Wigan coach, Shaun Wane. “I’m happy with where we’re at; they’ve got a lot of players who are fit and healthy and I thought for 25 minutes we challenged them, but some of the tries we conceded were really poor.”
Warrington Russell; Penny, Evans, Atkins, Lineham; Gidley, Ratchford; Hill, Clark, Sims, Currie, Hughes, Westerman. Interchange Westwood, King, Jullien, Cox.
Tries Clark, Westwood 2, Penny, Atkins 2, Jullien. Goals Gidley 5, Ratchford.
Wigan Sarginson; Charnley, Gelling, Gildart, Tierney; Gregson, Smith; Clubb, Powell, Mossop, Bateman, Isa, Sutton. Interchange Williams, Tautai, Burke, Wells.
Tries Charnley, Bateman. Goal Smith.
Referee P Bentham. Attendance 11,724.
