Warrington had no trouble maintaining top spot in Super League with an emphatic 30-12 victory over neighbours Widnes.
The Wolves, who have lost only two of their past 13 league and cup matches, romped into a 20-0 interval lead, beginning with a try from skipper Chris Hill – who scored a superb 30-metre solo effort – before Ashton Sims and teenager Morgan Smith added to the score, with Kurt Gidley booting four goals.
Second-half touchdowns followed from Joe Philbin and Matty Russell, with Gidley adding another goal. Widnes, with nothing left to play for this season but pride, could only manage second-half tries from Joe Mellor and Corey Thompson but never gave up.
Wigan snatched a dramatic 18-12 victory over Hull FC to keep alive their hopes of a home semi-final.
Substitute forward Taulima Tautai was the Warriors’ unlikely matchwinner with his first try of the season and only his second for the club to put a dampener on the Challenge Cup winners’ homecoming.
Hull were on course for a comfortable victory after dominating the first hour and establishing a 12-4 lead but Wigan struck back with tries from hooker Sam Powell and Tautai in the last 16 minutes as their never-say-die attitude saw them avenge their 16-12 cup semi-final defeat by Lee Radford’s men.
Catalans Dragons ended a three-match losing streak, limping past Wakefield 14-10 in a below-par affair at Belle Vue.
Catalans hit the front courtesy of a Jason Baitieri try, which full-back Tony Gigot improved from bang in front. Max Jowitt hit back in style for the hosting Wildcats, though Liam Finn was way off the mark with the resulting conversion attempt.
On 23 minutes, Julian Bousquet crossed following an impressive last-tackle play. Gigot added the extras, making it 12-4.
It was third time lucky for former Hull KR man Hall on 45 minutes as he got on the end of a bouncing Jacob Miller kick-through. Finn converted and the Wildcats were within two points of levelling matters.
Wakefield’s Scott Anderson dropped the ball over the line on the hour mark, just prior to Catalans’ Olivier Elima being sin-binned, but the Perpignan outfit held firm.
A 66th-minute Gigot penalty-goal provided the game’s final points and Wakefield were condemned to yet another defeat.
