There will be greater challenges to come for Warrington this year – one before August is even over. To that end, this was a priceless victory which moved them above Wigan and just a point shy of Hull FC at the top of Super League but, with a Wembley final against Hull just two weeks away, this was anything but the Warrington side their fans have come to expect this year.
The record books will show that both of this year’s Challenge Cup finalists won this weekend – both scoring 38 points in the process too – but that is where the similarities end. For the league leaders Hull it was a thoroughly polished performance to see off Widnes, but in contrast, Warrington were far more erratic.
Their coach, Tony Smith, described it as an OK performance but against a side who were struggling to field a 17 fit enough to play this game, let alone compete in it, it almost felt like the Wolves were holding something in reserve with Wembley on the horizon.
A fortnight ago they were utterly destructive in ending Wakefield’s Challenge Cup campaign, winning 56-12, but here their performance was scattered with errors and an underlying suggestion that Smith’s side have several more gears to hit before the final.
“It wasn’t the prettiest of games all-round,” Smith said. “We played our part in that and so did Wakefield. There wasn’t a huge atmosphere compared to the last time we met so it was difficult but it was important to get a win. We were ok, and I felt the game was never out of our control.”
Just like Widnes’s defeat to Hull on Thursday, this loss means Wakefield’s faint top-four hopes are mathematically over but again their coach, Chris Chester, stressed a longer-term vision afterwards. With another member of the club’s highly-regarded academy, James Batchelor, debuting here, Chester was keen to press home the fact that with Super League status secured for 2017, the Wildcats can afford to blood some of their homegrown stars without fear of serious repercussions.
“We didn’t get beat on effort today,” he said. “Young Batch is one for the future but also one for now, then there’s Judah Mazive, Max Jowitt and Jordan Crowther in there too. The kids really stood up in my eyes today, with no shortage of effort.”
As they did in the semi-final at Leigh two weeks ago, Wakefield’s injury-hit side – again they were without 11 – took the lead, this time when Jonny Molloy touched down following Liam Finn’s clever kick. That, however, stirred Warrington into life, with tries from Ben Currie, Chris Hill and Ryan Atkins opening up a commanding lead for the Wolves at half-time.
Atkins’ try, when he touched down Chris Sandow’s well weighted kick, made it 16-6 three minutes before half-time, a moment Chester identified as crucial. “It was a soft try to ship right on the break and it was pretty big,” he said. Trinity would have their chances to get back into the contest as the second half began, but they were too wasteful in attack to seriously threaten the Wolves.
The visitors then made them pay when Matty Russell collected a loose pass from Craig Hall to race unchallenged to the line, and although the impressive Mazive sparked hopes of a comeback with his first try for the club, they were quickly extinguished as the game entered the final quarter.
With Wakefield pressing, tries from Daryl Clark, Russell’s second and Joe Westerman put the seal on a win which could turn out to be crucial in the long run for the Wolves. Wembley is casting a rather significant shadow over everything Warrington are doing at the moment but in terms of the race for top spot, this was another big tick in the box for Smith and his men.
Wakefield Hall; Mazive, Lyne, Arundel, Jones-Bishop; Miller, Finn; Scruton, Sio, Arona, Molloy, Walton, Crowther. Interchange Jowitt, Yates, Batchelor, Fifita.
Tries Molloy, Mazive. Goal Finn.
Warrington Ratchford; Evans, T King, Atkins, Russell; Gidley, Sandow; Hill, Clark, Sims, Hughes, Currie, Westerman. Interchange Dwyer, Westwood, G King, Wilde.
Tries Currie, Hill, Atkins, Russell 2, Clark, Westerman.
Goals Gidley 5.
Referee R Hicks. Attendance 3,552.
