There could not have been a more opportune moment for Kevin Brown to produce his best performance in a Warrington shirt. The England international has undoubtedly found the going tough since making the move along the M62 from Widnes at the end of last season, but it was somewhat inevitable he would prove to be the difference here.
For four seasons Brown was the heart and soul of Widnes’s transformation from Super League strugglers to a reputable mid-table side – meaning his move to the Vikings’ bitter rivals would always result in a hostile reception the first time he faced his former employers in the colours of Warrington.
And while it was far from the perfect performance Brown and Warrington will have craved in such a vital Challenge Cup encounter, the former Widnes man ultimately had the last laugh over the fans who had spent the majority of the afternoon serenading him with chants he is not likely to forget in a hurry.
Even at 32, Brown remains one of the sport’s most potent threats with ball in hand; and despite being below his best for large periods of his start to life at Warrington, he produced the most telling moments in an enthralling contest which was not settled until the final few moments.
By then, Brown had scored three high-quality tries to help last year’s finalists book a mouthwatering quarter-final tie with Wigan – and stand two victories away from a return to Wembley 12 months after falling desperately short in the sunshine against Hull FC.
“I thought Kev was really good today,” the Warrington coach, Tony Smith, said. “I’m delighted for him; he was under some vocal pressure even before the whistle blew and he responded well. Good on him, I’m pleased because he came back from Australia [playing for England] with confidence and he played confidently today.”
Despite Brown and Warrington progressing to the last eight, Widnes should exit the Challenge Cup with their heads held high after pushing the Wolves all the way. The Vikings, without a dozen front-line players and struggling at the foot of Super League, were widely expected to be comfortably beaten here at the hands of their fiercest rivals.
However, Denis Betts’s young side showed plenty of indicators that they can be confident of avoiding a battle against relegation later this year. “It was a momentous effort against a side stacked full of internationals,” Betts said.
Warrington looked capable of pulling away from Widnes on several occasions, and while Smith said he was frustrated his side were not able to kill off the Vikings until the three tries in the final 11 minutes which secured victory, it was perhaps more that the Vikings simply would not give in.
They actually led when Greg Burke broke the deadlock in the opening quarter before Warrington battled their way to a half-time lead courtesy of tries from Ryan Atkins and Brown’s first, a magnificent show-and-go he would repeat later in the game. From there, Warrington looked favourites to pull away from their depleted opponents, but instead it was Widnes who started the second half the better of the two sides. James Chapelhow’s well-taken effort was followed by a penalty from the boot of Patrick Ah Van to make it 14-12 in Widnes’s favour, before Brown’s second put the Wolves back in control.
An increasingly see-saw affair tipped back in Widnes’s favour when Ah Van crossed to make it 20-20 – but after the winger was carried off with a suspected torn achilles, the Vikings began to run out of both bodies and energy, and Warrington made them pay.
Brown sealed his hat-trick before saluting the fans who had spent the bulk of the afternoon abusing him, before late tries from Matty Russell and Chris Hill added an element of conviction to a scoreline which felt harsh on Widnes given their efforts. In the other quarter-finals Leeds host the only Championship team remaining, Featherstone, while Salford host Wakefield and the holders, Hull FC, face Super League leaders Castleford.
Warrington Ratchford; Russell, Hughes, Atkins, Lineham; Brown, Patton; Hill, Gidley, Sims, Jullien, Westwood, Cooper. Interchange Philbin, Crosby, King, Smith.
Tries Atkins, Brown 3, Russell, Hill. Goals Ratchford 5.
Widnes Hanbury; Roby, Runciman, Walsh, Ah Van; Mellor, Johnstone; Buchanan, Heremaia, Dudson, Cahill, Olbison, Burke. Interchange Manuokafoa, O’Carroll, Chapelhow, Walker.
Tries Burke, Chapelhow, Ah Van. Goals Ah Van 4.
Referee J Child. Attendance 5,971.
