WARRINGTON Wolves returned to the top of Super League as they went on the rampage at Bradford Bulls scoring 11 tries in a 14-58 victory.
Tries came from Micky Higham, Lee Briers, Brett Hodgson, Joel Monaghan, Michael Monaghan, Chris Bridge, Matt King, Louis Anderson (2) and Ryan Atkins (2) with Hodgson landing seven conversions.
The game was over as a contest by the break as the Wolves led 0-32 and they had 48 points on the scoreboard before the Bulls managed to score to ironic cheers form their own fans!
Full-back Brett Hodgson led the way for the Wolves, who are Super League’s top-scorers, with 22 points from two tries and seven goals, as Warrington bounced back from their shock home defeat by Hull.
Bradford had no fewer than five kicks charged down in the first half, three of them producing immediate rewards with long-range breakaway tries for the Wolves.
Hooker Michael Monaghan’s charge-down of Marc Herbert’s attempted clearance kick set up second-rower Louis Anderson for the first of his two tries. Then centre Ryan Atkins went over from 70 metres after picking up a loose ball and Michael Monaghan showed fine pace to race nearly the full length of the pitch after charging down Elima’s kick.
Other scores came from Matt King with his first try of the season and fellow winger Joel Monaghan his 11th.
Hodgson converted four of his side’s six tries in the difficult windy conditions as Warrington led 32-0 at the break and then five minutes after the re-start Hodgson dummied his way over for a seventh try.
Former Bradford forward David Solomona produced a trademark offload to get King into his stride as Atkins shrugged off full-back Shad Royston’s tackle to score his second try.
Bradford’s misery was summed up when Herbert fumbled under no pressure and Warrington’s replacement hooker Mick Higham was allowed to pick up and race 60 metres for another soft score.
Bradford produced a spirited rally which brought consolation tries for prop Craig Kopczak, captain Andy Lynch and second-rower Elliott Whitehead.
But Warrington had the final say when ex-Bradford centre Chris Bridge scored another breakaway try and Hodgson then went over for his second try in stoppage time, as the Wolves topped the half-century mark for fourth time this year.
After the game Wolve sboss Tony Smith said: “It was a strange match. I thought for 60 minutes our defence was absolutely awesome and got some very good rewards for it.
“Some people could say everything went our way but it didn’t. Two kick-offs went dead and we had some dropped ball on first and second tackles. It wasn’t all picture perfect but our attitude when that happened was very good.
“We’re still learning how to cope with those situations and we took some really big strides today.”
Bulls: Shad Royston; Shaun Ainscough, Michael Platt, Chev Walker, Patrick Ah Van; Paul Sykes, Marc Herbert; Andy Lynch, Matt Diskin, Craig Kopczak, Olivier Elima, Ian Sibbit, Tom Olbison. Subs: Elliott Whitehead, Heath L’Estrange, Bryn Hargreaves, Tom Burgess.
Wolves: Brett Hodgson; Joel Monaghan, Chris Bridge, Ryan Atkins, Matt King; Lee Briers, Simon Grix; Adrian Morley, Michael Monaghan, Paul Wood, Louis Anderson, Ben Westwood, Ben Harrison. Subs: Mickey Higham, Mike Cooper, Garreth Carvell, David Solomona.
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