WARRINGTON Wolves comfortably retained their position at the top of Super League with a 56-16 victory at Crusaders – but they did not have it all their own way.
True, they topped 50 points for the seventh time in nine matches and, true, they snuffed out the opposition in the second half.
But for a brief period, Crusaders, having bounced back from Warrington’s first 10-minute blitz, managed to get their noses ahead at 16-12.
But it was just a minor set-back for the rampant Wolves who went on to stamp their authority on the game.
Matt King (pictured above) and skipper Adrian Morley both went over in the first 10 minutes but Crusaders showed real character by replying with tries from Elliot Kear, Hep Cahill and Jarrod Sammut.
But Ben Westwood, Ryan Atkins and Paul Wood scored in rapid succession and after the interval, Wolves added five more, three of them to Brett Hodgson who kicked eight goals too to finish with 28 points.
Richie Myler added another and Wood added a second to his tally.
After the match, Warrington coach Tony Smith repeated what he had said earlier in the week – that Crusaders are a stronger team than when Wolves last played them.
Certainly the Welsh side put up a better show than Wolves’ recent opponents.
Paul Wood (pictured below) had more than his two tries to celebrate. His wife gave birth to a girl before the match.
For more pictures from the game CLICK HERE
Crusaders: Schifcofske; Kear, Mellars, Thomas, Tansey; Witt, Hanbury; O’Hara, Withers, Moore, Cahill, Winternstein, Chan.
Replacements: Lupton, Sammut, Flower, Bryant.
Warrington: Hodgson; King, Bridge, Atkins, Williams; Briers, Myler; Morley, M Monaghan, Carvell, Anderson, Westwood, Grix.
Replacements: Solomona, Wood, Higham, Cooper.
