Wolves season review 2007

Published 01/01/07 9:00 am
Warrington Wolves archive

Catalans Dragons 27 Warrington Wolves 16

Wolves pay the penalty

for indiscipline

By Sports staff

WARRINGTON Wolves toppled out of the top six as they paid the penalty for indiscipline in the South of France.
Coach Paul Cullen was left cursing his side's indiscipline, as the Wolves lost out 27-16 to Catalans Dragons, who leapfrogged them into the top six.
Still missing eight first teamers through injury, the Wolves struggled in Perpignan after leading 10-8 at half-time.
But a disappointed Cullen was unwilling to use the absentees as an excuse after the defeat.
"The personnel issues that are there for all to see have got nothing to do with the win or loss of this game. Those on the field didn't deliver," he said.
"We're very disappointed as a group that our discipline was not good enough to win a game of rugby league.
"Through our own fault we virtually spent 80 minutes defending our own try line.
"We couldn't complete sets at their end of the field to save our lives and when we completed and kicked, invariably any one of a number of individuals gave a penalty away.
"That put us all the way back at the bottom of the hill and we had to start matching all the way back again."
Thomas Bosc scored 14 points for the home team and the Dragons star sealed the win with a pacey try at the death, to complete a superb performance for the French.
It was Catalans' biggest crowd since returning to Stade Gilbert Brutus at the start of the season, and with Stacey Jones pulling the strings, they looked fearsome at times.
French debutant winger Olivier Charles scored the game's first try on 18 minutes after a kick by Jones. Bosc's conversion put the French into an eight point lead, after his earlier penalty.
Dragons forward Reni Casty was placed on report for a spear tackle on Andy Bracek though, and that spurred Wolves to hit back.
Mark Gleeson sent Ben Westwood over the whitewash on the half hour mark, as Lee Briers converted.
Briers and Martin Gleeson then combined to put Henry Fa'afili in at the corner for a fine try and a 10-8 advantage at the break.
Fired up at the interval Catalans soon regained the lead as Casey McGuire evaded Ben Harrison and Stuart Reardon for a crucial converted try.
Westwood notched his second try of the game to level the scores at 14-14, but Briers' conversion attempt hit the post, and the miss proved costly.
The Dragons moved 20-14 ahead through Alex Chan's touch down after John Wilson had knocked back a kick from Jones.
Jones then added a drop goal before Briers reduced the deficit to five points with his consolation score.
But it was that man Bosc again, who popped up in the last minute to surge over the line and seal an important win for Catalans.