LEE Briers returned from injury and illness to help inspire Warrington to a superb 10-29 victory at Hull to keep up the pressure on Wigan at the top of the table.
Winger Chris Hicks completed a hat-trick but it was Briers (pictured above) who had an immediate impact when he picked up Sean Long’s blocked kick and made a smart inside pass for Hicks to run under the posts after just three minutes.
But Hull hit back shortly afterwards when a break from well inside their own half resulted in Jordan Tansey timing his pass perfectly to enable Craig Hall to score.
Already misisng five reuglars through injury Hull also lost their playmaker when Long had to be replaced half-way through the first half, but they still managed to take the lead when Danny Washbrook picked the ball up from the back of a scrum and switched the ball back inside for Willie Manu to score from close range.
Richard Whiting kicked the goal, but Warrington were back on terms within two minutes, when Hicks jumped high to catch Briers’ kick and ground the ball over the Hull line.
Warrington almost went in ahead at half-time when Richie Mathers was held up over the line by Tansey.
Warrington did take the lead 10 minutes into the second half, when Chris Bridge shrugged off Peter Cusack’s attempted tackle to break through the centre of the Hull defence. Richie Myler finished the move, with Briers again adding the two points.
Hull again fought back, with Manu and Mark O’Meley both going close, but after limping off in the firts half Monaghan’s return to the field saw Warrington seal the game.
Steve Ganson penalised Hull for dragging a player into touch after the tackle was completed and Monaghan took advantage of Gareth Carvell’s quick play-the-ball to cross under posts.
Briers goaled, before his drop goal put Warrington 13 points clear.
With Hull tiring, Adrian Morley broke through to enable Hicks to complete his hat-trick with five minutes remaining.
Warrington Wolves assistant coach James Lowes said :”It was a very good win. We have had a good Easter, to come away with four points. We’re not going blase or over the top, we’ve got some quality teams coming up.”
“Across the board I thought Matt King was outstanding again and he’s having a great season so far.
“We have still got a lot of work to do on controlling the ball but after a big effort on Friday, both teams backed it up and put on what was a very good game. With and without the ball, I thought both teams were strong.
“I thought Lee Briers looked good, a bit of spark that added to the team.”
Hull: Tansey, Whiting, Turner, Yeaman, Hall, Washbrook, Long, Cusack, Berrigan, O’Meley, Manu, Burnett, Radford.
Replacements: Houghton, Dowes, Lyne, Moa.
Warrington: Mathers, Hicks, King, Atkins, Riley, Briers, Myler, Morley, Monaghan, Carvell, L. Anderson, Grix, Harrison.
Replacements: Wood, Solomona, Bridge, Higham.
Referee: Steve Ganson
Attendance: 14,131.
