Four star Westwood earns Wolves win

WARRINGTON Wolves moved within 80 minutes of a second successive Super League Grand Final appearance with a 40-20 win over reigning champions Leeds.
Back-rower Ben Westwood (pictured top and right) scored four tries as Tony Smith’s men proved too hot to handle, and in doing so, earned themselves the ClubCall pick for the semi-finals in two weeks time.
Westwood scored the game’s first try on six minutes, when Lee Briers kicked early in the tackle count, and the former Wakefield man held off Zak Hardaker to touch down.
Rob Burrow scurried through a gap to feed former Latchford Albion junior Kallum Watkins to level the scores at 6-6, and Leeds hit the front when Burrow and Watkins linked up again to send Ben Jones-Bishop away, and the winger fed Kevin Sinfield for a try and 10-6.
Then came the first half’s biggest talking point. Briers went down under what he felt was a high tackle by Leeds back-rower Carl Ablett, and then jumped up and appeared to punch Ablett, but referee James Child deemed a penalty against Warrington sufficient punishment.
That controversy appeared to hit Leeds’ momentum, and five minutes later an outrageous dummy from Simon Grix earned him a fine individual try after Mickey Higham had sent him away.
There was further controversy shortly before half-time. Westwood bounced off Ryan Hall and carried Hardaker towards the posts, and appeared to be held up over the line by the Rhinos full-back, but video referee Phil Bentham awarded a try on the benefit of the doubt ruling.
The simple conversion that followed made it 18-10 at half time.
Westwood thought he had his hat-trick try two minutes in to the second half, only to be denied by Danny McGuire, but he wasn’t to be denied five minutes later when he backed up a trademark Michael Monaghan dart.
The game was Warrington’s for the taking, and a superb 40-20 from Briers laid the platform for more pressure.
And it was pantomime villain Briers, still being booed by the travelling Leeds fans for his earlier skirmish, who scored perhaps the decisive try, picking up a loose ball after Chris Hill failed to grasp Monaghan’s pass close to the line.
That gave the hosts an 18-point lead with 20 minutes to play, and after a Hardaker try briefly threatened a Leeds comeback, Westwood grabbed a fourth, latching on to another pinpoint Briers grubber kick for 34-14.
Hardaker claimed his second with five minutes to go, but the Wolves had the last say when Ryan Atkins hacked on a loose ball and touched down.
The 40-20 win earns Warrington a week off next weekend, and they will then get to choose their opponents for the game that will determine whether they reach Old Trafford on October 5.

Warrington Wolves: Ratchford, C. Riley, C. Bridge, Atkins, J. Monaghan, Briers, Grix, Hill, Higham, Wood, Waterhouse, Westwood, Harrison. Subs: Morley, M. Monaghan, Carvell, Cooper.
Leeds Rhinos: Hardaker, Jones-Bishop, Watkins, Moon, Hall, Sinfield, McGuire, Leuluai, Burrow, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Bailey. Subs: Sutcliffe, Singleton, Delaney, Kirke.