WARRINGTON Wolves saw off a dogged Sheffield Eagles to book their place in the hat for Monday’s Challenge Cup fourth round draw.
They ran in three tries in either half in torrid conditions at the Halliwell Jones Stadium to see off the Championship side 34-6.
Youngster Tommy Rhodes rounded off the scoring with his first touch of the ball and in doing so became the club’s youngest try scorer in the summer era at the age of 16.
It took almost 20 minutes for Warrington to break the deadlock as the part-timers put up a stern showing. Ironically it came after Sheffield’s first real chance with the ball in the Wolves half, which led to a Josh Smith interception and though he couldn’t make his way to the line, a few tackles later Toby King slid over.
The second try followed five minutes later, with the evasive Cai Taylor-Wray taking advantage of some tiring middles to dance over under the posts.
But any thoughts that might break Sheffield’s resolve were unproven when the Eagles fought back off the back of Jordan Lilley’s kicking game, and they got on the board when ex-Salford half-back Kai Morgan dummied through.
If anything, Josh Thewlis’ score in the corner on the stroke of half time, off debutant Albert Hopoate’s pass, was slightly harsh on Sheffield on the basis of the first half as the Wolves led 16-6.
The second half followed in a similar vein, good defence denying Billy Walkley in the corner before Taylor-Wray got his second try off a Kelepi Tanginoa offload after he had bounced past Lilley. Tanginoa did long minutes after being a first minute replacement for James Bentley, unfortunately injured on his competitive debut.
Another debutant, Australian Hopoate, got a debut try of his own on 58 minutes, taking a George Williams pass high and spinning to open a path up to the line, but it was Rhodes, on for the final 15 minutes, that put the icing on the cake.
The fourth round draw takes place on Monday, while Warrington start the new Super League season next Friday against St Helens.
Warrington: Taylor-Wray, Thewlis, Hopoate, King, Smith, Williams, Sneyd, Thomas, Walker, Byrne, Bentley, Stone, Currie. Subs: Crowther, Philbin, Rhodes, Tanginoa.
Sheffield: Marsh, Brown, Hodson, Gill, Walkley, Morgan, Lilley, Matongo, Bowes, Reilly, Bower, Farrell, Griffin. Subs: Fitzsimmons, Johnson, Peachey, Foster.
