WARRINGTON Wolves made a blistering start to the Super League season, beating St Helens 24-14 in front of a sold-out Halliwell Jones Stadium crowd.
The damage was done in the first half, Cai Taylor-Wray with the highlight moment, watched by a new record of 15,064 that included the town’s favourite son, Darts World Champion Luke Littler.
The win continued Warrington’s recent hoo-doo over St Helens, and meant a miserable first Super League match in charge for their new coach Paul Rowley.
A touch of class put Warrington in front on 13 minutes, Toby King taking on George Williams’ pass wide and shrugging off the tackle of opposite number Harry Robertson and keeping his ball carrying arm free off the floor to then bounce over the line.
The moment of the match came five minutes later, when the lively Danny Walker, who will surely benefit more than most from the new rules around the ruck this season, darted from dummy half and found livewire Taylor-Wray inside and he showed a blistering turn of pace to leave England full-back Jack Welsby for dead from 50 metres.
Cai Taylor-Wray scores
(Photo by Alfie Cosgrove/News Images)
Taylor-Wray then turned provider, his footwork and pace proving too much for St Helens to handle in midfield, with the ball eventually ending the hands of Albert Hopoate to mark his Super League debut with a try.
Hopoate was held up over the line as Warrington put some pressure on late in the half, eventually awarded a penalty for offside off a dropped catch and Sam Burgess pointed to take the two and Marc Sneyd duly obliged to make it 18-0.
It was inevitable that Saints would attempt to fight back in the second half, and they were twice foiled by the video referee before the hour mark, Welsby and Alex Walmsley both having tries disallowed.
They did eventually get on the board through Welsby on 61 minutes, and when Tristan Sailor gathered Jackson Hastings’ high kick to make it a quickfire double, there may have been some nerves brewing in the home ends.
But they were quickly dispelled when barely two minutes later, Josh Thewlis crossed in the corner, with Sneyd converting from wide out to make it 24-10 and make it a three score game.
When Saints then lost Hastings to the sin-bin for a late hit, their chances looked slim.
And Warrington thought they had added icing on the cake when a loose ball was gathered by Williams and eventually ended with Hopoate scoring, though the video referee ruled it out meaning it was a late consolation try by Kyle Feldt that completed the scoring.
Warrington Wolves: Taylor-Wray (t), Josh Thewlis (t), King (t), Hopoate (t), Smith, Williams, Sneyd (4g), Yates, Walker, Byrne, Stone, Harrison, Currie. Subs: Sipley, Crowther, Philbin, Tanginoa.
St Helens: Welsby (t), Feldt (t), Robertson, McDonald, Cross, Sailor (t), Hastings (g), Klemmer, Clark, Delaney, Wright, Whitley, Shorrocks. Subs: Lomax, Walmsley, Host, Dagnall.
