WARRINGTON Wolves’ unbeaten home run came to a crashing end in a top-of-the-table 6-34 defeat to Super League leaders Leeds.
The Rhinos blew Sam Burgess’ side away with three tries in each half, including a hat-trick for an almost unstoppable Maiko Siva, the competition’s top try scorer.
A cagey start saw Warrington take a penalty to break the deadlock, but it was Leeds that took control with back-to-back tries midway through the first half.
The first came when a kick through by Lachlan Miller dribbled across the in-goal, and although Ash Handley couldn’t ground the ball himself, he was facing his own line and as a result, the ball went backward for a gleeful Sivo to simply touch down for his first.
A brilliant piece of centre play by Handley then created the second try, as he shrugged off Josh Smith and raced down the left, finding Warrington-bound Brodie Croft on his inside.
Only a last-ditch tackle by James Bentley, among Warrington’s best players on the night, denied Sivo his second try before Leeds stretched their lead further when Harry Newman caught Jake Connor’s high kick and wrestled his way under the posts.
Trailing 16-2, Warrington turned down a kickable penalty towards the end of the half as the desperately tried to find a try to no avail.
Any hopes of a comeback were virtually shut down when Chris Hankinson took Miller’s long pass to the line before the game was well and truly blown out by a devastating spell in which Sivo scored two tries, and had a third denied by Albert Hopoate’s last-ditch tackle.
Ashton scored a late consolation for Warrington, who suffered a third defeat of the campaign, and their first at home.
Warrington: Thewlis, Hopoate, Smith, Lindop, Ashton, Irwin, Hayes, Thomas, Walker, Byrne, Harrison, Bentley, Currie. Subs: Powell, Sipley, Tanginoa, Crowther.
Leeds: Miller, Sivo, Newman, Handley, Hall, Croft, Connor, Oledzki, Levi, Palasia, Hankinson, McDonnell, Watkins. Subs: O’Connor, Jenkins, Cassell, Smith
